Author: MP News Group

THE Victorian Electoral Commission is reviewing the electoral structure of Mornington Peninsula Shire and is seeking feedback from the community. The municipality is being reviewed by an electoral representation advisory panel, supported by the VEC, who will consider the appropriate number of councillors and wards, ward boundary locations and ward names. The panel will propose models for the council’s structure in a preliminary report, and the community will be able to give feedback. The preliminary report has been released and response submissions for the Mornington Peninsula Shire Council review will open on Wednesday 25 October and close at 5pm on…

Mornington Peninsula Investigation Unit detectives are appealing for public assistance following a series of burglaries at a building site in Rosebud where in excess of $10,000 worth of power tools and building materials have been stolen. There have been five burglaries between 5 July and 22 October this year on Bayview Road between the hours of 2am and 6am. On one occasion, the male offender has climbed the fence and located a wheelbarrow before filling it with power tools, hand tools, laser levels and tradies belts. The thief then carries away the stolen items leaving the wheelbarrow behind. On another…

A would-be car thief elected to lock himself up in a bungled attempt to steal a BMW in Baxter earlier this week. The owner of the BMW X5 SUV had driven to a petrol station at the corner of Grant Road and Lower Somerville Road on the hunt for some delicious dim-sims about 10.45pm on Monday, 16 October. When the man went up to the counter to purchase his snack he happened to peak up at the security camera display and noticed the door of his vehicle being opened on the monitors. Enraged, the man sprinted back to the car,…

Mornington Community Garden invites the community to its first open day since Covid, on Saturday, 21 October. There will be seeds, seedlings, plants and displays on raised wicking beds and biolinks. Relax with a ‘cuppa and cake’ special for $5, or browse through the used DVDs and books. For youngsters there will be face painting by Sue. Mornington Community Garden was established in 2000 and is now a wonderful green space where people of mixed backgrounds and abilities can share and learn gardening skills. The open day will run from 10am to 2pm, at Pine Reserve, Mitchell Street, Mornington.

MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire Council will investigate the balance of time-restricted and unrestricted parking in the Octavia Street, Mornington car park after 202 people signed a petition called for free staff parking. The petition, which will be submitted to council tonight (Tuesday 17 October) is asking for unlimited car parking in the form of a parking permit for staff of businesses on Main Street. The Mornington major activity centre parking precinct plan that was adopted by council on 4 May 2021 investigated current and anticipated future parking demand within the Mornington activity centre and provided recommendations to improve the management of…

MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire Council officers have recommended planning approval be given for a temporary religious worship marquee on green wedge land in Pearcedale, despite 99 objections. The application is for a traditional Hindu puja for religious “land purification” that will run for one week, with two worship sessions of 6am to 11am and 4pm to 8pm. There are not expected to be any activities outside of the proposed marquee area, and no loudspeakers, microphones, music or bell ringing. Some of the objections referred to the “inappropriate” use of the green wedge, the potential for traffic issues, impact of neighbours, and…

THE last of the big guns has fired its final shots and been decommissioned at the West Head Gunnery Range, Flinders. More than 100 people, including Naval top brass and former staff attended the Tuesday 10 October ceremony to mark the end of the 76mm medium calibre gun’s role at West Head. Medium calibre training will now be provided via virtual reality simulation and onboard training. The 76mm gun was installed in 1992, and until 2019 used to train operators/maintainers and principal warfare officers from Australia and the Philippines. The decommissioning of the MK75-76mm gun represents the end of 64…

AUSTRALIA’S first equine-assisted therapy program to use retired racehorses is celebrating the Melbourne Cup with a difference. Racing Hearts, a charity that gives former racehorses a new lease on life through retraining and integration to therapy programs for humans, is inviting the community to be part of early cup celebrations and experience humans “helping horses helping humans”. Founded in 2018, Racing Hearts operates from a 12-hectare property in Balnarring with a sand arena for riding lessons with a therapy focus. The organisation has rehabilitated more than 100 retired racehorses, working with Racing Victoria with a large focus on their reset…

WORLD Polio Day will be celebrated by Victorian survivors of the virus at Hastings this year with the theme Stayin’ Alive. Hastings MP Paul Mercurio will open the Polio Network Victoria event at the Sanctuary Inn On Westernport on 25 October. “Polio Day, is an annual opportunity for survivors who met as children at various rehabilitation hospitals such as Mount Eliza, Fairfield, Lady Dugan or country centres, to catch up, and to discuss current health and management issues,” Mornington Peninsula Post-Polio Support Group convenor and PNV vice-chair Fran Henke said. Polio epidemics affected mostly children, paralysing limbs and lungs until…

