Month: October 2017

TRAINS on the Stony Point line have set a new low when it comes to reliability, according to Hastings MP Neale Burgess. In a news release headed “Stony Point line snags some horror results” Mr Burgess says the train from Frankston to Stony Point fails to meet targets set by train operator Metro Trains. “The Stony Point train line has recorded some of the worst results for reliability and punctuality in the state, with the most recent figures showing the service is not meeting its targets,” Mr Burgess stated. He said the 99.3 per cent reliability recorded when the Labor…

TWO men who smashed their way into a Rosebud jewellery store early Monday morning got away with dress rings and less expensive jewellery items from racks and display cases, police said. Detective Sergeant Jason Hocking, of Mornington Peninsula CIU, said the men used an angle grinder to cut through two padlocks on a metal grill then smashed through double doors to Paul’s Fine Jewellery, Point Nepean Rd, 3.15am, Monday 23 October. Once inside they smashed two cabinets and grabbed trays of rings and bracelets of an unknown value before driving away west in a late model black hatch. Substantial damage…

A BITTERN cattery has won a Mornington Peninsula Heritage Award. Windrest Cattery, in Myers Rd, won the Creative Reuse of a Heritage Place award for turning its 1920s dairy building into a cattery. The judges’ citation said the work “retained the original fabric of the building and converted the original layout into individual cattery suites and office space”. Owners Dennice and Robert Breeschoten completed the renovation and opened their cattery in April after owning the building for 25 years. “It had been used for storage,” Mr Breeschoten said. “Then we realised the potential of this lovely building, which now houses…

THE centenary of long-time Balnarring resident Janet Watt on Monday 9 October was marked with a variety of functions by family and friends. The main affair was at Balnarring Hall, Saturday 14 October, where about 70 family and friends gathered to celebrate the milestone. Two Uniting Church events were held at Balnarring, as well as a senior citizens’ function at the Balnarring hall, and a small family party at her house at Balnarring on her birthday. Mrs Watt, who also visited Government House on 10 October, is regarded as a woman imbued with a strong sense of family and loyalty…

WESTERN Port residents are awaiting the results of the second stage of a detailed environmental investigation into the presence of carcinogenic chemicals in surface water at HMAS Cerberus, Crib Point. If the tests prove positive to per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a health and ecological risk assessment “may” be required, a defence spokesman said. “This assessment will evaluate potential risks to the human population and ecology, and inform actions to mitigate risks.” The second round of testing follows the first stage which reviewed the historic use of firefighting foams at the base to identify PFAS sources, possible runoff routes and…

UP to 40 SES volunteers were called in by Homicide Squad detectives to line search a Tyabb property for clues after a man’s body was found in a shallow grave on Sunday 22 October. The 11.7ha property on Dandenong-Hastings Rd was recently sold, and it is believed the new owner found the body of the man, in his late 30s, in grass at the rear about 9pm. It is unclear how the man died but his death is being treated as suspicious. Forensics police yesterday laid down yellow markers pointing to possible evidence found at the scene, including a black…

CONDITIONS attached to a Sorrento planning application are aimed at making sure the former Mitre 10 site retains the “heritage values of the historic town precinct”. Mornington Peninsula Shire Council has attached 16 conditions to the redevelopment permit for the 2600 square metre 80-98 Ocean Beach Rd site which sold in March last year for $11.46 million. Selling agents CBRE at the time said the site had “unprecedented potential to design and deliver an iconic mixed use project comprising prime retail and high-end residential product, subject to council approvals”. Conditions imposed by the planning services committee on Monday 16 October…

A WALK by 18 women from Safety Beach Yacht Club to the Sorrento Hotel on Sunday 29 October will raise funds for the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation (OCRF). And they will stand out, too, as all the women will be wearing red Wonder Women t-shirts helping create a “sea of red” on the foreshore near the sailing club at 8.30am. Organiser Helen Powell said she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer four years ago and has been “living with the disease ever since”. “Throughout this time I have worked and continued to raise a family through treatment,” she said. “I have…

A SILAGE wrap recycling program being trialled on the Mornington Peninsula aims to reduce the number of used silage bags going to landfill. Farmers are being encouraged by Mornington Peninsula Shire, the Victorian Farmers Federation and Solo Resource Recovery to bring used silage wrap to the Mornington Resource Recovery Centre where it can be exchanged for a full bag of wrap for free. Farmers use the bags because hay wrapped in airtight layers of plastic retains feed value than unwrapped hay. VFF branch vice-president Geoff Coghill approached the shire seeking a better recycling scheme. He met with waste services operations…

STREET art event Voices To Be Heard will be held at the Rye fairground between Christmas and the new year to focus community attention on youth suicide. The event will be held at the Wittingslow Carnival by the Sorrento Activity Centre and Studio Sorrento in conjunction with Rosebud Secondary College. Money raised will go towards the college’s Youth Wellness Pavilion. Organiser Pat Watt said she hoped a diverse group of young artists would create street art which will be hung and at times worked upon on the fencing around the fairground by young artists. They will have been provided with…

