Month: October 2018

SOCCER ASPENDALE Stingrays have millions of reasons to hope that the Andrews government is re-elected at the upcoming state poll. A proposed four-pitch multipurpose complex with new pavilion and car parking at Kerr Crescent Reserve in Aspendale Gardens would secure the club’s future and provide the springboard for growth envisaged by the current administration. There has been no shortage of good news for the Stingrays recently as Football Victoria named Aspendale the 2018 Club of the Year at a gala luncheon on Friday. Just five clubs from throughout the state made the shortlist for the prestigious award which recognises the…

PENINSULA AN extraordinary batting collapse by Main Ridge has allowed Baden Powell to claim an easy victory at Overport Park on Saturday. Main Ridge kicked things off with a decent start, and were sitting comfortable at 2/53 before things went wrong. They went on to lose 5 wickets for their next 7 runs, and stumbled their way to a final total of all out for 86. Luke Long was easily the pick of the bowlers, taking a brilliant 3/11 off 8 overs. Main Ridge’s defence of their small total got off to a dream start as Daniel Polson claimed the…

RECENT happenings in the working of the Wattle Club make one wonder if a drastic change in the management would not be advantageous. Those who know anything of the valuable work carried on by the Club cannot but feel great regret that straw splitting and personal enmity is now rampant among some of the “autocrate”. Recently we were told (at a Sunday gathering to entertain sick soldiers) that it was members only who were to be admitted. Why? Is the money contributed by the members only or by the public also? No ; it is public funds for a public…

It seems unlikely, but there is now a connection between Kirks Hotel in Mornington and the Royal Albert Hall, London: both venues have featured performances by the Australian Welsh Male Choir. The choir is about to return from UK tour which included a concert at Australia House in London for High Commissioner George Brandis and guests. But it was also while in London the choir performed at the 26th London Welsh Festival of Male Choirs at the Royal Albert Hall. Recognised as one of world’s major massed choral concerts, the Australian choir sang with 16 other choirs including those from…

A DONATION of 200 “comfort kits” from a class of year 12 VCAL students at Padua College, Mornington will help patients at Frankston Hospital’s emergency department. The kits contain combs, toothbrushes, toothpaste, ear plugs, socks, eye masks, anti-bacterial wipes, pencils and Padua Puzzles, which members of the class created themselves. Student and project manager Gus Gordon said the kits included common sense items: “When people come into the emergency department it often isn’t planned – so they might not have the basic things they need like a toothbrush and toothpaste. “We wanted to do something to help the local community,…

RETIRING Mornington police senior sergeant Neil Aubert well remembers perhaps the most dangerous incident in his 46-year career. In 1989, the then senior constable was among nine Cheltenham police sent to evict a group of Hells Angels from the Southside Six hotel in Moorabbin when a brawl erupted and he was stabbed in the stomach. “A rock ‘n roll band was playing to about 1000 people and we went in to remove a group of Hells Angels after reports they had glassed a bouncer,” Mr Aubert said. “We confronted them at their tables and asked them to leave. The next…

A MT MARTHA man who collided with another car at a busy beach-side intersection blames a VicRoads’ line marker for causing it. Maurie Forbes was preparing to turn right from Bay Road into the Esplanade when he clipped the rear of a car approaching from his left as it turned right into Bay Road. He says an incorrectly sited right-turn arrow on the main road directed the car into the wrong lane and forced the driver to over-correct as she turned into Bay Road. Mr Forbes said he saw the car approaching from some distance away but thought he had…

Mornington Peninsula Shire has admitted it needs state government “co-operation” to carry out its unilateral decision to fence off The Pillars cliff jumping site at Mt Martha and introduce a 200-metre no go zone for watercraft. The government and Aboriginal Victoria last year ruled a fence out, but the mayor Cr Bryan Payne last week said the council’s 9 October decision was needed “to get some meaningful discussion and action underway”. The boating ban had been included in council’s latest decision “as part of the strategy to limit increased dangerous activity at The Pillars” (“Fencing The Pillars for safety” The…

MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire has “had enough of dumped waste in our reserves, foreshore, beaches, streets and parks”, according to the mayor Cr Bryan Payne. He is calling on residents to report those illegally dumping rubbish so they can be fined up to $9500. The cost of cleaning up the rubbish is about $700,000 a year – with more than 2300 cases reported in 2017. In the first five months of this year, 1532 cases were reported. Residents are asked to note the time, date, location and items of waste, as well as any identifying information, such as vehicle registration or…

CHARCOAL sketching, marbles, skipping ropes, wool craft and butter making were just some of the activities enjoyed by Osborne Primary School pupils as they celebrated the school’s 145th anniversary last week. They are their parents and teachers dressed up in period costumes for the photo booth and took part in a range of “olden day” activities at the special evening, Thursday 18 October. “A fun night was had by all,” teacher Meaghan Woods said. “It reflected a united, positive community feel. “Osborne has enjoyed an incredible 145 years of education with many more years and budding, enthusiastic students yet to…

A ROSEBUD pest contractor was fined $4000 at Dromana Magistrates’ Court last week after pleading guilty to supplying 1080 bait to a farmer who was not authorised to use it. The court was told restricted chemicals such as 1080 can only be supplied to authorised users, but that the contractor gave the bait to a truffle farmer at Main Ridge to poison feral pigs. Agriculture Victoria chemical standards officers raided the property in mid-2016 and seized two pails of the pig bait which the farmer said was supplied by the contractor. He was fined $9500 after pleading guilty to using…

DYSTONIA sufferer Dave Smith has made good on his promise to raise money on the Brain Foundation-Dystonia Walk earlier this month. He and daughters Ebony and Lisa, right, competed in the Melbourne Half Marathon walking the 21.1km to achieve his goal. Mr Smith’s struggle with the condition and efforts to get into shape generated a positive message (“Walk aims to shake off debilitating disorder” The News 10/9/18). “We started at 8am with all of the other competitors but it wasn’t long before we were walking by ourselves up St Kilda Road as the other competitors were running at a good…

IT’S National Bird Week and Parks Victoria has nominated Coolart Homestead and Wetlands Reserve near Somers as among its top 10 places to watch birds. Run by BirdLife Australia, the Aussie Backyard Bird Count is also under way throughout the country from 22-28 October. Bird counts can be made anywhere, but must be made over a 20-minute period. “Australia is home to some of the world’s most beautiful birds, often literally right in our own backyards and thanks to BirdLife Australia’s Aussie Backyard Bird Count we now have four years of data about their changing populations,” Australian Birdlife Magazine editor…

THE Liberal Nationals say they will conduct a feasibility study into a recycled water scheme to service Mornington Peninsula farmland if they win government at the Saturday 24 November election. The study will examine whether the water can be used to supply farmers. “With 70 per cent of the Mornington Peninsula zoned green wedge land, and with some of the best farmland in the state, it is crucial we have a long term plan to preserve and fully utilise this precious rural hinterland,” Liberal candidate for Nepean Russell Joseph said. Melbourne Water reportedly daily discharges an average 350 million litres…

The horrific burning and drowning of more than 62,000 sheep seems an unlikely source of inspiration for a children’s book. But the loss of the live sheep export ship the MV Uniceb in August 1996, gave freelance writer Sally Nowlan pause for thought: imagine being a sheep caught up in the live export trade? Unlike the thousands of sheep that perished aboard the Uniceb six days into a 16-day voyage from Freemantle to Aqaba, Jordan, Nowlan’s tale does have a happy ending. While Jumbucks Misadventure certainly carries a message about the “the wrongness of live export for such creatures”, it…

