Month: September 2017

MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire is backing a community group’s push to improve public transport on the peninsula. This follows the thwarted presentation of the Peninsula Residential Parks & Villages Group’s 1574-signature petition to state Parliament urging a “complete bus service review on the peninsula”. Despite the petition being rejected because it was “not in the correct form” the group was last week meeting at Mornington library to plan their strategy for another attempt (“Transport petition fails” The News 5/9/17). “We are in the process of getting another petition online as well as in print because a lot of elderly people can’t…

A NEW ferry terminal at Sorrento has come a step closer to fruition following Mornington Peninsula Shire’s request for an independent panel to consider a planning scheme amendment for the project to go ahead. The panel to be appointed by Planning Minister Richard Wynne is likely to start hearings at the end of October. The hearings will coincide with investigations into the planned terminal’s effect on traffic. The panel’s findings – after reviewing submissions, including those already considered by council as well as the shire’s own positive response – will come back to council for a final decision. Council received…

THE Mornington Peninsula is set to come alive with hundreds of mountain bikers this October when the 2017 Red Hill Gravity Enduro takes to the trails of Arthurs Seat. The Red Hill Gravity Enduro presented by Mercedes-Benz Mornington will be held on October 7-8 at Hillview Community Reserve, Boundary Rd Dromana. The two-day event sold out of entries within weeks, with numbers increasing from 190 to 250 participants in just its second year. Red Hill Riders Mountain Bike Club president Terence Toh credits the rise of the Gravity Enduro discipline internationally to the event’s popularity. “The Red Hill Gravity Enduro…

A MT ELIZA man waiting for a taxi in McLaren Place, Mornington, was attacked causing him to fall backwards, hitting his head on the pavement, 3.10am, Sunday 3 September. The 20-year-old was in a car park after leaving a nightclub with friends when another group approached and, after an argument, he was punched. The man’s friends called an ambulance which took him to Frankston Hospital. Detective Senior Sergeant Miro Majstorovic, of Mornington Peninsula CIU, said a Cranbourne West man, 19, later presented at Mornington police station to “give his side of the story”. Police are seeking independent witnesses who may…

A MAN was assaulted and seriously beaten after flicking a cigarette butt onto Main St, Mornington, 1.30am, Sunday 3 September. Detective Senior Sergeant Miro Majstorovic, of Mornington Peninsula CIU, said the 21-year-old Seaford man was walking with his girlfriend and a mate in the hotel precinct when the attack occurred. He said a Mazda utility stopped and the passenger got out and started punching the victim to the face, causing a broken nose, chipped teeth, cuts and bruising. He was taken to Frankston Hospital for treatment. Detective Majstorovic said anyone who witnessed the incident should call Crime Stoppers 1800 333…

RESIDENTS have raised concerns about a proposal to make Point Nepean Rd to a single lane each way as it passes through Rye. A petition with 659 signatures opposing the move outlined in a draft township plan was doing the rounds Friday in the lead-up to a community drop-in session at Rye Civic Hall, 6-8pm, Thursday 14 September. Mornington Peninsula Shire councillors last month agreed to place the plan on public exhibition for six weeks. The shire issued a statement saying the plan had been “developed in close consultation with the community, sets the strategic vision and direction for the…

A PLANNING application for a multi-million dollar hot springs and restaurant complex near Rye has been refused by Mornington Peninsula Shire because the proposal was “contrary to the purpose of the green wedge zone”. A failure by the applicant to “adequately address unknown environmental issues regarding groundwater contamination”, was one of eight reasons the shire gave for not permitting the complex planned on a 15-hectare site in Browns Rd, Fingal. In a report to the shire’s planning services committee on Monday 4 September planning services team leader Rosa Zouzoulas said the proposal “satisfactorily responds” to relevant planning policies “in particular,…

Homicide Squad detectives have charged a man following a fatal shooting in Rosebud last weekend. The 30-year-old man was arrested at a house on Ocean Street, Rosebud on Tuesday 5 September. Detectives this evening charged him with one count of murder and three counts of conducting endangering life. The Rosebud man faced an out of sessions hearing this evening and was remanded to Melbourne Magistrates Court tomorrow. The charges follow the fatal shooting of a Mount Waverley man last Sunday 3 September. The 31-year-old was airlifted to hospital but died the following afternoon.