THE knock back of a funding application to build a Wellness Pavilion at Rosebud Secondary College was “disappointing”, assistant principal and advisory council member Geoff Seletto said. The Victorian School Building Authority shortlisted the funding application in February. The Wellness Advisory Council wanted the money to build the venue for young people experiencing personal challenges and needing enhanced mental health and wellbeing support. The project will still go ahead but with a greater emphasis on seeking community support. Described as a Mornington Peninsula “first” the Wellness Pavilion will aim to “empower youth to better address life’s challenges, develop personal resilience,…

AFTER just her third season of football, 18-year-old Bridie Kennedy, of Dromana has been drafted to Carlton for the 2018 AFLW season. A standout player through both her talent and a pink ribbon she wears, the Year 12 Padua College student was selected to join the Blues at pick number 36 last Wednesday 18 October. Kennedy was interviewed by all four of the Victorian sides in the lead-up to the draft but said she didn’t really expect to be picked up by Carlton. “I had no idea who I would get drafted to,” she said. “It came down to who…

SOCCER FRANKSTON Pines’ jack-of-all-trades CJ Hodgson has declared his allegiance to the Monterey Reserve club. “I’ll be there as long as my parents are involved so I think I’ll be playing at Pines for the rest of my career,” the 24-year-old said. He’s had more seasons at Pines than any other senior player and he’s also the club’s most versatile performer having played at right back, wide midfield, centre midfield, striker and he’s even worn the goalkeeper’s gloves. His career kicked off at under-6 level at Langwarrin and he made his reserves debut under then-coach Jamie Skelly as a 15-year-old…

SUB-DISTRICT BALNARRING remains at the top of the MPCA Sub District table after recording another easy victory on Saturday, this time against Boneo. Both sides went into the clash undefeated but it was no contest on Saturday. The Saints batted first and made a handy 8/187, Mark Walles top scoring with 65 and Pete Mereszko opening with 33 and Mitch Kleinig adding a valuable 28 at the end. The Pandas used seven bowlers. In reply, Boneo lost 4/15 to be in early trouble. They never recovered, despite 34 runs from Ryan Jellie, eventually bowled out for just 83. Ben King…

DISTRICT HASTINGS is the only side in MPCA District without a win this season after losing to Mt Martha on Saturday. The Blues have had a tough start to the year in its opening three one-day games and Saturday was no easier. Winning the toss and batting first, the Blues made 8/129 from its 40 overs. Rob Hearn top scored with 35 and opening partner Nathan Hunt contributed 27. Sean Hewitt then made 24, however, losing 4/17 in the middle order cost the visitors. Steve O’Neill was the best of the bowlers for the Reds with 3/34. In reply, although…

PENINSULA MAIN Ridge remains the dominant force in MPCA Peninsula after making light work of Delacombe Park in round three on Saturday. But whilst the Ridge opened the season with three straight wins, last year’s grand finalists, Delacombe, are yet to win a game. Main Ridge had no hesitation to bat first when it won the toss on Saturday and arguably the best sportsman on the peninsula right now, Shaun Foster, went to work. In just his second game back and after scoring a half-century last week, he backed it up with 122 on Saturday. Michael Holmes opened with him…

PROVINCIAL BAXTER is outside of the MPCA Provincial top four for the first time in a long time after losing its second straight match on Saturday against Pearcedale. Baxter has been the dominant side in the competition for more than a decade but its start to the 2017-18 season has been shaky. It appears that if Chris Brittain or Daniel Warwick don’t make a score, Baxter cannot win. On Saturday it went into the match without opener Joe Rule, one player who has been holding up his end of the bargain. The middle order is really letting Baxter down right…

ON Monday last Mr A. G. Wilcox returned to his home in Frankston. After being on active service for fifteen months Private Wilcox was invalided to Australia. We congratulate the soldier on his safe return and trust he will very soon be restored to health. *** THE Hon. Treasurer, Roll of Honor gratefully acknowledges receipt of 10s donation per Mrs B. M. Garrood (contents of collection box on counter) *** MESSRS T. R. B. Morton and Son will sell by auction on the 5th Nov., on account of Mr. N. Ruddock, a number of valuable blocks of land situated on…

TOORAK College, Mt Eliza, will next year begin building a new science and technology centre where its students can learn the skills needed for Australia’s fastest growing industries. Over the next decade the school believes 75 per cent of jobs will require skills in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), despite enrolment in these subjects declining across Australia. “Currently, females are significantly underrepresented in STEM careers and make up only 16 per cent of STEM qualified professionals,” Toorak College Principal Kristy Kendall says. “Only one in four IT graduates and fewer than one in 10 engineering graduates are women.” Ms…

