Month: June 2017

PRESSURE is mounting on the state government over planning changes that will permit three-storey houses up to 11 metres high in 10 towns on the Mornington Peninsula. The 10 towns “eligible” for three-storey houses are Capel Sound (formerly Rosebud West), Rosebud, Dromana, parts of Mt Martha, Mornington, Baxter, Somerville, Tyabb, Hastings and Bittern. A meeting to explain the changes will be held at Hastings on Thursday (22 June) night with leading Melbourne planning specialist Professor Michael Buxton as guest speaker. Professor Buxton of RMIT University spent 12 years in senior management with Victorian government planning and environment agencies in the…

A WOMAN who competed in the 1956 Olympic Games as a teenager was among Mornington Peninsula people awarded an OAM on the Queen’s Birthday. Marg McLean of Mornington was given the Medal of the Order of Australia for service to masters sport and the community. Ms McLean was a champion at shot put, discus and javelin, and competed in shot put at the Olympics at age 17 under the name Margaret Woodlock where she finished 12th. She was Australian shot put champion for six years between 1957 and 1962, and Victorian champion in shot put and javelin between 1956 and…

WATCHING as a pair of lightweight, sharp-eyed swallows built a mud nest under the eaves of a house in Seaford has, decades later, led to Geoffrey Maslen writing two books warning of the dangers facing “angels of the air” in Australia and overseas. Editor and author Maslen was inspired by the swallows. “They were the trigger for my interest in birds,” he said on Thursday. After years of writing books and articles for newspapers and magazines, three years ago the former lecturer in education decided it was time to “write the bird book – something more important than articles for…

ROSS Woodward remembers the first record he bought as an 11-year-old in 1974 – Abba’s first UK hit single Waterloo. He bought the band’s second UK hit, too – Mamma Mia, which topped the charts in early 1976. Another early buy was Slade Alive just to show the pre-teen was also into raucous sounds. For the British boy these early purchases were the start of a magnificent obsession with popular music that has lead to a massive collection of vinyl records, then CDs and now back to vinyl again – and a show on the peninsula’s radio station RPP-FM on…

MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire councillors have rejected a proposed media policy that limited their ability to make public statements and have “off the record” conversations with journalists. The draft stated that information about the shire could only be released to the media by the mayor Cr Bev Colomb, CEO Carl Cowie, and communications, media and events manager Mark Kestigian. The policy was drawn up by Mr Kestigian who withdrew it from the Tuesday 13 June council meeting agenda after a majority of councillors expressed concern that it restricted their roles as elected representatives of the public. Cr Colomb told The News…

STATE road authority VicRoads wants to charge Mornington Peninsula Shire annual rent of almost $22,000 for an unmade car park used by people dropping off and picking up children from schools in Mt Eliza. The rent claim was described by Mornington MP David Morris as “nonsense” after he called on Roads Minister Luke Donnellan to direct VicRoads to charge a much smaller amount for the land. “What VicRoads is asking for is unfair and unsustainable,” Mr Morris said. The car park is on the road reserve at the south corner of Nepean Hwy and Canadian Bay Rd. It has been…

AUCTIONEER Andy Reid will be wielding his hammer and hoping his voice will draw a crowd of football fans when he steps up at Mornington’s Wednesday market on 28 June. For 20 minutes from midday Mr Reid, of freelance auctioneers SoldBy Auctions will be calling for bids for framed packs of action cards featuring Richmond’s Dustin Martin, Geelong’s Patrick Dangerfield and former Collingwood champion Dane Swan. Money raised from the sale will go to Clean as Casper mobile showers, a charity which provides a mobile shower service for homeless people. Clean as Casper was started in 2015 by Steve and…

HISTORY buffs know about the Rose Series of postcards produced by Victorian photographer George Rose’s business, the Rose Stereograph Company. Many scenes of the Mornington Peninsula were captured by Rose himself before his death in 1942 by which time he was considered one of the Australia’s best photographers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Rose was born in Clunes in 1861 and later worked in his father’s boot-making business in Prahran while studying photography. In 1880 he founded the Rose Stereograph Company and became famous for producing stereographs, or stereoviews, which gave the illusion of being in 3D…

PENINSULA Lions clubs are celebrating the 100th anniversary of Lions Clubs International, and the 70th anniversary of the organisation in Australia. The first Lions club met in Chicago in the United States on 7 June 1917. Lions Clubs International now has about 46,000 clubs and 1.4 million members worldwide. American founder and businessman Melvin Jones believed people who were successful in business possessed the tenacity, drive and determination to do good work in the wider community. The first club in Australia was founded by William Tresise at Lismore in NSW in September 1947. Australia was the 18th country to join…

COUNCILLORS formally approved Mornington Peninsula Shire’s 2017-18 budget last Tuesday including a two per cent rate increase. It is the second year of the state government’s rate capping system. The waste service charge was increased by 2.1 per cent to $197. It is not subject to the rate cap. Last year’s rates were capped at 2.5 per cent. The capital works budget for 2017-18 is $37.5 million, with unequal spending between the shire’s six wars. The mayor Cr Bev Colomb said “highlights included: $3.7 million for roadside vegetation management. $3.2 million for continued implementation of drainage strategy and works program.…