A man has been arrested this morning following the fatal shooting of a 31-year-old man in Rosebud on Sunday night. The 30-year-old man was arrested after police negotiated with him at a house on Ocean Street in Rosebud throughout the night. He is currently in custody and will be interviewed by Homicide Squad detectives. The shooting occurred on Eastbourne Road where a Mount Waverley man was found in the passenger seat of a vehicle with a gun-shot wound to his head about 8pm on 3 September. The man died in hospital last night. Anyone with information is urged to contact…

An electrical fault is being blamed for a fire in a Balnarring Village shop, early Monday 4 September. Balnarring CFA captain Graeme Briggs said crews from Somers and Bittern helped put out the blaze at Peninsula Mapping and Laminating shop which they traced back to a power board. The 4am fire was contained to the Frankston-Flinders Rd shop which will probably need a full fit-out. Damage is estimated at $100,000. First published in the Western Port News – 5 September 2017

WESTERN Port Oberon Association president Max Bryant says he is disappointed his group’s push for a maritime centre is not included in the draft Hastings Foreshore Precinct Plan. Mr Bryant said he was “surprised” by comments of the shire’s property and strategy manager Yasmin Woods that the association does not have state government involvement and approval in having the Otama submarine as a focal point of the proposed maritime centre on the outer wall of the Western Port Marina (“Future plan has no port for a sub” The News, 29/8/17). “We do have their approval and, if she would care…

SWIMMING coach and water safety expert Laurie Lawrence launched the Kids Alive – Do the Five water safety app with Flinders MP Greg Hunt at Pelican Park, Hastings. “Children need constant and active supervision when they’re in, on or around the water. With the summer months approaching, vigilance is the key to keeping young children safe around water,” Mr Hunt, who is also health minister, said. “Kids Alive is a great program and the new app provides more useful and practical tips to help us keep our kids safe around any body of water – whether it’s the bathtub or…

WITCHES, princesses, super heroes and even a duck brought Hastings’ second annual Book Day to life, Tuesday 29 August. Shop fronts were decorated to represent favourite books and traders dressed as book characters. Pre-school pupils and their teachers and parents also dressed as their favourite book characters. The focus of the day was to demonstrate to youngsters the excitement and joy of reading as they made their way down High St listening to stories. The book day was organised by the Hastings’ Linking School and Early Years (LSEY) partnership, now in its 11th year. The latest three-yearly Australian Early Development…

THE office of Flinders MP Greg Hunt was in lockdown last Tuesday morning as a group of grandmothers protested about the federal government’s treatment of refugees. The protest by the South Peninsula Grandmothers against the Detention of Refugee Children came one week after police forcibly evicted members of a church group from the office who were calling for better treatment of asylum seekers being detained on Manus Island and Nauru (“Police praised by ‘evicted’ church group” The News 29.8.17). “Other members of the public who came were not able to enter to talk with office staff. A woman visiting before…

TWO of Hastings most active clubs have given the thumbs down to Mornington Peninsula Shire’s plans for the foreshore. Both clubs say the Draft Hastings Foreshore Precinct Plan ignores their needs and could put members of the public at risk. Hastings Yacht Club and Westernport Angling Club members are opposing the plan which was released for public comment on 28 August and will close on 2 October. Yacht club secretary Martin Jones slammed it as being “not encouraging of what we do here”, while the angling club’s Don Newman said members felt their submissions had been “almost totally ignored with…