STRICT regulations governing the safety of seals on bay beaches have prompted the Department of Environment, Lands, Water and Planning to warn members of the public not to get too close. Senior wildlife officer Abby Smith said as summer approached some seals swam ashore after the breeding season. “In Victoria, it is common to see Australian fur seals resting onshore. They are beautiful creatures and can look very placid when lying on a beach,” Ms Smith said. “Despite their relaxed appearance, they are still wild animals. They will defend themselves if approached and can deliver a nasty bite. “We’re really…

RYE Community Group Alliance has been awarded the $1000 Keep Victoria Beautiful Gift Fund prize for its project: A Clean Rye Protects Marine Life – Do the Right Thing. President Mechelle Cheers said the campaign would run over the peak tourist period as a litter prevention strategy to keep marine debris out of the bay. “It is targeted at tourists who leave behind huge amounts of plastic and other litter every summer,” she said. “We hope to highlight through the great work of Rye individuals and groups that, as a community, we value our coastal environment and expect visitors to…

THE Mornington Peninsula is playing a big part in Victoria’s tourism boom. Visitors – mainly from Melbourne and other parts of the country – spent 4.8 million nights on the peninsula last year, up 20 per cent on the previous year. Mornington Peninsula Regional Tourism Board chair Tracey Cooper said the figures reflected an increase in day and overnight trips, especially in the autumn and spring shoulder seasons over the past five years. The benefits were enhanced by the dispersal of visitors to second and third-tier attractions across the peninsula, which helped to spread the tourist dollar several ways. The…

Like nearly every family ours has felt the severe impact that mental health sickness inflicts on the sufferer and the community around them. This is a challenge we as individuals and Peninsula Hot Springs as an organisation have take on. One of our many strategies and activities is the hosting of Ride for Relief an awareness and fund raising bike riding event on Sunday 21st, October. All proceeds from this event go directly to support the great work of Mentis Assist, an incredible in-the-trenches mental health organisation on the Mornington Peninsula. Here are links to the event and to the fundraising…

Somerville Highway Patrol officers caught a motorcycle speeding at 70kmp/h over the speed limit in Pearcedale last night. Police clocked a silver 2013 Triumph Trophy motorbike allegedly travelling at 170kmp/h in a 100km zone on the Western Port Highway just after 9pm. The motorcycle was intercepted and immediately impounded for 30 days at a cost of $1280. The driver, a 48-year-old Hastings man, is expected to be charged on summons with excessive speed. Victoria Police News – Thursday, 18 October 2018

“RHYTHMS FOR RAIN” EVENT will take place in Flinders Village on Sunday 21 October. The launch will be on Saturday 20 October from 6pm-8pm at the Flinders Bakehouse Café, Cook Street Flinders. Sunday is the day we welcome people to come and support this event in Flinders Village. Rob Lindsay a Musician and Peninsula resident has coordinated the whole event and collected his ‘muso’ friends to play. There will be collection containers at each venue and the local Flinders District Lions Club will be collecting and supporting. All funds raised go to ‘Need for Feed’ a Lions Project. 100 per cent…

The Maladiction Longboarders Club has again teamed up with the Disabled Surfers Association, Mornington Peninsula (DSAMP) for a fun surf competition to help finance surfing days at Point Leo for people with disabilities. Last year’s inaugural contest saw 13 teams compete in costumes riding waves at The Pines, Shoreham. This year’s competition will be held at the same beach from 10am on Saturday 10 November.  Teams can be made up of either two or four surfers. Contestants are being encouraged to again wear costumes but this year they can ride their own boards. “Crazy” surf moves will attract extra points.…

A DEFENCE investigation has found “no evidence of any unacceptable exposure or risk” to residents living near HMAS Cerberus or workers at the base from the historic use of firefighting foams. The all-clear extends to those eating fish caught at nearby Hanns Inlet, on-base workers doing non-surface soil works and trainees or visitors through direct exposure to soil at the base. However, traces of the chemicals were found where the PFAS foam was used and stored, such as the fire ground and station, ornamental lake, sullage pit, irrigated sports fields and former sewage treatment plant. Also within the base but…