COMPUTER users are being advised to watch out for scammers who call to say that “some issues with your computer” mean they must have access. Computer repairer pcplanIT, of Diane St, Mornington, warns that the caller usually claims to be from Telstra but might also say the Australian Taxation Office, or a big company. “We have already had four computers in for servicing after a phone scammer gained access,” the company’s Richard Okill said. “The best solution in these cases is for a full back-up and reinstallation of Windows to make sure there are no traces of any keylogging software.”…

A CAMPAIGN is underway to short circuit a $3 million road making scheme in Mt Martha. Signatures are being collected on a petition opposing the proposal and councillors are being lobbied in a bid to stop it before it appears on a council agenda for approval. The scheme to seal Augusta St and the adjacent Mark, Mathew and Gregory streets may be placed on hold pending release of a review of the shire’s policy of requiring property owners to pay part of road and footpath construction costs. Under the present policy the shire can proceed in the face of resident…

THE best 30-40 Flying 15 class yachts in Australia will contest a major sailing event at Mornington Yacht Club in the new year. Flying 15s are a 6.096 metre (20 feet long with 15 feet waterline length) performance yacht with a two-person crew. They have remained a popular racing class yacht all over the world for years. Planning for the 1-4 January regatta began 12 months ago with a practice race on 31 December and the presentation dinner on 4 January. Entries close in five weeks with interest already from several Western Australian competitors. “This is a major summer event…

THE state government’s ban on single use plastic bags – and commitments by the big supermarkets to phase them out over the next few months – has highlighted the merit of alternatives, such as the free Boomerang Bags. Rosebud Boomerang Bags was launched at the La Casa Nostra deli in July by Gwen Giudici, who picked up the idea from Shelle Hepburn, who had been sewing Boomerang Bags in Sorrento with the help of volunteers and school children. Since then, another three Boomerang Bags communities have been established: Somers, Red Hill and Western Port, with more in the pipeline. Ms…

Homicide Squad detectives are investigating following the discovery of a body on a property in Tyabb last night. The body was located on a vacant rural property on Dandenong-Hastings Road just after 9pm. The exact circumstances surrounding the death are yet to be determined but detectives are treating it as suspicious. The body is still to be identified. Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or file a confidential report at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au

AUTHOR Fran Henke realised the need for a book outlining the latest expert advice for polio survivors after attending a conference in Sydney last year. “Experts from around the world were speaking on the main areas of concern for us and I wanted to get that new information to the often isolated people who need it most,” Mrs Henke said. “The exchange of ideas on management for polio survivors in the second round of the fight with the polio virus has proved vital in the absence of wide understanding of post-polio syndrome in the medical profession.” Mrs Henke, of Hastings,…

AN application for a planning permit to rebuild the fire-ravaged Somerville Recreation and Community Centre is being advertised in the lead up to works starting next year. The Mornington Peninsula Shire planning application is for a four-court indoor multi-sport facility to replace the two-court building destroyed by fire in May last year. The rebuild will include refurbishing the damaged community area, amenities for players and officials and better public areas in the recreation centre. The shire in August committed up to $3 million next year for the rebuild – subject to it receiving a $1.5 million grant from Sport and…

YOUNG motorbike riders have a safe, supervised area in which to ride – right in the shadows of BlueScope’s Western Port steelworks. And the sense of fun is catching on, with membership of the Mornington Peninsula Motorcycle Club doubling over the past 12 months. “One of the most important aims of the club is to teach young people how to ride safely and responsibly,” club secretary Carl Agar said. “We won’t let anyone ride who isn’t a club member, and to be a member you must know and follow the rules.” The club’s 1200 financial members are mostly families, with…

AGL Energy’s plans to use a floating gas terminal at Crib Point will be outlined later this month at Port Phillip Conservation Council’s annual general meeting. The power retailer’s community relations manager Jay Gleeson will provide a presentation on AGL’s assessment of options for shipping liquefied natural gas (LNG) to Crib Point from interstate and overseas. The company plans to inject the LNG into a pipeline supplying south-eastern Australia. Crib Point, in Western Port, was chosen for the floating terminal after an assessment sites around Australia (“Crib Point choice for gas terminal” The News 15/8/17). Mr Gleeson will outline of…

AN outdoor seat with plaque dedicated to the memory of Joan Backhouse was stolen from lawns outside St Mark’s Church, Balnarring, overnight Wednesday 4 October. The jarrah three-seater, with the plaque mounted in middle, had been bolted onto concrete between the vicarage and the church on the Stumpy Gully Rd side of the property. Senior Constable Travis O’Donnell, of Hastings police, said the seat was valued at about $1200 but had a greater sentimental value. First published in the Western Port News – 17 October 2017

THE history of a koala rescued from a mooring near Warneet and its safe delivery back home to nearby Quail Island can be traced back to the 1920s. Research by Hastings historian and author Ruth Gooch tracing the rise and fall of the island’s koala population shows that the one picked up on Sunday 8 October by the Coast Guard is one of just a few still calling the island home (“Soggy koala finds solace in blanket” The News 10/10/17). Gooch’s book, Quail Island, Western Port, Victoria, tells of campers in the 1970s hearing koalas “bellowing” during the night and…