Police are appealing for public assistance to help locate 15-year-old Kineisha Young. Investigators have been told the Mornington teen failed to return home from school on 13 June. It is believed she may have been travelling on a Frankston-bound bus. Police and family members hold concerns for Kineisha’s welfare due to her age. She was last seen wearing a winter school uniform, however she may have had a change of clothes with her. Kineisha is described as 157cm tall with a slim build and long straight brown hair. She also has a small scar on the left side of her…

POLICE detected more than 8300 traffic offences and more than 800 crime offences during the four days of Operation Regal over the Queen’s Birthday long weekend. More than 3150 motorists were caught speeding and 418 motorists fined for using their mobile phones, an increase of 23 and 28 per cent respectively on last year. One in every 15 drivers tested furnished a positive result for drugs while 245 drink drivers were caught after more than 147,200 drivers were tested. Road Policing Command Acting Assistant Commissioner Debra Robertson said the number of people found to be speeding as well as using…

FIVE board members of a company set up by Frankston Council to manage the Peninsula Aquatic Recreation Centre are collectively paid $116,149 each year. Frankston mayor Cr Brian Cunial confirmed last week in response to questions from The News that Peninsula Leisure Pty Ltd chair Roseanne Healy receives $33,185 and four directors sitting on the board are paid $20,741 annually. Frankston councillors voted 5-3 at last month’s public council meeting to instruct Peninsula Leisure directors “not to enter into or tender for projects outside their core obligation, that being the management of PARC and the Pines pool”. Peninsula Leisure was…

FAMILY violence figures have been collated and publicly released for the first time as part of a push to bring domestic assaults out from behind closed doors. The Victorian Family Violence Database released by the Crime Statistics Agency shows a rise in the number of cases every year from July 2011 until June 2016. Described by the state government as “lifting the lid on the hidden scourge of family violence”, the database includes figures from Victoria Police, magistrates’ and children’s courts, the departments of Health, Human Services and Justice and Regulation, and Victoria Legal Aid.  The figures show family incidents…

By Cheryl Anne Brodie TWO sisters are trying to increase awareness of the need for genetic testing among members of cancer-prone families. Tyabb nurse Julie Gaspero and her sister Michelle May of Traralgon, say that without the test they would not have known they have up to 80 per cent per cent chance of developing breast or ovarian cancer. The test looks for BRAC1 and BRAC2 genes in both males and females. The sisters were tested at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne after discussing their family’s history, specifically cancer, with their parents. The high risk for the women…

PENINSULA LEAGUE BONBEACH is a better football team than it was in 2016, are more disciplined and have added maturity, according to Chelsea coach Brett Dunne. In the stand-alone Peninsula Division game on Saturday, traditional rivals Chelsea and Bonbeach went toe to toe at Chelsea Reserve. Just six points separated the sides at quarter time and the margin was just 19 points at the long interval, however, the Sharks booted 10 goals to five after the break to win 19.9 (123) to 11.6 (72). Trent Dennis-Lane booted nine goals in the match, including four in the first quarter. Dunne said…

NEPEAN LEAGUE SORRENTO is one of the best teams that has taken to the footy field in a number of years, according to Rye coach Josh Moore. Moore and his Demon charges were handed their second 100-plus point hiding at the hands of the Sharks on Saturday, prompting Moore to make the call. He said while he rated Frankston Bombers “highly”, he thought that his old team was the side to beat. “We’ve played all of the sides in the top five and Sorrento is the one to beat with Frankston the only team we’ve played that I think can…

PENINSULA, Nepean and South East Football Netball Clubs (SENFL) seasons are on the brink of being derailed as a result of the senior football competition review handed down by AFL South East last week. The review has taken over discussion at football games, at football clubs and via social media and no one is clear what the future holds. And AFL SE isn’t helping. AFL SE General Manager John Anderson has declared that there would be “no comment” coming from the top office until after the recommendations are pushed down. However, the lack of transparency and communication from AFL SE…

SOCCER By Craig MacKenzie IT’S full steam ahead for league leader Langwarrin which is now nine points clear of its nearest rival and has completed the first half of the State 1 South-East season undefeated. Langy beat Malvern City 3-1 on Saturday at Lawton Park and is expected to maintain its title momentum this weekend against bottom side Mooroolbark. Liam Baxter put Langy ahead in the 2nd minute breaking onto a long throw and neatly finishing past advancing Malvern City keeper Harry Raworth. A Daniel Hilder shot squared the ledger in the 41st minute but three minutes into the second…

THE friends of Miss W Scarborough will be pleased to know that she is improving after her second operation which she underwent on Wednesday at St Vincent’s Hospital. *** RUMOR has it that the Peninsula Motor Company Proprietary Limited is about to establish a branch at Sorrento. *** MR. A. DOWNWARD, M.L.A., in a communication to Mr. Dalman, secretary of the Frankston Free Library informs him that £20 has been allotted by the Chief Secretary to the institute for the purchase of books, papers, etc. *** IN the last casualty list issued, the following names appear :– C. C. Barber,…

