A WOMAN reportedly received two broken legs when she stepped in front of a passing car in Racecourse Rd, between Wensleydale Dr and Serenity Way, Mornington, 10.30am, Tuesday. She had been waiting for a bus. The 25-year-old was described as “conscious and breathing with non-life threatening injuries” by Mornington police who comforted her as she lay on the road after the accident. Sergeant Dennis Ramsay said the driver of the vehicle stopped at the scene and no charges were laid. Paramedics assessed the woman for spinal and leg injuries before the air ambulance took her to The Alfred hospital from…
Month: October 2015
A COLLEGE with a campus in Frankston has been criticised over its marketing practices in a Senate inquiry into the funding and management of vocational education and training (VET) providers and by an education sector regulator. The Senate inquiry report released this month named Evocca College as one of several registered training organisations (RTOs) across Australia to face accusations of targeting vulnerable students with little or no chance of completing courses to boost enrolment numbers and hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of profits. Evocca denied the allegations in submissions to the inquiry. The inquiry found evidence of “rampant abuse”…
MEMBERS of a Somers yoga class are hoping to convince Environment Minister and Flinders MP Greg Hunt to overturn his decision to approve a massive coal mine in central Queensland. On Monday they joined the list of groups and organisations that have used Mr Hunt’s office as a focus for their protests against the federal government and, in particular, its environmental policies. Last week it was protesters dressed as angels climbing onto the roof of the office and before that deliveries of bags of coal. In May, police arrested leaders of a group of Christians occupying Mr Hunt’s offices in protest at…
THE search is on again for the next Miss Western Port. The pageant is open to young women aged 15-28 in the Western Port area wanting to gain self-confidence and become actively involved in the community to make a difference to the lives of others. At this stage there are six contesting the 2016 crown – and all have sponsors from local businesses. Preliminary judging will be held in January and the winner will be crowned on the main stage at the Western Port Festival, Saturday 20 February. Candidates are judged on their community involvement, confidence, poise and grace. This…
THE former Annie Sage centre in Blacks Camp Rd, Somerville, will be refurbished as the new home of Somerville Community House. This follows a $270,000 grant from the state government’s Interface Growth Fund. The mayor Cr Bev Colomb said the Mornington Peninsula Shire was thrilled to receive funding for the project that will help create a real community hub for the town. “Mornington Peninsula Shire Council appreciates the state government’s funding support,” she said. “The Interface Growth Fund is supporting real contributions to communities of interface councils – councils like the Mornington Peninsula that are just on the outside of…
FIVE fire brigades, Sorrento SES and Ambulance Victoria paramedics combined for the complex rescue of a stranded paraglider at Flinders on Sunday last week. Rescue services were called to the cliff face at Flinders Golf Course about 5.20pm after a man in his early 50s became entangled in a dead tree. He was initially supported by other paragliders near the popular jumping-off point before Flinders CFA members arrived. They were followed by fireys from Shoreham, Rosebud and Dandenong brigades, including the latter’s “high angle rescue team”, and the SES and paramedics. It took almost three hours to stabilise the man…
GUNNAMATTA Surf Life Saving Club members celebrate 50 years of “saving lives and serving the community” this summer. The long stretch of beach they patrol at the southern end of Truemans Rd, Rosebud, faces Bass Strait between Portsea and Cape Schanck. Before the club was established in 1966 many battles were fought between the former Shire of Flinders and the community about whether this area of the coast should even be open to the public as it was regarded as too dangerous for swimming. There were calls for the council to “close 30 kilometres of coast to avoid drownings” –…
THE Crichton family reunion being held at Boneo Cricket Ground, Sunday 1 November, will bring together the six children of pioneer landowner David Maynard Crichton who moved to the area after World War I. And, with them, will come dozens of their children, their sons and daughters, aunts and uncles and other relatives and family friends of a man who carved out a big slice of life for himself on the southern peninsula. Mr Crichton was known and active in community affairs as a shire councillor, shire president and foundation president of the Rosebud RSL. As a soldier he served…
FORGET the Chinese Year of the Sheep or Goat, in terms of snakes in the Mornington Peninsula, Frankston and southeast region, it’s the year of the copperhead snake. Peninsula licensed wildlife controller Barry Goldsmith says the copperhead is the dominant type of snake appearing as the weather warms, displacing last year’s “year of the tiger snake”. “I’ve been removing on average two a day since the warm weather kicked in,” he said. Mr Goldsmith scotched the myth that there are more snakes around this year as animal hospitals and vets report a sharp increase in pets being bitten by snakes…
THE skipper of a boat which accidentally backed over a passenger causing his death in December, 2013, has been placed on an 18-month community correction order, which includes performing 200 hours of unpaid community work. Justice Croucher made the order in the Supreme Court, Friday. Tori Mackinnon, 31, who had pleaded guilty to a charge of driving a vessel in a dangerous manner causing death, was told her profound remorse, previous good character, excellent prospects of rehabilitation, guilty plea, and the fact prison could worsen her fragile mental state, had influenced his decision. Paul McVeigh, 60, was killed when he…
