DIAGNOSED with multiple sclerosis (MS) at 13, Bobby Bajram, pictured above, knows what it means to face difficulties in life. But being a determined type, he’s now created another peak that has to be reached: climbing Mt Everest. “I promised myself that MS would not beat me, and that one day I would walk to the top of the world,” the now 48-year-old last week explained to Rosebud Secondary College students. Mr Bajram’s visit followed a chance meeting with a group of the college’s students while hiking near Mt Bogong last month. “Our paths literally crossed,” he said. “The students…
Day: March 21, 2016
A MORNINGTON Peninsula councillor wants municipalities around Port Phillip to ban jet skis. Nepean ward councillor Hugh Fraser will try to drum up support for a jet ski ban from the 10-member Association of Bayside Municipalities. If they agree, the state government would then be asked to implement the ban. “This [ban] has been successfully accomplished on Sydney Harbour and I simply ask the question, as to whether that is a matter of interest to the association,” Cr Fraser said. He raised the jet ski ban at the 15 March council meeting, asking Cr Bev Colomb – Mornington Peninsula Shire’s…
MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire is under pressure to set aside more leash-free areas before dogs are banned from beaches between Flinders and Point Nepean. The total ban on dogs on beaches within the Mornington Peninsula National Park comes into effect in November. As well as banning dogs, the measures to protect the endangered hooded plover may also include laying poison baits for foxes and trapping feral cats. Groups that effectively lobbied the state government for the dog ban are now campaigning for more leash-free areas close to the beaches. The seasoned hooded plover campaigners dispute assurances from Mornington Peninsula Shire that…
SUB-DISTRICT ROSEBUD will play in MPCA District ranks next season after winning the Sub District premiership against Frankston YCW on Saturday. The Buds had to withstand a strong fightback from the Stonecats on the third and final day of the match to claim victory. It was one of the best of all time in Rosebud star Jason Nagel who contributed most significantly to the win for Rosebud. While rumours circulated on radio RPP about Jason Nagel’s cricketing future, he was going about winning a flag for his beloved Rosebud Cricket Club. Nagel bowled an amazing 38 overs, had 15 maidens…
FOOTBALL THE Mornington Peninsula Nepean Football League season kicks-off this Easter weekend with five matches being played across two divisions. The match with the biggest hype will be played at the home of peninsula football, Frankston Park, when Frankston Bombers tackle Pearcedale on Good Friday. Fresh from winning ‘Celebrity get me out of here”, former Carlton and Brisbane Lion full forward Brendan Fevola will be lining up for the Bombers. Frankston Bombers have invested enormously into the Fevola appearance and drawing a big crowd. For the Bombers’ sake, let’s hope a big crowd get down to Frankston Park on Good…
DISTRICT PEARCEDALE won back-to-back premierships on Saturday after dominating the third and final day of the MPCA District grand final against Flinders. After beating Frankston YCW in the Sub District grand final last season, the Panthers had an almost faultless 2015-16 season and capped it off with the District flag. For the first time in the clubs’ history, Pearcedale will play in Provincial next season. The win brought down the curtain on the career of Shane Maggs, who played juniors with Pearcedale before playing higher grade cricket. He took the final wicket of the match, knocking out the stump of…
BUILDING on the success of their inaugural summer lantern event, Boneo Maze is hosting a school holiday program to promote well-being, relaxation and connection for families. Commencing on Good Friday with kid’s yoga and nature craft activities, the program also includes a chocolate Easter egg hunt and indigenous cultural tours. Held in the heart of the park, the kid’s yoga is aimed at children from 5 to 10 years as a fun, mind-body activity. Available every day from Good Friday until Sunday April 3rd, the yoga is being offered free of charge (park entry fee required). The craft and chocolate…
APPROVAL has been given by the State Cabinet to the preparation of a scheme by the Water Commission for the supply of water to the Flinders Naval Base, and a number of towns in the Mornington Peninsula. The supply, it is suggested should come from the Bunyip River, but before this can be finally decided further surveys will have to be made. The cost of the scheme will probably run from £160,000 to £170,000. It has been intimated, however, that the State Treasurer is not willing to find that sum unless the Federal authorities are prepared to make satisfactory arrangements…