A KAYAKER flipped his craft 500 metres off Fishermans Beach, Mornington, and had to swim for it at about 5.30pm on Saturday 3 June. The man, 41, of Healesville, managed to make a 000 call while in the water and then swam ashore where he was met by police. The $1000 kayak spent the night on the bottom but was recovered next day by a fisherman and towed to the beach. The fisherman, of Mornington, called friends who then carried the kayak to Mornington police station. Sergeant Daniel Patten, of Mornington police, was told the fisherman was a “bit worried”…

A GARDENER at Mt Eliza’s Peninsula School unwittingly set comedian Sammy J off a planned legal career garden path and into a world of adventure and justice dispensed by The Phantom comic book character. A path leading to an escape from a legal career after ditching law degree studies at university for full-time comedy capers. A path that would ultimately see Sammy J “commit a crime in Canberra” and break the law he previously swore to study. A path that would lead the comedian to become obsessed with “one of the least popular superheroes in the world”. The ghost who…

By Barry Morris GOING up the creek was all part of an inspection tour for Briars ward councillors Rosie Clark and Sam Hearn. The two Mornington Peninsula Shire councillors elected last October were told about the fragile beauty of Balcombe Creek, its estuary and its adjoining bushland during a tour of the reserves with BERG Mt Martha president Graham Hubbard and field officer Liz Barraclough. The third Briars ward representative is the mayor Cr Bev Colomb, who has a long acquaintance with the Balcombe Estuary Reserves Group, Mt Martha. For more than an hour Mr Hubbard and Ms Barraclough briefed…

A MORNINGTON-based animal advocacy group is resorting to a Go Fund Me campaign to raise money for a costly freedom-of-information request. The group has been quoted $1108 for Mornington Peninsula Shire Council’s FoI officer to answer six detailed questions about the community animal shelter, in Watt Rd, Mornington. The shire wants half of the cost ($554) before starting a search for the information. The shire’s FoI officer estimated it would take 40-53 hours to research answers for the group which has campaigned for greater transparency in the shire’s handling of impounded dogs and cats. NSW resident Judith Anne Carter made…

MORNINGTON Special Developmental School’s pirate-themed day on Friday 9 June raised money for The Kids for Cancer Project, with a ship-load of pirate adventurers joining forces to support the cause. Piratey fun and games, such as walk-the-plank, pirate coits, pin the patch on the pirate, treasure hunts, baking pirate cookies, listening to salty stories and, of course, pirate bingo were fun activities for pupils and staff who dressed as pirates for the event. “It was a fantastic day and many thanks to all our buccaneers and their families for their support,” teacher Angela Holland said. “It was a terrific way…

AN ACCLAIMED ballet dance teacher from Frankston South caught up in a bomb scare on a plane last month says she will not let the incident stop her travelling. Sandra McKay, who founded the Rosebud Ballet School, got right back on another flight on the day she was a passenger on a Malaysia Airlines plane where a man tried to break into the cockpit and allegedly threatened to blow up the plane. Ms McKay, 74, who was honoured with an OAM in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list this year for services to dance, was among passengers on Malaysia Airlines flight…

THE Hastings-based Dolphin Research Institute has launched a new online publication Reflections to “celebrate” Port Phillip and Western Ports bays. “Reflections is a magazine that will take you into the lives of some amazing people and marine life that live in and around our bays. The goal is to create a friendly voice to help Melburnians to appreciate and care for our bays,” DSI executive director Jeff Weir said. Launched on World Oceans Day the first edition includes articles on Victoria’s commissioner for environmental sustainability who steered the production of our first State of the Bays Report; the institute’s David…

THE imbalance in spending of ratepayers’ money across the Mornington Peninsula is starkly shown in amounts allocated for Australia Day, a national celebration aimed at bringing communities closer together. The latest figures presented to councillors show the disparity between money allocated to communities facing Port Phillip to those on the Western Port side of the peninsula. While representing just a small part of the shire’s $212 million overall budget, the Australia Day proposal further illustrates the widening gap in spending between the communities. Although not yet adopted, councillors were last week asked to give tacit approval – with a view to…

PLANNING expert Michael Buxton will be at Hastings next week to outline changes to the state’s planning laws that allow three-storey houses to be built across the Mornington Peninsula and fast track developments previously subject to public comment and objection. “We are wanting a large attendance at this meeting because, in memory, there hasn’t been a greater threat to the peninsula’s unique identity,” organiser Peter Avery, of the Peninsula Speaks community group, said. Dr Buxton, professor environment and planning with the School of Global Urban and Social Studies at RMIT University, has held senior positions in four Victorian planning and…

THE $1.56 million Eastern Sister rock seawall and pathway project at Sorrento will connect Sullivan Bay with Camerons Bight. Almost one third of the cost – $500,000 – is being provided by the developer of a five-lot subdivision at 3080 Point Nepean Rd. The Eastern Sister Headland is at the northern end of Camerons Bight and the southern end of Sullivan Bay. At the top of the cliff is the Collins settlement historic site, which was Victoria’s first official settlement in 1803. It includes graves, asphalt pathways, monuments and lookouts. “The toe of the Eastern Sister limestone cliffs has continued…