A woman missed out on her fast-food order in Mornington overnight after being caught allegedly three times over the alcohol limit. Police responded to reports of a woman driving erratically at a drive-thru on Nepean Highway about 11.45pm on 26 April. Officers approached the vehicle and gave the 56-year-old driver a preliminary breath test which returned a positive result. She was conveyed to a police station for an evidentiary breath test, where she allegedly returned a reading of .149. The Somerville woman did not get what she ordered. Her car was impounded and she will be charged on summons with…
Browsing: Mornington Peninsula
The Mornington Peninsula’s tourism sector is set to benefit from new investment, following the announcement of successful projects under the Victorian Government’s Regional Tourism Investment Fund. The fund supports regional projects designed to enhance visitor experiences, attract new audiences, and strengthen Victoria’s position as a world-class destination. Two local projects among the recipients are:Panorama Garden Estate Tours Pty Ltd — Development of a wellness ‘Nature Pod’ at Panorama Garden Estate. This unique project will offer visitors an immersive nature-based wellness experience set within one of the Peninsula’s most beautiful private gardens. Leeno Pty Ltd — Quealy Winemakers — Redesign and…
THE board of inquiry into the McCrae landslide began its local consultations and made its first site visit on 9 April, with the chair of the inquiry, Renée Enbom KC, visiting the landslide site to understand first-hand the impacts of the event. The inquiry team also met with affected McCrae residents in attendance to hear their stories, gather relevant knowledge, and provide them with information about how to contribute to the inquiry. “Many residents affected have suffered significant impacts from the landslide, I want to acknowledge how challenging this has been on the McCrae community, and particularly those residents who…
Teenage twin brothers Henri and Miles Levenspiel of Sorrento Sailing Couta Boat Club are making some serious headway in the youth sailing scene. The 15-year-olds recently won the Victorian Youth Championship in April and have now been named finalists as the Young Team of the Year in the Victorian Sports Awards. “We both were honestly pretty surprised – it’s not something we expected,” they said of the finalist nomination. “Just being nominated was already a huge honour, so to find out we were finalists was something special. We’re proud of what we’ve achieved this year in sailing, and to have…
A PENINSULA indoor soccer team is celebrating after booting their way to a jaw-dropping victory in a Go Soccer Mums tournament grand final on 12 April. The tournament is part of a program backed by Football Victoria that encourages people of all ages, fitness levels, and abilities to get involved in soccer. There’s no pressure – just the goal of getting active together and having fun along the way. The ladies from the Peninsula Futsal team not only won all games in their pool but also triumphed 14-0 in the final against Mt Martha. Sunny Shaw, who led the team…
Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding a burglary in Mount Martha on 10 April. It is believed an unknown offender has attended the Bradford Drive residence around 9:30am and gained entry to the house. A short time later the offender was confronted by the resident, where the offender has pulled out a weapon before fleeing the scene. Police have released images of a male they believe can assist with their enquiries. Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or online at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au
VICTORIA Police said five teenagers and a woman had been charged following a spate of alleged burglaries and other incidents in and around High St over the past two months. A 14-year-old boy has been charged with 20 offences over several alleged incidents, including armed robbery, car theft, theft from cars, burglaries and an attempted carjacking, as well as alcohol and cigarette thefts. A 16-year-old boy was charged following an alleged burglary and theft at a tobacco store on High Street, Hastings, on 19 February. The youths have been bailed to appear in a children’s court. A 35-year-old woman from…
INDEPENDENT candidate for Flinders, Ben Smith, has put small business front and centre in the election campaign, launching his policy platform over the weekend as a new poll shows the seat is now on a knife-edge. Speaking while visiting several local businesses and markets across the peninsula, Smith said it’s time to stop treating the region like an inner-city suburb and start supporting the local employers who actually drive our economy. “As a small business owner in Flinders for over a decade, I understand the unique challenges peninsula businesses face,” Smith said. “My wife and I started our retail store…
THE Trumpet of Patriots candidate for the electorate of Flinders, Jason Smart, has announced he is “withdrawing his candidacy” for the upcoming federal election after being “blind sided by Clive Palmer’s decision” to preference Climate 200 backed candidate Ben Smith. The announcement came on Monday (21 April) after he was unable to resolve the preferencing issue with Trumpet of Patriots head office. The preferences “crisis” came after One Nation’s Mike Brown and Smart had originally announced on 16 April they would stand as a “unified alliance”. Accordingly, Smart stated his intention to place Brown second on the Trumpet of Patriots…
BLAIRGOWRIE Yacht Squadron’s Samantha Batty is riding a wave of pride after being named a finalist in the Community Coach of the Year category in the Victorian Sports Awards. The 21-year-old has been a part of the squadron since she was aged seven, and a fully-fledged instructor since 2022. “It’s great to be part of the sailing community not only as a coach but also a competitor, and it’s fantastic to see the sport get some recognition,” said Batty. The Vic Sports Awards, which has 18 categories, celebrates the achievements of home-grown sporting heroes at both a grassroots and high-performance…
