Day: August 23, 2016

TWO significant manna gums previously protected because they were on public land have been chopped down as part of development works in King St, Hastings. After thriving for 80-100 years the remnant gums were destroyed in a few hours, Thursday 18 August. The alarm was first sounded when the Mornington Peninsula Shire-owned land was listed for sale in March. It had previously been used as a walkway between two streets and as an informal carpark for a nearby supermarket. The trees were regarded as an attractive feature of the landscape. Such large specimens, in good health and with no visible…

‘Thirty days has September/April, June, and November/All the rest have thirty-one/Except February alone/Which has twenty-eight days clear/Twenty-nine in each leap year.’ So goes the rhyme, although there are variants, taught to children to remember how many days are in any specific month in any given year, but it was seemingly forgotten at Mornington Peninsula Shire council which added an extra day to next year’s calendar. Rates notices posted out to peninsula property owners show the third instalment should be paid before a ‘29/02/2017’ deadline. The date 29 February 2017 does not exist as, unlike 2016, it is not a leap…

HASTINGS FNC SUNDAY saw the Hastings Football/Netball Club come up against our nemesis in 2016, the Red Hill FNC, in the elimination final played at Rosebud. On a slightly overcast day our boys certainly came to play. You could tell even before the opening bounce they seemed very focused on the job at hand. In the first quarter Red Hill got out to a two goal advantage before our boys kicked a couple into the wind to be down at the quarter time break by only a few points. It was shaping up as one of the toughest games of…

RETIRED racehorse Tarawera enjoyed being put through his paces by triequithon participant Seumas Marwood at Coolart Farm, Tuerong, on Wednesday. The 11-year-old racer was formerly trained by Fran Houlahan and Brian Johnston at Mornington Racecourse until they retired last month. His wins included the Australian and Crisp steeplechases. Now in retirement, Tarawera has transitioned as an equestrian eventer, which combines dressage, cross country and show jumping. His next race is in Racing Victoria’s Off the Track Triequithon, Caulfield, Saturday 27 August. The event aims to “shine a light on life after racing” for older racehorses, and gives aspiring and well-heeled…

SECRECY and factions are being raised as major issues in the October Mornington Peninsula Shire Council elections. Although nominations do not close until midday Tuesday 20 September, “Melbourne Cup fields” are being predicted in at least the Watson and Red Hill wards and at least half a dozen candidates each in Seawinds and Briars. Meanwhile, a Facebook page and an email account have been opened specifically to receive tips about the council, especially anything about “infringements to our rights to freedom of information”. David Gill, a Balnarring resident and former councillor and shire president with the Shire of Mornington, sees…

TWO recent events encouraged people to sleep out for a night to help raise awareness about homelessness. The sleep-in-your-car event, Saturday 6 August at Mornington Park, was organised by Fusion Mornington Peninsula. The event was one of several similar events across Australia aiming to raise awareness and funding to address homelessness. “It is shocking to think that on any given night in Australia there are more than 100,000 people without a home or a safe place to sleep,” the mayor Cr Graham Pittock said at the sleep-out. At the second event, on Tuesday 9 August at the Salvation Army’s premises…

HMAS Cerberus teamed up with Crib Point Primary, St Joseph’s Primary and Perseverance Primary, French Island, on Friday to give 300 pupils a practical insight into flight as part of Science Week. The pupils inspected the Navy Bell 429 helicopter and met its crew at Cyril Fox Reserve, Crib Point – directly behind St Joseph’s. School competitions all week, and the screening of the movie Paper Planes, added to the excitement of learning and discovery. The Navy 723 Squadron operates Bell 429 Global Rangers and AS-350BA Squirrel helicopters for air-crew training, all-round duties and to support air capable ships. “The…