Month: May 2017

WHILE many people plan a huge party when they reach the milestone age of 60, it’s not something Somerville grandmother Margaret Caffyn contemplated. She had a calling to walk solo the 800 kilometre Camino trail in Spain. So what makes a successful career woman pack it all up and walk alone on one of the most historical pilgrim paths in the world? At first it was to find herself after all those years being “everyone’s someone” – mother, wife, daughter, friend and employee. “I felt I had lost myself,” Caffyn said. However, the more she delved into the journey, the…

STATE Liberal Party president Michael Kroger spoke at the Victorian Maritime Centre’s inaugural Governors Dinner on Wednesday 24 May at which he and two others were inducted into its governorship program. Mr Kroger, along with Liberal Party Eastern Multicultural branch president Gladys Liu and financial advisor Ian Heraud will help guide, mentor and protect the $15 million project which involves establishing a maritime museum at Hastings based around the submarine HMAS Otama (moored off Crib Point for the past 14 years) and former pilot vessel, MV Wyuna (initially destined for a birth at Docklands). Western Port Oberon Association public relations…

By David Gill* NEW planning provisions have been introduced state wide by the Planning Minister, Richard Wynne, without meaningful consultation. This may lead to further degrading of town and rural character on the Mornington Peninsula. The changes seek to avoid excessive site coverage of buildings and sealed surfaces but there is a stinging trade-off that allows new height “limits” of 11 metres in a general residential zone (GRZ). This could mean three-storey houses. The GRZ applies to all of our residential areas including coastal villages. Our planning scheme protective overlays may still apply, limiting houses to two storeys, but in…

OBITUARY Brian David Cuming OAM, 10 January 1928–23 May 2017, scientist, environmental activist SCIENTIST Brian Cuming played a major role in the protection of Western Port for more than 40 years. Dr Cuming, who died on 23 May at age 89, joined the Westernport and Peninsula Protection Council in 1978. WPPC was the peninsula’s first environmental lobby group, founded in 1971 to oppose further industrialisation of Western Port. Plans included a nuclear reactor and dry dock on French Island and heavy industry stretching from Hastings to Stony Point. Liberal Premier Henry Bolte wanted Western Port to be the “Ruhr of…

By Ben Triandafillou A MORNINGTON Peninsula-based Gridiron club is looking to provide the area with the first and only Gridiron club on the Peninsula since 2009. Currently based in Carrum Downs, the Peninsula Sharks was formed in early-January and is currently in a recruitment phase. The Peninsula Sharks are hoping to have teams entered in the 2018 Gridiron Victoria league, but co-founder Garry Smith said, that the club will have a different ‘feel’. “We want to start fresh and put new games in place because some teams have the stigma that it’s just a boys club but being a young…

IN two months’ time, AFL South East will deliver recommendations that are likely to re-shape the current structure of Nepean and Peninsula football. Since April, AFL South East Region General Manager John Anderson and his team have been consulting with clubs throughout the region, which has included clubs in the South-East Football Netball League (SEFNL), as they look to complete a Competition Review into the 2018 season. There are 31 clubs managed by AFL South East and according to presidents from Nepean and Peninsula divisions, they are being told that the push for a restructure is being driven by clubs…

By Ben Triandafillou IT’S been a year since the Mornington Peninsula Junior Football League announced their smoke-free initiative and now local football clubs along the Mornington Peninsula will be following in their footsteps. Football clubs along the Peninsula will stand together to remove smoking at both junior and senior levels ahead of the ‘World No Tobacco Day’ on 31 May. Working towards becoming smoke free, AFL South East and its leagues, Frankston District Junior Football League (FDJFL) and Mornington Peninsula Football Netball League (MPNFL), have teamed up with Peninsula Health, St Kilda Football Club, Good Sports, Frankston City Council and…