A DECISION on the future of beach cleaning has been deferred once again as Mornington Peninsula Shire councillors remain split over whether to use a mechanical rake or hand-cleaning. It marks the fourth time since December last year that councillors and shire officers have pushed back a decision, citing the need for more consideration. Since 1 July last year, a 12-month trial has seen all Port Phillip beaches across the peninsula cleaned solely by hand on a fortnightly basis instead of a mechanical rake which had reportedly removed about 40 per cent of litter with plastic items being broken down…
LONG-awaited plans to replace a damaged section of the Balcombe Creek Estuary Boardwalk will be considered for funding in the upcoming budget after Mornington Peninsula Shire councillors expressed mixed views about repair works. The iconic 3.5km boardwalk in Mt Martha has been partly closed for more than two years after being significantly damaged in floods in November 2022, leaving one section unrepaired and fenced off near Nepean Hwy and Uralla Rd in Mt Martha. As reported by The News, locals have voiced their frustration about the repair delays including the Rotary Club of Mount Martha whose members originally built the…
NOTHING says election time as much as conflicts between the opposing teams over signage. Last federal election the issue rose to prominence with the defacing of Zoe McKenzie’s campaign signage (and vehicle) with vile, misogynistic graffiti. The vandalism garnered national coverage for its “nasty and personal” nature, and a level of confusion due to McKenzie being a relative unknown at the time. McKenzie’s only substantial work on the peninsula had been with the Committee for Mornington Peninsula, and work as a member of “Save Our Spidercrabs”, campaigning for an exclusion zone around piers to prevent fishing for spider crabs between…
NOMINATIONS have now closed for the 2025 federal election with seven candidates competing in the Flinders electorate. The nominated candidates are, in ballot order: Jason Smart (Trumpet of Patriots), Ben Smith (Independent), Zoe McKenzie (Liberal), Mike Brown (One Nation), Joseph Toscano (Independent), Sarah Race (Labor) and Adam Frogley (Greens). The field of seven is substantially smaller than in 2022 when ten candidates contested the seat including two independents, and candidates from United Australia, Liberal Democrats, Animal Justice Party and Federation Party. Zoe McKenzie’s big announcement for last week was a $2m investment by an elected Dutton Liberal government to improve…
THE Mornington Peninsula will pay tribute to Australia’s military heroes this Anzac Day with several events being held throughout the municipality. From dawn services to marches and a range of commemorative events, the peninsula will honour the sacrifices made by the nation’s servicemen and women. This year marks the 110th anniversary of the Gallipoli landing in 1915. Mayor Cr Anthony Marsh said Friday 25 April would be a day to “come together to honour the brave souls who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our nation”. “As a former Royal Australian Air Force officer and now mayor, it is…
VICTORIA Police across Frankston and the Mornington Peninsula are targeting tech savvy criminals that are using reprogramming devices to steal popular cars with push-start systems. Police said their intelligence suggested that certain makes and models with electronic push start technology were increasingly being targeted, as no ignition key was required. “Once inside a vehicle, this device can be plugged into the cars on board diagnostic port to override the security system and start the engine,” Victoria Police said. Police believe this methodology is well known among criminal circles and being used extensively. Various models of Holdens, Toyotas, and Subaru cars…
MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire is inviting all community members to contribute their ideas, insights and experiences to help shape a Community Disaster Resilience Plan. This Plan will identify local strengths, needs, and priorities when it comes to preparing for emergencies and disasters on the Mornington Peninsula. The Community Disaster Resilience Plan will guide how we support the community to prepare for: The Plan will also focus on reducing disaster risk and strengthening protective factors by: Have your say at mornpen.vic.gov.au/disasterplan First published in the Mornington News – 8 April 2025
AFTER a two-year hiatus, the Southern Peninsula Swans Reclink football team are officially back this season. The Reclink Footy League is key program of Reclink Australia, which has been running for more than 30 years. Currently, the league has 14 teams across Victoria and is open to all genders and abilities, emphasising participation over competition. The Swans’ return marks the culmination of months of hard work and a group of “spirited community members” coming together to make this season possible. “COVID-19 created difficulties in maintaining the team and unfortunately the Swans were forced into temporary liquidation as associated supports fell…
LAST week marked the first full week of campaigning since the federal election was called for 3 May.Candidates wasted no time hitting the hustings with a flurry of appearances and some sizeable commitments. Nominations for candidacy in the federal election close this Thursday (10 April), so we should have a full list of candidates by next week’s edition of The News. Labor candidate Sarah Race was joined on the campaign trail by the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, Catherine King, to announce a number of infrastructure projects a re-elected Albanese government would undertake. The promises included:…
Hastings Club collapse I came to Hastings to take over the local Barber Shop in 1966. Prior to that I had grown up in Wycheproof where community spirit and local football were of primary importance. On arriving at Hastings I was automatically drawn to the local football club. I was immediately impressed with the welcome I received and the leadership at the time of Norm Francis, Richard Everist, his father Frank and Ted Lillywhite. They had a “bold initiative” to build their own clubhouse and dressing rooms due to the newly formed Shire of Hastings which was bereft of the…