THE razing of popular Sorrento restaurant and function venue The Baths has devastated wedding couples. But steps have been taken to minimise their loss with a list of alternative peninsula venues posted on social media. “The Melbourne wedding industry prides itself on being incredibly supportive in times of need, so if there is anything we can do to assist brides and grooms at this time, please do not hesitate to contact us,” the post by owner-managers James and Helene Gibson says. That positivity helped them relocate the three weddings booked for last weekend to the Sorrento Sailing Couta Boat Club,…
PLAYING in a cricket match with his father, two brothers and brother-in-law is a career highlight of Mornington Cricket Club 300-gamer Michael Voss. Padding up for his first game in the 1987/88 season at age 12, Voss played his 300th senior game against Delacombe Park in B2 grade on the weekend. This makes him only the seventh club member to play 300 games in its 152 year history. Others include George Keys, Jeff Calder, Paul Brown, Stephen Voss, Terry O’Keefe and one other. His best batting performance is 63no and his best bowling figures are 5/31. Another highlight was a…
DISTRICT RED HILL, Seaford, Pearcedale and Baden Powell hold the top four positions on the MPCA District ladder after just two rounds. Pearcedale could be considered the surprise packet of the quartet, given the Panthers are the new kids on the block in District ranks. However, when you pull-in a recruit such as Shane Maggs, who has been playing District cricket for more than 10 years, your fortunes are going to change considerably. On Saturday, Maggs snared 3/12 and 4/49 as Pearcedale destroyed Boneo. Defending a whopping 288, the Panthers then rolled the Pandas for 72 with Maggs taking three…
PROVINCIAL BAXTER rocketed from the bottom of the MPCA Provincial ladder to the top four on Saturday after a demolition on Rye that resulted in an outright win. After scoring a very modest 205 with just three batsmen making double figures, the Baxter bowlers then went to work and knocked over 18 wickets on the second day. Rye resumed at 2/12 on Saturday and added just six runs before the wickets started to tumble again. Andrew Hitchener (17) and Dean Collins (12) were the only Demons to get into double figures. Rye was dismissed the first time around in the…
SUB-DISTRICT DROMANA is in a very unfamiliar position after two rounds of the MPCA Sub District season – on top of the ladder. The Hoppers made light work of Hastings on Saturday, rolling the visitings for just 102. Recruit Aaron Kaddatz once again proved he is going to destroy this competition after claiming 5/21, while Jeff Bluhm bowled 18 overs and snared 4/41. Nathan Hunt top scored for the Blues with 32, while skipper Timmy Birch did all that he could with an unbeaten 28. Tootgarook went for the outright win against Tyabb, falling six wickets short. The Yabbies made…
GOTYE has gone back to The Basics and the band is dropping in on Mornington as part of their national tour in support of their latest The Age of Entitlement album. Guitarist Tim Heath says The Basics drummer Wally De Backer, known as the solo artist Gotye, is heading back to Australia from the US where he is recording the follow-up to his commercially successful Making Mirrors album which spawned the global smash Somebody That I Used To Know. Heath says November’s Mornington gig, the last in the tour, will be “pretty energetic and perhaps emotional” amid hints The Basics…
MESSRS A. Scott and Co. will hold their usual monthly sale at Tanti on Monday, when there will be a good muster of cattle, etc., as advertised. *** OWING to Tuesday next, November 2 (Cup Day), being proclaimed a public holiday there will only be the one delivery of letters—in the morning—at Frankston Post Office. There will also be only the morning despatch of mails. *** THE monthly meeting of the Frankston and Hastings Shire Council will be held at Somerville on Thursday next, at which tenders will be received for a number of works which are advertised in…
MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire could earn up to $10 million a year if it charged tourists to park their cars during the summer season. The suggestion comes from a member of a peninsula ratepayer group as councils around Victoria face the prospect of lower rate income under a state government plan to cap rate rises. The government announced earlier this year that councils would have to show “special circumstances” if they wanted to increase rates by more than the cost of inflation. So-called rate capping will be introduced for the 2016-17 financial year, and the shire will have to find new…
COUNCILS looking to get around the state government’s rate cap plan are believed to feel they have found an answer – special charge schemes, which are specifically excluded from the rate cap rules. Large city law firms who specialise in local government are advising councils, which hotly oppose the plan to end the pattern of big rate rises, on how to deal with the cap. Councils use special charge schemes to require landowners to pay part of the cost of such works as footpaths, bicycle paths, street kerbing and channelling, drainage, roadworks and off-street parking. Of these works, the Local…
A WALKING and running event is the main financial force behind a driver education program for thousands of year 11 students across the Mornington Peninsula. The annual Arthurs Seat Challenge raises money for the Fit2Drive program to help students become safer road users by focusing on better decision making when faced with risky situations. The program also increases community support, sharing knowledge with parents and schools in our local area. “It has been remarkable to see the growth and expansion of road safety education across the peninsula, and the shared response to reducing road fatality and injury involving young people…