PENINSULA LEAGUE MT ELIZA was able to put a tough week behind it and get back on the winners’ list in superb fashion on Saturday, steam rolling Karingal. It was a rough week for the Redlegs with one of their young stars Brodie Shaw going down in the final quarter last week with a compound fracture of his leg. However, with a successful surgery and a few days to recover behind them, the Redlegs were able to focus on the job at hand on Saturday and put Karingal to the sword. Kicking with the wind in the first quarter at…

NEPEAN LEAGUE THE evenness and unpredictability of the 2017 Nepean Division season continued on Saturday. Rosebud caused the upset of the round when it headed to the home of reigning premier Hastings and touched them up to the tune of 41 points. The Buds enjoy the open spaces of Thomas Barclay Oval and the ground holds no fear for them, given their great record there over the past few years. It proved to be the case from the opening bounce on Saturday. Rosebud really set up its win in the second quarter when it was able to defend well against…

SOCCER By Craig MacKenzie TWO goals in the final two minutes gave Langwarrin a stunning 2-1 win over Mornington in Saturday’s derby at Dallas Brooks Park. Connor Belger’s 91st minute strike was a goal for the ages and left Mornington players and fans gobsmacked. Langwarrin had equalised in the 90th minute after Alex Metcalfe’s curled strike from the left. The ball eluded Liam Baxter’s attempted header and deflected off Mornington stopper Steve Elliott before sneaking inside the far post. A minute later Langy keeper Robbie Acs gathered then launched a long kick downfield. Belger trapped the ball inside his attacking…

WE note that Mr and Mrs Masterton, have donated another £100 to the Red Cross Funds. *** MR Percy Fuller, of the Peninsula Motor Garage Pty. Ltd., Mornington branch, was married at Glen Huntly last week. *** THE Somerville Red Cross Society intend holding a concert on Saturday next, 9th June, when a first class programme will be rendered by St. Stephens’ Choir and their talented singers. *** THE Australian Club invite all members to “Clarendon” House, Frankston, on Sunday, 10th June, on the occasion of entertaining 100 returned soldiers. *** MESSRS Eric McLeod, W. H. Rennick, and C. W.…

A MOTORCYCLIST died after crashing into a kerb at Pearcedale, Sunday 28 May. The male rider lost control near the intersection of Pearcedale and Robinsons roads about 3.30pm. Emergency service crews began treatment but he died at the scene. No one else was injured in the incident. The rider had not been identified by Monday afternoon. Witnesses are urged to contact Crime Stoppers 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential crime report at crimestoppersvic.com.au

A SURFER died at Gunnamatta beach on Saturday 27 May after being hit on the head by his board. Des Watson, 65, of Armstrong Creek, had been competing in a Kneeboard Victoria event when he was found unconscious in the water about 11am. Fellow competitors helped drag him ashore. Emergency services were unable to resuscitate Mr Watson who died on the beach. Police are preparing a report for the coroner.

PLASTICS found along Frankston beach last week are the final straw for Beach Patrol volunteers. The patrollers picked up a staggering 92 plastic straws along just 1.5km of sand in one hour. The straw poll has prompted Frankston Beach Patrol manager John Billing to call on a ban on “single use” plastics. “It is a regular occurrence,” he said. “Discarded plastic straws, plastic bottles, coffee cup lids are common sights along the beach.” Mr Billing said takeaway cafes should stock cardboard straws that are biodegradable. “They last for one drink and that’s all they’re supposed to do. Obviously, we don’t…

PENINSULA Transport Assist will have its Mornington Peninsula Shire bus contract renewed for a further two years following high customer satisfaction ratings and projected cost savings. Mornington Peninsula Shire’s sustainable transport project coordinator Rita Kontos, in a report to last week’s council meeting, that an evaluation of community bus hire outsourcing over the past 12 months had proven positive. Four criteria were used in the assessment: increase in use against previous 12 months; diversity of users (youth, aged, disabled); customer satisfaction, and cost benefits. Ms Kontas said the shire saved $13,000 by outsourcing the bus hire operations. “Forward projections indicate…

