Day: December 20, 2016

Keeping everyone on the road safe, with an emphasis on vulnerable road users, will be the focus of Somerville Highway Patrol over the summer months. Distractions such as mobile phone use, as well as impairment factors like alcohol and drugs would be key focuses of the operation. Acting Sergeant Brian Bourke said the campaign would serve as a reminder that safety on the roads was a collaborative effort and not exclusive to particular groups. “Cyclists, pedestrians, motorcyclists and drivers all have a role to play in keeping everyone on the road safe,” he said. “Driving on the road is a privilege,…

HEALTH risks associated with fire-fighting foams at HMAS Cerberus have been assessed as “very low”. However, the officer overseeing the clean-up of the potentially dangerous chemicals says those most likely to be affected are those in contact with contaminated ground water. These may include people who drink tank water supplemented by bore water, but could extend anyone eating fish caught near Hanns Inlet on which the base is situated in Western Port. A full-scale ecological risk assessment next year by GHD environment consultants will more fully analyse samples of soil, sediment, water and plants – as well as the areas…

OZACT players will stage an outdoor production of Shakespeare’s Macbeth at Coolart Homestead, 4pm, Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 January. Macbeth is one of The Bard’s most popular plays, with two of his strongest and most intriguing characters: Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. The play tells of their journey from lofty dreams of power and ambition to the deepest pits of desolation and despair. This is OZACT’S 21st anniversary. It has put on more than 40 productions and 500 performances in the past 20 years. The players regard Coolart Homestead as an exhilarating setting for the play. The mansion’s design –…

FLINDERS Christian Community College students put their business acumen to good use earlier this month as participants in the Foundation for Young Australians $20 Boss loans program. The idea is that students receive $20 in seed funding and then take the opportunity to plan, budget and market a business idea, and have a month to run with it. After receiving their money, the students brainstormed ideas and, as a class, decided to focus on food and beverage ideas. They researched their target market, planned business strategies and went about executing their plan. In groups, they learned to read the market,…

INDUSTRIAL land in Crib Point could soon be rezoned for residential development after councillors backed a plan for developers to build homes between 1 and 73 Creswell St. At this month’s public council meeting Mornington Peninsula Shire councillors unanimously voted to ask Victorian Planning Minister Richard Wynne for approval to advertise the residential zone plans for public feedback. The land is mostly vacant and homes have been built on the western side of Creswell St. The Port of Hastings Development Authority has previously not supported the rezoning of the land from Industrial 3 Zone and part Port Related Uses to…

TWO men had an eventful day at sea when their vessel ran out of fuel and then ran aground in Western Port Bay, Saturday afternoon. The pair had set out for a casual jaunt, but quickly found themselves in trouble in the rough conditions. The pair then found themselves running out of petrol and aground on mud flats as their boat began taking on water. The men contacted a friend by mobile phone who passed details of their plight on to Water Police who, along with volunteer maritime rescue crews and the police Air Wing, were then able to rescue…

FORTY-two people have drowned on the Mornington Peninsula over the past 10 years. The latest Victorian Drowning Report shows seven of the 43 drowning deaths in the state over the past financial year happened on the peninsula. From 2005 to 2015, there were also 58 hospital admissions and 82 emergency department presentations due to non-fatal drowning incidents in the area. Statistics show males are seven times more likely to drown than females, while there is a 99 per cent likelihood of one or more fatal drownings on the peninsula in any given year. “Living on the beach it is important…