PRIVATE landowners attempting to claim public land as their own through encroachment could face increased scrutiny as a Mornington Peninsula Shire councillor calls for a crackdown on the behaviour. Cr David Gill, at the time of publishing, was to move a motion at the council’s 8 April meeting in which he would implore the shire to investigate and report on illegal land encroachments on council-owned and managed property, warning that if “it’s tolerated it just gets worse and worse”. He said the shire had informed him last year that it had identified and inspected 34 structure encroachments on council-owned property,…
Detectives from the Missing Persons Squad are this week searching an area of Cape Schanck as part of their investigation into the suspicious disappearance of Sergio Cuesta in 2023. The search, which will take place today and tomorrow, will focus on an area near the Gunnamatta Surf Club. Over the past 18 months, police have conducted a number of searches in the area in an effort to locate Sergio’s remains. Sergio was last seen on 16 September 2023 when he was dropped off by a male friend on Jabiru Drive in Chelsea Heights. A concerned female friend reported the 28-year-old…
MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire has put forward five options for cleaning the region’s iconic beaches following a divisive hand beach cleaning trail that has sparked heated debate in the community. The 12-month trial, which began last July, involves cleaning all Port Phillip beaches solely by hand on a fortnightly basis instead of a mechanical rake which had reportedly removed about 40 per cent of litter with plastic items being broken down into smaller pieces and buried in the sand (Tide turns for beach cleaning, The News 14/01/25). Together with volunteers, the shire’s contractor Citywide has employed four beach hand cleaners plus…
MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire has reforecast an end of financial year surplus of $3.78m, which will be dispersed to fund the McCrae landslide emergency response, storm damage, and bolstering its emergency response reserve. Councillors have approved a “2024/2025 mid-year reforecast” which will see $2m allocated to the recovery of last August’s storm events, $1.2m towards the McCrae landslide emergency response, and $580,000 to top up the shire’s emergency response reserve. Funding spent on the McCrae landslide response included a back fill of staff, technical experts, legal costs and traffic management. According to a council report, this “will continue to be monitored…
WITH the election date set for 3 May, the “phoney war” is over, and the real battle begins. The News is currently aware of five candidates that have elected to run in Flinders in 2025: Zoe McKenzie (Liberal), Sarah Race (Labor), Ben Smith (Independent), Adam Frogley (Greens) and Mike Brown (One Nation). In 2022, ten candidates contested the seat including two independents, and candidates from United Australia, Liberal Democrats, Animal Justice Party and Federation Party. Independent Ben Smith had a busy week including meeting with the CEO of Homelessness Australia, Kate Colvin, to discuss the current housing crisis and explore…
Under new laws set to be introduced on the Mornington Peninsula, swimmers will be afforded much greater protection from the dangers posed by jet skis. The new laws come after years of lobbying by various groups concerned by people and high-powered watercraft being in the same vicinity. Under the plan, swimmers will be restricted from entering the water at Mornington Peninsula beaches except for certain designated windows. Between August and April each year, swimmers will only be able to enter the water between 8am and 11am. During that window, jet skis must remain at least 200 metres offshore. “This is…
A PROJECT to expand the size of the existing wildlife sanctuary at The Briars conservation park in Mt Martha is nearing completion with volunteers working hard to plant thousands of trees. The sanctuary, managed by the Mornington Peninsula Shire, will increase from 90 hectares to about 130 hectares with the community having already planted more than 7000 indigenous plants as part of revegetation efforts. According to a shire report, fencing of the new section is almost complete. New walking trails for people of all ages and abilities, outdoor education nooks, quiet reflection nooks and educational signage including Aboriginal cultural stories…
A HEARTWARMING rescue unfolded at Martha Cove in Safety Beach on 25 March when a dog became trapped between rocks, drawing a swift response from the community. Emergency crews from State Emergency Service, Country Fire Authority, Victoria Police, and Fire Rescue Victoria worked together to free the three-year-old German Shepherd after responding to the incident just before 7pm. Roxy had been on a walk with her family when she slipped and fell at the rock wall near the Safety Beach Sailing Club. Her head was only just above water as the tide was coming in. A local fisherman had tried…
LESS than a year after forming a new entity after the collapse into liquidation of the old one, the Hastings Club has again been placed into liquidation. The collapse of the club follows its closure on 30 October last year due to a water leak under the floor; an issue that is still unresolved and has left the club unable to trade and continuing to accumulate costs. An information meeting of members was held on 11 March, outlining the difficult pathway forward for the club. And at a Special General Meeting held last Tuesday (25 March), the 64 members in…
Firefighters are currently responding to a grass fire at Forest Drive in Mt Martha. Currently, seven units are responding to the incident which is listed as “under control” (please see update below). Vic Emergency has advised that smoke may be visible in the vicinity of the fire, but that there is no immediate threat to the community and no action is required. UPDATE – Vic Emergency has put out an ember alert for properties north east of the fire. The alert is a “stay informed” and is from 4.25pm. It states that, contrary to earlier advice, the fire is not…