GRADUATION rates at the individual campuses of privately operated training colleges are not being monitored by the federal government despite billions of dollars of taxpayers’ money paid out to the college operators. The cost of VET FEE-HELP courses being offered by private education providers soared to $1.6 billion nationally last year with taxpayers footing the bill for loans to students to pay for vocational college courses. Most of this money is unlikely to ever be repaid since graduation rates at the private colleges are extremely low and some colleges have ceased operations recently after coming under scrutiny by the Australian…
IT WAS a small gallery that gathered at the shire’s Rosebud bunker for the council meeting of Tuesday evening, 15 March. And a diminished roll call of councillors: Anne Shaw and Andrew Dixon had been felled by ’flu; Lynn Bowden was also an apology. It was the day after the Labor Day public holiday and the festive feeling lingered. Fred Crump of Mornington had brought his kite, in the shape of an eagle, that had soared recently at the Rosebud kite festival. And he brought a question. Shire tree planting in Mornington Park, including a banksia that had been moved…
A WILD brawl in Melbourne’s city centre has put the focus on a gang involved in brazen violent burglaries and car thefts in the south east suburbs over the past few months. Members of the Apex gang clashed with police at Federation Square and surrounding streets last Saturday evening (12 March) as terrified bystanders attending the Moomba Festival fled for safety. The high-profile clash caused Premier Daniel Andrews to vow to get tough with violent gangs. “What happened on Saturday evening was completely unacceptable,” Mr Andrews said at a press conference the day after the brawl. “I will make sure…
A $15,000 fine imposed on a bush block owner for illegally clearing land could be a warning to property owners that Mornington Peninsula Shire intends to take a tougher line with law breakers. The shire has not been noted for such prosecutions since in one notable case it won a conviction but never collected the $1145 fine when the property owner challenged it. In more recent high-profile cases land owners were successfully prosecuted, one for illegal land clearing, the other for illegally dumping sand on a property. The shire hailed the cases as a victory but declined to reveal whether…
A STUDY will be held to identify sites for new boat ramps on the Mornington Peninsula. The Mornington Peninsula Marine Alliance says a steering committee will hire consultants to undertake the $40,000 feasibility study. The state government-financed study will also investigate improving existing boat ramps. Head of the marine alliance Stefan Borzeki, who operates Yaringa boat harbour near Somerville, said 60 per cent of the state’s recreational boating took place on Western Port and Port Phillip. He said there had been “little renewal or replacement of marine infrastructure in the past 25 years … This under investment is a grave…
A MOTORCYCLIST pulled up at an Operation Wasp roadblock at Peninsula Link Bungower Rd exit at 11.30pm Friday 11 March ran off while being questioned by police. The 28-year-old Frankston North man was caught after a short pursuit and remanded in custody to appear at Frankston Magistrates Court Monday 14 March. Police said the man outstanding warrants and was wanted for several burglaries. Sergeant Steve Duffee of Mornington police said all Peninsula Link off ramps were blocked during Operation Wasp. “It is a road police operation where we set up off the exits on Friday at the start of the…
CRIME on the Mornington Peninsula has bucked the rising statewide trend according to the latest figures released by the Crime Statistics Agency. While reported offences across Victoria in 2015 jumped by 8.1 per cent compared to 2014, crime on the peninsula remained “stable”, in the CSA’s opinion, with a 5.4 per cent rise between 2014 and 2015. Crimes against the person, including assault, fell on the peninsula from 1579 in 2014 to 1410 last year. There were eight homicides last year and seven in 2014. There were 10,997 reported crimes across the peninsula last year compared to 10,303 in 2014.…
LIFESAVING Victoria has issued a list of safety measures for rock fishing which it sees as one of the most dangerous aquatic sports in Australia. The rocky shorelines of Mornington Peninsula facing Bass Strait are as much a lure to anglers as their baits are to fish, and just as deadly. On 10 January a 67-year-old man died after being swept from rocks while fishing at Sorrento. One week later a 26-year-old fisherman was washed off the rocks at Bridgewater Bay in Portland. The two deaths sparked an appeal from Life Saving Victoria for anglers to take more precautions. Top…