Strong win for Hunt in ‘marginal’ Flinders
THE final figures from last month’s federal election confirm what was known early on voting night: Flinders was easily retained by the Liberal Party’s candidate, Greg Hunt. The poll results officiall...
Author Archives: Keith Platt
Plucka Duck a perfect fit for the purpose
THE heady days of the TV show Hey Hey It’s Saturday last week had a revival of sorts, and a round of applause, in Mornington. While it may not have been the entire program, one of the most bizarre an...
‘Port’ land may be released for light industry ‑ mayor
Mornington Peninsula Shire Council sees the release of 400 hectares of land near Hastings for light industry as the key to creating jobs and “increasing economic output”. The land has been virtually ...
Whales back in the bays for winter
IT was as if the first day of winter was arranged by central casting. Right on cue, humpback whales appeared in Port Phillip and along the Phillip Island coast. A pod of killer whales was reported at...
Beach clues to ancient and modern history
TAKING a close look at the history of a cement works at Mornington can easily turn into probing ancient geological formations and life forms. Fossil Beach, which lies at the end of a short path off t...
More protection for ‘unique’ swamp
NEW boundaries have been adopted for the Tootgarook Wetlands, along with protective buffer zones and an environmental significance overlay. The wetland – home to 160 species of permanent and mi...
Beaches a battleground for fees and charges
SOME of the Mornington Peninsula most idyllic beaches have become an unlikely battleground between beach box owners and shire councillors. The councillors want to increase annual licence fees for bea...
Gathering time to publish rhyme
MANY words have been spoken in McCrae on Sunday nights between March and November over the past three years. The words, strung together in rhyme to create a rhythm, belong to a group of people collec...
Gas rig in bay for repairs
THE 21,000-tonne gas rig Ocean Monarch is anchored for maintenance between Cowes and Observation Point, Phillip Island. The 107-metre-long rig was towed into Western Port last Tuesday (21 May) aftern...
Higher ruling sought on holy hour
PENINSULA Aero Club is blaming “a small noisy anti-airport lobby group” for making it observe a “holy hour” ban on flying. The 9.30am-10.30am restriction on Sunday take-offs and landings from the Tya...