DRIVING from Adelaide to Cairns to raise money for cancer research is all in a week’s work for Nick Bolitho and Martin Foad (aka The Whinging Poms) in this week’s Shitbox Rally. The pair left Mt Martha on Thursday for the short hop to Adelaide where they will join the rally and drive up through the outback, hoping to arrive in Cairns on Friday 2 June, more than 3800 kilometres away. Their Mitsubishi Verada is loaded with their swags, esky, road trip CDs, yellow fancy dress costume and union jack dinner jackets for big nights out as well as wipes…

AN upsetting customer service experience made Joshua Kaiser determined to pool his swimming skills to make a difference. The former coffee shop worker became friendly with a regular customer who later revealed he suffered from the debilitating and degenerative disease, multiple sclerosis. Seeing the downward spiral of a customer named Greg was a confronting sight and made Joshua, 23, think about how upset he would feel if the disease afflicted a family member. The Hastings resident subsequently became a swimming teacher and participated in the annual MS Mega Swim fundraiser “in teams of 15”. This year he wants to get…

THE $80,000 saved over two years by axing the Mornington Peninsula Shire’s pet expo at Rosebud will go towards stopping uncontrolled breeding of cats and dogs and reuniting lost pets with their owners. The money will also go towards “easing accessibility” at the council animal shelter in Watt Rd, Mornington by foregoing the need for appointments on Saturday mornings for a six-month trial. The biennial expo due to be held in November has been cancelled. Environment protection manager John Rankine told councillors the money saved would be better spent at the community animal shelter. Communications, media and events manager Mark…

KILLER whales, or orcas, have returned to Port Phillip. A group photographed off Point Nepean included a male known as Ripple, who has been tracked and catalogued by whale watchers since 2005. Marine wildlife consultant with the Dolphin Research Institute David Donnelly said Ripple was last sighted in Port Phillip in 2015, but has also been recorded in waters off southern NSW, western Victoria and south eastern Tasmania. “Australian killer whales are highly mobile and on the east coast rarely spend longer than a few hours to a day in any one location,” Mr Donnelly said. While killer whales were…

JOB ConneXions is a new pilot project to help Rosebud Secondary College VCAL students make the transition from school to work. Over the next 10 weeks mentors from local businesses will share their knowledge and skills with students, helping them to access community networks and career opportunities. The year 11 VCAL students are matched with a mentor who has experience in their chosen industry. “This real world mentor experience is helping the students to understand the practicalities of their initial career choice, and the potential to gain local employment in a particular industry, extending their skills and knowledge beyond the…

THE state government has been told that it should rule out Hastings for the state’s next container port on economic and environment grounds. Infrastructure Victoria last week recommended that a container port be built at Bay West, in Port Phillip north of Geelong. The Advice on Securing Victoria’s Ports Capacity report also states that it is unlikely there will be a need for a new container port until 2055, with detailed planning needed to begin in 2040. The recommendation is not binding and state government’s are becoming notorious for overturning decisions made by their predecessors. While a previous state Labor…

EXPANSION plans by a company set up by Frankston Council to manage swim centres have been sunk by councillors. Councillors at the May council meeting last week voted 5-3 to instruct Peninsula Leisure Pty Ltd directors “not to enter into or tender for projects outside of their core obligation, that being the management of PARC and the Pines Pool”. The vote came after The News revealed Peninsula Leisure, established in 2012 and wholly owned by Frankston Council, last year expressed an interest in managing Mornington Peninsula Shire council sports centres (“Sports ‘in the swim’”, The News 16/5/17). Councillors who voted…

CRICKET could be coming to Frankston in a big way after the Saints march out of Seaford’s Linen House sporting complex. The News can reveal Cricket Victoria has been in touch with Frankston Council to talk about possibly leasing space at the centre. St Kilda Football Club is set to leave Seaford and head back to its “spiritual home” of Moorabbin just four years after Frankston Council kicked in about $4 million of ratepayers’ money to a joint AFL, state government and council deal to entice the Saints to Seaford. The Saints pay a peppercorn rent of $1 per year…