THE new community animal shelter and pound on Watt Rd, Mornington, includes an updated cattery with separate spaces for 34 cats, and two quarantine rooms said to be industry best practice. Mornington Peninsula Shire says the design of the pound, which opened on Wednesday 23 August after a reported $900,000 revamp, will ensure it “continues to meet its obligations under the code of practice for the management of dogs and cats in shelters and pounds”. It will reduce the potential for disease and assist in the day to day management of the animals. A six-month trial adoption time began last…

THE Better Tennis community donned footy guernseys last week in support of one of their junior players who earlier this year was diagnosed with leukaemia. Combining with their ‘Epic Rally Week’ fundraiser and the Fight Cancer Foundation’s ‘Footy Colours Week’, Better Tennis raised more than $5000 in support of eight-year-old Dzan Tanovic, with more donations to be counted. Tanovic was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in February and has been in hospital ever since undergoing bone marrow transplants. The cancer progressed quickly with signs showing almost immediately, according to Mt Eliza tennis coach David Laird. “We had a tennis lesson…

NEPEAN LEAGUE SORRENTO stormed into the 2017 MPNFL Nepean Division grand final on Saturday with a crushing victory over Rosebud. Kicking with the aid of a five goal breeze in the opening quarter, the Sharks put Rosebud to the sword early, kicking its first goal inside 30 seconds from the first bounce and finishing the quarter with eight. At quarter time, the game was done, 8.7 (55) to no score. One Sorrento supporter said at the first change; “I wish it was a grand final, we could have a few beers now”, while a second supporter said “I think this…

PENINSULA LEAGUE PINES Football Club appointed sacked Sorrento coach Nick Jewell as its senior coach on the night that it bowed out of the 2017 Peninsula Division finals race against Bonbeach. Jewell was sounded out for the job after Pines lost four games in a row after Aaron Edwards went down with a knee injury. He was informed of his appointment in writing following Pines’ loss to Bonbeach on Saturday night and it was confirmed with him on Sunday. However, coach Pat Swayne was not aware of his sacking until he arrived at the football to call on RPP FM…

SOCCER By Craig MacKenzie LANGWARRIN clinched the State 1 South-East championship with a 3-1 win over Clifton Hill at Lawton Park on Saturday. It was an historic moment as Langy became the first local club to win the right to compete in Victoria’s elite National Premier League competition. Langy started the day two points clear of title challenger Mornington but Langy’s win and Mornington’s 0-0 draw at home to Malvern City clinched Gus Macleod’s first title triumph since 2004 and ended Mornington’s chances of an unprecedented State 1 threepeat. Nerves were eased at Lawton Park when Alex Metcalfe’s shot was…

PENINSULA Boxing will have three representatives heading to the National Boxing Championships in November after a successful week of boxing around the world. Representing Australia, heavy-weight boxer Jason Whateley faced Olympic and World champion boxers at the AIBA World Championships in Hamburg, Germany last week. Starting with a bye in the opening round, Whateley moved on to the second round to face Indian Olympic boxer Sumit Sangwan. Whateley stormed home in the second and third rounds to secure his victory, almost stopping Sangwan before the final bell with an eight count in the last round and headed towards the quarter…

Unveiling of Alfred E. Bates Memorial. In July last, at the suggestion of Mr Jas. Noble, who had the approval of the Mechanics’ Institute committee, the Mornington Progress Association (says the Post) resolved to erect a clock in the facade of the Mechanics’ hall as a public appreciation of their late hon. Treasurer, and as a lasting testimonial to his many estimable qualities as an exemplary citizen. The progress association appointed the following gentlemen as a committee to give effect to the resolution: Messrs P. McArthur, R. Nunn, P. Olson, Jas Noble and F. M. Linley (hon treasurer), and no…