THE peace at Arthurs Seat was disturbed by the sounds of tree lopping and bush clearing last week as Wangaratta-based contractors working for Arthurs Seat Skylift removed vegetation at the sites of the proposed bottom and top gondola stations. It was the first major work by Skylift on the $16 million ride, which it is hoped will be open before Christmas next year. On Friday morning, Skylift’s Simon McKeon and Hans Brugman inspected the two sites with representatives of Doppelmayr of Austria, which will be fabricating the ride, and Parks Victoria officers including district manager Libby Jude. The clearing Monday…
WATCHING goldfish in a bowl can be restful or compared to waiting for grass to appear. But that won’t be the outcome for hundreds of divers and snorkelers in the water at Rye and Flinders this summer as part of the biggest citizen science event on Victoria’s marine calendar, the Great Victorian Fish Count. “The huge amount of enthusiasm volunteers have for the Great Victorian Fish Count reflects the deep knowledge and passion that exists in local communities for our marine life,” Caitlin Griffith from the Victorian National Parks Association said. “This enthusiasm makes it possible to contribute large amounts…
MORE than 43,000 homes across several suburbs including Frankston, Baxter, Langwarrin and Karingal will have access to the National Broadband Network by the end of 2017 as part of an “accelerated plan” announced by the federal government. Dunkley Liberal MP Bruce Billson hailed the planned connection of “superfast internet” for many suburbs in the electorate, including some who have struggled with slow internet speeds, as “critical for our community”. “I most recently met directly with representatives from NBN Co to discuss solutions for some of the internet ‘black spots’ in Baxter, Frankston South and Seaford,” Mr Billson said. “I was…
WORK on the long-awaited shared path down the steep southern slope of Mt Eliza to Emil Madsen Reserve is set to begin next month. The nearly two-kilometre Wooralla Drive path from Tower Rd to the reserve will cost $500,000 plus an unspecified amount for a crossing of the tourist railway line at the bottom of the hill. The rail crossing is likely to add a significant amount to the project. It will be done under a different contract and must meet VicTrack requirements for a normal suburban rail line even though tourist trains only run three times a month. The…
SOUTH East Water has been forced to spend more money to repair a sewage leak at its Pentecost Rd, Mornington, sewage pumping station after the first attempt failed. Problems with the system were first revealed in August when contractors pumped out sewage from the station beside Tanti Creek near Nepean Highway over two nights prior to repair work. This required the partial closure of Pentecost Rd. The News understands the EPA had tested water in the creek on 10 August and ordered SEW to carry out repairs. A small amount of polluted water had entered the creek, which runs into…
FIVE private gardens in Mt Eliza and Frankston South will be open to the public over the weekend 7-8 November. The 5 Gardeners’ Gardens is an initiative of the Anglican Parish of Mt Eliza which is celebrating the 150th anniversary of the historic “little white church” on the corner of Koetong Pd and Nepean Highway, Mt Eliza. The parish held the event in 2009, 2011 and 2013 and, according to coordinator Lyn Whelan, it was a great success. “What better way to spend a spring weekend on the Mornington Peninsula than by rambling around Mt Eliza visiting five delightful private…
INVESTIGATIONS into the risk posed by bushfires to the proposed Arthurs Seat Skylift have highlighted the dangers to residents living in or around the precinct. The Mornington Peninsula is regarded as “one of the most bushfire-prone areas in the world”, according to the municipality’s official fire management plan. And the towns around Arthurs Seat and its slopes have been assessed as being under “extreme” risk of “catastrophic” bushfires. The Bushfire Risk Assessment Register lists Arthurs Seat and its lookout and escarpment, Main Ridge and Waterfall Gully Central as “almost certain” to burn. The register is part of the Mornington Peninsula…
ORGANISERS of the annual Peninsula Health and Sustainability Expo say their perspective on health and wellbeing practices can help people pause to try out mindfulness techniques. Now in its fifth year, the expo provides tips and demonstrations on environmentally friendly practices and wellbeing techniques. Fiona Redding, nicknamed the Happiness Hunter, is one of 60 Mornington Peninsula businesses, health practitioners, nutritionists and wellness operators who “care passionately about living in a holistic and happy way”. “It doesn’t take much to change your own lifestyle – but sometimes it can be overwhelming to know where to start, and who to turn to,”…
FISHERIES officers are out to make sure anglers follow snapper bag and size limits in Western Port and Port Phillip bays. Anyone caught over the limit will face $433 on-the-spot fines for each offence, have their boats seized or be banned from fishing. Fisheries Victoria executive director Travis Dowling said officers would enforce catch limits, check fishing licences and educate anglers about fishing responsibly under Operation Billit. “Snapper are an icon fish so it is important anglers fish sustainably by obeying the rules, knowing their limits and taking only what they need,” Mr Dowling said. “Officers will be undertaking patrols…
BACTERIA and contaminants are flowing into ground and surface waters from more than 30,000 unsewered properties across the Mornington Peninsula. The problem is compounded by inadequately maintained septic tank systems. The shire is undertaking a septic monitoring program in unsewered areas, including Arthurs Seat, Red Hill and Point Leo, and looking at options to provide sewerage. The program includes electronic monitoring and barcoding of septic tank systems in high-risk areas as well as providing advice to septic system owners through the Smart Septics program. The shire’s new Domestic Wastewater Management Plan aims to prevent contamination from septic tanks along with…