MARATHON swimmer Chloe McCardel was crouched in the near-empty car park near Safety Beach Yacht Club slapping on sun protection and a concoction of Vaseline and lanolin. Thursday’s cloudy skies and 15-20kph winds made the water unappealing, but McCardel was on a training mission. She holds the world record for an unassisted ocean swim (124.4 kilometres in the Bahamas in October 2014) and has swum the English Channel 21 times (eight crossings between June and October last year). Without wanting to give the game away, she admits to be training for another record swim, but says the details have to…

A WINE from Nazaaray Estate, Flinders, won the People’s Choice Award at the 17th Cool Climate Wine Show at Mornington Racecourse last week. The Meakins Rd winery’s reserve pinot noir 2015 was judged best in its class. More than 540 wines – up 30 per cent on last year – were judged by a 16-member team chaired by master of wine Meg Brodtmann. The 29 classes include sparkling wines, chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, pinot gris, pinot grigio, riesling, pinot noir, shiraz and two new Italian classes. “It is good for the region to host these winemakers and judges and to give…

OFFENDERS smashed a display case and stole distinctive jewellery and figurines from a market store on Mornington-Tyabb Rd, Tyabb, earlier this month. Police are not sure of the number of offenders who jemmied open the front door to the store and robbed the stall sometime between 4.30pm, Friday 12 May and 10am, Saturday 13 May. They smashed a display case to steal the jewellery, including a “yawning” figurine and distinctive cross. Sergeant Kim Bramwell, of police media, said images of the jewellery had been released in the hope someone may recognise the pieces or come forward with their whereabouts. Anyone…

RESIDENTS opposed to 281 retirement units being built at Bittern have voiced their concerns to planners at Mornington Peninsula Shire. About 40 residents have objected to Steller Lifestyles’ application to build the units on the eastern side of Frankston-Flinders Rd. During a meeting at the shire’s Hastings offices on Thursday 11 May the residents listed their main concerns as being the development’s high density and its effect on the area’s “village feel and neighbourhood character”. An earlier public meeting attended by 80 residents at the Bittern hall, called by Cr Kate Roper, sought to clarify the scope of the proposal…

PUPILS at Somerville Rise Primary School have been given an insight into Aboriginal culture as part of the school’s respectful relationships program. Adam McGuiness of the Bunurong community was at the school on Friday to perform a welcome to country and smoking ceremony. “Respectful relationships is at the forefront of [our] school values,” teacher and course co-ordinator Di Wheeler said. Mr McGuiness had been asked to the school as “recognition of the Indigenous people as the first Australians and to promote an awareness of the history and culture of the Indigenous people in the area”. The pupils had been “delighted”…

Detectives from Casey Crime Investigation Unit have seized a number of vehicles following a warrant in Pearcedale last week. Officers attended a property on Pearcedale Road on 18 May to execute a stolen goods warrant. Once on the property police recovered 31 allegedly stolen vehicles that had been stolen over the last 10 years. The investigation into the theft of the cars is ongoing and at this stage no charges have been laid. Anyone with further information is urged to contact Casey CIU on 9705 3114 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. Source: Victoria Police News – 22 May…

NEPEAN LEAGUE HASTINGS proved it is still the side to beat in MPNFL Nepean Division after dishing out a convincing hiding to Red Hill on Saturday. Clearly the match of the round, it seemed to be heading in that direction at half-time when the margin was three points. However, the reigning premier turned up the heat in the second half and the home side couldn’t match it, losing 15.9 (99) to 8.13 (61). Hastings booted 11 goals to four after half-time. The Hillmen’s sure ball handling and domination from half back and through the middle was non-existent, as Hastings stayed…