Day: October 17, 2016

Mornington police are investigating the theft of a television from a Mornington supermarket last month. Investigators have been told a man and a woman attended the Bungower Road shopping centre on Friday 9 September just after 12pm. Whilst in the store, the man selected a 55 inch television and placed it near the front entrance. The man waited until a customer walked through the entrance and opened the automatic doors before picking up the television and exited through the entrance. Police have released images of a man and a woman that they believe may be able to assist with their…

A COUNCILLOR running for re-election in Nepean ward says he spends most of his time in Rye despite also owning a property in Toorak. Cr Hugh Fraser said he spends most weeks on the peninsula and heads to Toorak “most weekends”. “I live at Rye. It’s a family house that my parents built in 1971,” Cr Fraser said. “My wife and I bought it from my parents in 1995.” The News asked Cr Fraser about his Toorak address after being contacted by several people in the lead up to council elections on 22 October claiming Cr Fraser lived in Toorak.…

TOUGH new dog bans in the Mornington Peninsula National Park from Tuesday 1 November aim to help endangered hooded plovers, Parks Victoria says. In March the Environment and Climate Change Minister announced that dogs would be banned across the entire Mornington Peninsula National Park to provide greater protection for vulnerable fauna species, including the endangered hooded plover. “The hooded plover population in the Mornington Peninsula National Park is one of the largest in Victoria, however, they have had one of the lowest levels of breeding success, compared to populations in other Victorian coastal areas largely due to the presence of…

PROVINCIAL MORNINGTON are just seven wickets away from a comprehensive victory against Pines in MPCA Provincial cricket after 13 wickets fell on the first day. The Doggies had the Piners reeling at 3/8 at the close of play after the visitors had to face the final six overs of the afternoon. The only good news for the Piners is that of the three wickets that fell, only one was a recognised batsman (Jarred Coad). Rhys Chalkley remains at the crease with Harley Peace-Stirling while Craig Entwistle and Damien Lawrence are still to come. The visitors will be chasing down 193…

DISTRICT RYE were taken back to the horrors of last season when they came up against Red Hill in MPCA District cricket on Saturday. Despite coming down a grade after being humiliated last season, the Demons wound back the clock a full year when it lost 16 wickets in a day for just 64 runs. The Demons were sent in to bat on the opening day of their match at Red Hill Reserve, lasting just 21.4 overs as they were bowled out for 32. Jarrod Saw with 14 was the only Rye bat to score double figures. Glen Collett was…

SUB-DISTRICT HASTINGS is on the verge of losing its round two match against Tootgarook in MPCA Sub District cricket. The day started alright when the Blues won the toss and elected to bat in good conditions. However, when skipper Robbie Hearn was dismissed for just one by AJ King, things didn’t get a lot better. Jake Hewitt was superb again for the home side in the middle order with 48 while Ashley Coles hit a very timely 61 after scoring 84 in the Seconds the week before. The Blues were eventually rolled for 164 in the 51st over. Matt Whelan…

A GUN accident, which resulted fatally, occurred at Mornington Junction on Saturday last. It appears that Mr H. Smith, a well known resident, took the gun from its place, saying that he would just have one shot. He went about 50 yards from the house, and on getting through a fence that was there must have caught the trigger in the wire, as the inmates heard a shot and on going to ascertain what was shot, found the unfortunate man quite dead, lying close to the fence. Death must have been instantaneous, as there were no signs of a struggle.…

STORM surges battered the much-maligned Mornington pier into submission again last week – causing more damage and forcing closure of the end section. Parks Victoria spokesman Lachlan Quick said during the severe weather on Monday 10 October, 10 wave panels were dislodged – with others still connected but damaged and likely to be removed. “This has impacted some of the timber decking as well,” he said. “The outer section of the pier has been closed to protect visitor safety and engineering inspections are continuing today and in coming days.” Divers were in the water Friday assessing the latest damage. New…

A $US12,000 basketball shooting machine at Mornington Secondary College is taking students’ skills to new heights. The imported US equipment, donated by former student Martin Scanlon, is a focal point at the morning Basketball Academy training sessions. It can be adjusted for speed, different angles, and ball returns giving students a range of shooting experiences in pre-set timeframes. “I grew up in Mornington and went to the school here and saw the kids training in the morning and wondered how I could support them,” Mr Scanlon said. “I think there is a real opportunity for the kids to improve using…

SIX of the Mornington Peninsula’s most striking gardens will be showcased next month during the Garden Design Fest. The event will be held over two weekends with the peninsula gardens open 10am-5pm on the first weekend: 12-13 November. The event, which will feature more than 30 gardens across the state, is organised by the Rotary Clubs of Kew, Brighton North and Central Melbourne, and raises money for charity while encouraging innovation and responsible gardening. Mornington landscape gardener Steve Taylor, who will open his garden in Tallis Drive, said the peninsula was renowned for its magnificent gardens, many of which complemented…

FRANKSTON and the Mornington Peninsula have emerged as “hot spots” for a flesh-eating bacteria that leaves sufferers disfigured and has doctors baffled. Variously known as the Bairnsdale ulcer, the Daintree ulcer and the Baruli ulcer, the infectious disease is affecting up to four residents a week in the Frankston and on the peninsula. Data from the Department of Health shows that 42 cases have been reported in Mornington so far this year, up from 33 last year. In Frankston, there have been 12 cases, up from seven last year. State-wide there were 106 cases of the infection last year while…