The Liberal Party has thrown a lifeline to the Otama submarine that has been anchored near Crib Point for the past 17 years. Hastings MP Neale Burgess on Sunday (14 October) said a Liberal Nationals government would bring the vessel ashore at Hastings, if it wins the Saturday 24 November state election. Mr Burgess said his party would work with the Oberon Association, Mornington Peninsula Shire Council and Western Port Chamber of Commerce to create a potential tourist attraction out of the submarine. He said feasibility studies and business cases had shown “what a great tourist attraction the Otama would…

Planning Minister Richard Wynne says power company AGL’s plan to import liquefied natural gas through Crib Point will be subject to “the strongest environmental assessment process in the state”. The Save Westernport group opposing AGL’s floating gas terminal saw Mr Wynne’s announcement last week as “a huge win”. “It’s the deferral to EES [environmental effects statement] we’ve been waiting for. The study will start in January and take nine to 12 months to complete,” the group’s website proclaimed. “It’s just the first step, but thanks to your hard work spreading the word and contacting your government representatives we are seeing…

DISTRICT ROSEBUD have bounced back from a difficult start to get the better of Seaford at Olympic Park on Saturday. Seaford won the toss and sent their opponents in to bat, which looked to be a masterstroke early. Rosebud’s openers Kane Donald and Pete Doughty both fell for ducks to leave their middle order to pick up the pieces. Billy Quigley came in to steady the ship with a handy 29, but Rosebud still found themselves struggling at 6/66. They showed signs of life to knock 77 runs for their next two wickets, finishing up on 8/143 from 40 overs.…

SOCCER A DAMAGING presidency battle was averted last week after Steve Spencer was elected at an extraordinary general meeting at Frankston Pines. It had been widely expected that former vice-president Daniel Plaiche and recent interim president Hamdija “Boz” Osmancevic would run against each other but neither party turned up to the meeting. Osmancevic had been the only candidate for president a fortnight earlier at the club’s AGM but stood down after a dispute erupted about his managerial style forcing last week’s meeting to settle the impasse and elect an executive. Rumours flew about Osmancevic’s intentions and involved speculation about a…

MORNINGTON-based trainer Matt Laurie has Stakes ambitions with his smart filly Rainbow Girl after she kicked clear for a comfortable four-length win at Bairnsdale on Sunday 7 October. The daughter of Pierro had to overcome the second-widest barrier (9) to take up the lead, but once she crossed there was nothing able take ground off her in the straight. Trainer Matt Laurie was more than happy with the performance. “I thought it was very good,” he said. “She had to jump from the wide barrier and cross them but she still managed to kick clear very strongly – she did…

MORNINGTON Peninsula Hockey Club had five players represent Victoria at the Women’s Masters Championships in Bunbury, Western Australia on Thursday 27 September. Four of the women, Emma Brown, Kim Trezise, Julia Ashmore and Margaret Nettleship, returned home with silver medals from the national competition while Rebecca Gipp finished just shy of a bronze. Mornington Peninsula Hockey Club goalkeeper Julia Ashmore said “it was a great result from everyone”. Ashmore, who usually plays in the over-45s, competed in the over-40s Victorian team which had to merge with the over-45s due to the lack of numbers. Ashmore said the side had their…

THE Peninsula Film Festival is proud to announce a new partnership with AGL. AGL has come on board as Naming Rights Sponsor and will support the Peninsula Film Festival activities which include the expansion of a new, music festival to be held at Hastings Foreshore. Festival Director Steve Bastoni said the relationship with AGL means the Festival can grow to include the Western Port side. “We are excited to have AGL onboard and this means we can continue to keep the short film festival FREE to attend and also offer a low-cost ticketed, music event at Hastings,” he said. The…