Pierce Brothers have taken their music from busking on the streets of Melbourne to the world. Their irresistible energy and world-class live show has generated a word of mouth buzz not seen for some time. Comprising of twin brothers Jack and Pat Pierce, the multi-instrumentalists have been shaking dance floors and selling out rooms across UK, Europe, Canada, USA & their native Australia. Latest EP ‘The Records Were Ours’ came in at #9 on the ARIA chart after topping the iTunes charts across the globe. To celebrate the brothers are embarking on a mega World tour across Europe/UK, Australia/NZ and…

A SPEEDING driver who sideswiped several cars in a wild ride along Nepean Highway from Blairgowrie to Edithvale was later grappled with by members of the public and held until police arrived, Friday 1 September. Sergeant Ray Box said Mornington police began receiving calls from irate motorists about the driver’s behaviour in the Canterbury-Jetty road area of Rosebud at 10.30am. He was allegedly driving on the wrong side of the road and speeding at up to 120kph in 80kph zones. Police unsuccessfully tried to head off the man in a Honda CRV at Safety Beach but he avoided them and…

A MOTORIST who stopped to help after a kangaroo collided with a car on Mornington-Flinders Rd early Friday morning realised he didn’t know who to call to help the animal in its agony. Wally Sutton and the driver of the car that hit the kangaroo approached the injured animal which had dragged itself off the road and appeared to have broken its hind legs. “It was in agony,” wife Jenny Webber said. “Then the ring-around began: the driver called his wife who suggested the Main Ridge vet’s after-hours contact, who said call the council, the council said call the ranger,…

A SERIES of overnight burglaries in Mornington and Mt Martha last week may have been committed by the same offenders, police say. They occurred 27-29 August. In the first incident a passer-by may have “spooked” burglars attempting to break into a Wilsons Rd cafe by smashing glass door panels. They sped off in what’s described as a red hatch. A short time later, a cafe and a milk bar in Dava Drive were broken into and their tills taken – as well as a bag of lollies. A Safety Beach pizza shop and wok restaurant also had tills stolen. Cash…

A NEW sculpture has been installed near the Skye Rd alongside Peninsula Link to replace the large ram’s head Rex Australis. Iconoclast — a mock electricity pylon smashed by what looks like a meteor — was put in place last week after Rex’s removal. The artwork by Brisbane-based Michael Riddle is based on “the idea of collapse”. Riddle told ABC radio’s Breakfast show he believed reactions to the sculpture would be “a mixed bag”. “There will be some people who like it and some people who have something negative to say about it.” Public artworks along Peninsula Link, including “the…

A PETITION with 1574 signatures urging the state government to review public bus transport on the Mornington Peninsula was knocked back by state parliament last week. Nepean MP Martin Dixon was refused leave to table the petition by the Peninsula Residential Parks and Villages Group because it was “not in the correct form”. The group’s chairman, Bob Dalmau, said the refusal was a “roadblock but we’ll get around it somehow”. “It is very frustrating; they just threw it out,” he said. “We are doing this for the community which needs more buses down here. “Whole communities at Mornington, Hastings, Dromana…

A TRIP to inspect the latest technology being used in China to generate electricity from rubbish and lessen the amount going to landfill is part of Mornington Peninsula Shire’s bid to attain carbon neutrality by 2020. Cr Hugh Fraser said moving to a waste-to-energy system could lead to the shire being able to close its Rye tip and avoid a $2 million a year state tax to keep it open. “The Rye landfill is the shire’s largest contributor to its greenhouse gas and carbon footprint,” Cr Fraser said. He said the only question remaining was when the tip could be…

UPDATE: Monday, 04 September 2017 Homicide Squad detectives are investigating the shooting of a 31-year-old man in Rosebud last night. The Glen Waverley man was located in the passenger seat of a green coloured Mitsubishi 4WD on Eastbourne Road with a gunshot wound to his head shortly after 8pm. He was airlifted to hospital but died this afternoon. Detectives have spoken to the driver of the Mitsubishi who has been released pending further enquiries. Investigators have been told the man was dropped off at a milk bar in Dundas Street, Rye about 5.30pm yesterday evening and was going to be…