LIKE many mums, Mornington’s Michelle Bendell held her breath when her son Sidney started school this year. And just like thousands of parents, she was anxious – but hopeful – that education would give her son the chance to grow, learn, make friends and become independent. But, without the early learning intervention that was provided to her son, who has Autism Spectrum Disorder, that first day at a mainstream school may never have happened. Ms Bendell and her husband Justin realised as soon as their son was diagnosed that early intervention was the key to helping the family deal with…

A DRUG conviction for a crime committed nearly 40 years ago has become an election issue for one of the three vacant Briars ward seats on Mornington Peninsula Shire Council. However, judging by comments posted to social media, an obvious attempt to smear candidate Leigh Eustace (pictured) may have backfired. Most people involved in the online debate since last Wednesday’s revelations of Mr Eustace’s conviction for trafficking heroin have argued that he has paid his dues and his three years spent in jail should not be held against him. “This is a sad day for local government. A lovely guy…

AUSTRALIA’s favourite beach son and multi-award winning author Tim Winton enthralled a sold-out crowd at Safety Beach Sailing Club last week when he chatted with the ABC’s Paul Kennedy. The launch event was part of Winton’s national tour of his newly released non-fiction book, The Boy Behind the Curtain, which gives a rare insight into the man behind 28 books, written over a 34-year period. An autobiographical account of his upbringing in Western Australia, the book also reveals the characters and events behind some of his bestselling novels. At the Safety Beach launch, Winton spoke candidly about some of the…

THE creepy clown phenomenon is concerning police, with their antics alarming motorists and passers-by. Reports of the clowns holding fake knives and cap guns and terrifying motorists along Frankston-Dandenong Rd, Carrum Downs, came to light Monday afternoon last week. The trio was said to be standing on the side of the road in full view of passing motorists. They ran off before police arrived. Senior Sergeant Kim Young, of Frankston police, said wearing a clown outfit was not necessarily against the law – it “has to be taken in context and depends on what they are doing”, she said.   …

WORKS to build a 97-metre rock revetment to protect Craigie beach’s ageing seawall have begun. The six-week works are part of the state government’s coastal environment program, which oversees protection and repair of the coastline. Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning’s coastal project officer Jacky Priestley said the works would help protect the Craigie beach seawall from strong waves. He said the original stone seawall was about 50 years old. “The seawall was designed to protect the cliff faces from large, powerful waves which, over time, can erode the cliffs and compromise the road, walking trails, and assets above,”…

INTRIGUE surrounds the workings of the Peninsula Community Legal Centre, whose board resigned last month after their recommendation to solve a “governance problem” was rejected by members. Chairperson Amanda Graham wrote to members late last month saying independent legal advice had recommended the centre’s constitution be amended to resolve the problem, but that three proposed resolutions put forward had been voted down at a special meeting on 8 September. This prompted the board to resign – a move over which it is now backtracking to enable the appointment of an administrator “to demonstrate that all options had been explored in…

A $60 MILLION upgrade to South East Water’s Mt Martha Water Recycling Plant will provide an alternative source of water for local businesses and community organisations, while reducing the environmental impact of its water treatment processes. Eastern Victoria MP Daniel Mulino opened the upgraded facility last week and met with customers making use of the new recycled water supply. Construction of the tertiary treatment plant was central to the two-year project. It can deliver 26 mega-litres of Class A recycled water each day to farms, wineries, business and council facilities. The upgrade also includes an Australian first thermophilic anaerobic digestion…

MORNINGTON Peninsula Post Polio Support Group will celebrate 20 years of advocacy and referral for polio survivors in the Frankston and Mornington Peninsula on Tuesday 18 October. The group, previously led by Mt Martha resident Dennis Doull Lloyd, who died in February aged 83, brings polio survivors together to share friendship and stories. Group secretary and Hastings resident Fran Henke said there was now greater awareness thanks to the persistence of support groups, although there are always challenges, such as the new National Disability Insurance Scheme, which cuts off at age 65. “Most had polio prior to 1956 when the…

VOTERS will not know how much Mornington Peninsula Shire councillors spent on expenses during the full current four-year council term before this weekend’s council elections. The shire’s 11 councillors collectively spent $135,357 — about $100,000 more of ratepayers’ money on expenses compared to neighbouring Frankston and Kingston councils — over a 12-month period in the 2015-16 financial year. The 11 shire councillors also spent about $150,000 more than 18 Frankston and Kingston councillors combined in 2014-15. The shire previously pledged to publicly release all councillors’ expenses for the first two financial years of this four-year council term but has subsequently…

THE RSPCA will not be laying charges against the Ace-Hi ranch in Boneo, which was raided by inspectors in May. As reported in The News, the RSPCA visited the Boneo Rd property amid claims by a former manager of under-feeding and overworking of horses. At the time, the RSPCA said it had investigated “a number of welfare concerns at Ace-Hi in the past decade” as well as more recent reports raising concerns for the welfare of horses on the property. The officers left without laying charges and have now ended their investigation. On Friday RSPCA Victoria released a statement confirming…