ANYONE living on an unsealed road in the Mornington Peninsula can be part of the dust suppression program. The program aims to alleviate concerns about living or driving on dry, dusty roads. In response to requests for dust suppression, the Mornington Peninsula Shire Council annually selects sections of unsealed and gravel roads, particularly important for community assets or roads used as a thoroughfare. Applications are now open for the dust suppression program. Any resident can put forward their application by visiting the website at mornpen.vic.gov.au/dustsuppression Applications close on 19 November and the program begins in early December. A list of…

MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire deputy mayor Cr Debra Mar was one of six councillors to vote for a move that effectively ruled out any debate about publicly releasing information provided to councillors during private briefings. Mar’s name was inadvertently omitted from the list of councillors backing a ruling by the mayor, Cr Steve Holland (“Council undecided over release of ‘secret advice’” The News 10/10/23). The other five councillors who also backed the mayor were Holland, Sarah Race, Antonella Celi, Despi O’Connor and Kate Roper. Against the mayor’s ruling were David Gill, Simon Brooks and Lisa Dixon. Crs Anthony Marsh and Susan…

DREAMWEAVERS is a series of short documentaries by award winning filmmakers Heather Forbes-McKeon and Yanni Dellaportas about three Mornington Peninsula-based women who have suffered adversity and inspired others. The films focus on the women’s objectives, motivations, challenges they face in relation to their goals and what advice they have for others. Ecologist and ethnobotanist Gidja Walker has worked for years protecting landscapes and overcame discrimination in a male dominated profession. She is a mentor to young women entering the world of nature-based learning and an advocate for traditional owner custodianship. Over many decades, Walker has contributed professionally and informally as…

A NEW charity – Fun in the Sun Foundation – aims to help families under financial pressure enjoy some time out over summer on the Mornington Peninsula. Led by CEO and founder Mary Toniolo, in association with Anglicare Victoria, the group has booked holiday houses on the southern peninsula to provide a week’s holiday for families with children. The foundation is the latest organisation to have offered children from less well-off families summer holidays on the peninsula. Holiday places for children have included Camp Buxton at Shoreham, founded in about 1925; Lord Somers Camp at Balnarring East in 1931; and…

A man has died in hospital following a bike crash in Blairgowrie earlier this month. It is believed the male cyclist was riding with a group along Point Nepean Road on October 1 when he lost control and fell over the handlebars, about 11am. The 78-year-old Kooyong man sustained life-threatening injuries and was airlifted to hospital, where he later died. Police will prepare a report for the Coroner and investigations remain ongoing. For the current provisional lives lost tally please see police.vic.gov.au/road-safety-0. Anyone who witnessed the crash or with footage or information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333…

MOTORISTS on the Mornington Peninsula are being reminded to be aware that more wildlife will be on the roads throughout the spring breeding season. The warning follows the death and injury of several koalas on the roads in recent weeks. The Mornington Peninsula Koala Conservation group has documented recent incidents involving koalas struck by traffic in Somers, Hastings, Tyabb, Mount Eliza, Shoreham and Rosebud. The group is calling on motorists to be wary of animals being on the roads, and to report any incidents at mpkoalas.org.au Volunteers from the koala group have been planting trees and habitat corridors for koalas…

THE Minister for Planning Sonya Kilkenny has approved Mornington Peninsula Shire Council’s amendment to apply a permanent heritage overlay to protect Fenton Hall, at Merricks North. The mayor Cr Steve Holland said the council was now working with the Friends of Fenton Hall on a restoration project to make the hall operational once more. “It will require fixing some structural and pest issues, including the rebuilding of several sections of the hall,” he said. “The restoration project is still in the design phase. Once that is complete, we will need to consider how we can fund the necessary work.” While…

FIREFIGHTERS and waste companies are urging people to not put batteries or gas bottles in household bins after a garbage truck fire early on Thursday 5 October. Bittern CFA was called on to support Crib Point Fire Brigade when a garbage truck caught fire in Crib Point. The Esplanade was blocked to traffic from Disney Street to Stony point Road as firefighters fought the blaze, getting it under control within the hour. Mornington Peninsula Shire Council is also calling for responsible disposal of hazardous materials. Dangerous items such as gas bottles and batteries should not be put in household bins…

SUPPLY and demand are behind the disappearance of the ubiquitous red postal boxes from parts of the Mornington Peninsula. The removal of letter boxes from Rosserdale Crescent, Mount Eliza and The Esplanade, Mount Martha in September prompted social media protests about cuts to postal services. An Australia Post spokesperson said the decision to remove the letter boxes was made after “careful consideration” of a number of factors, including low use. He also said that there were four other letter boxes available within a three-kilometre radius of the ones removed in Mount Eliza and Mount Martha. The spokesperson said removing the…

Vandalising Yes signs is anti-democratic Many community members have been saddened by vandalism to vote Yes signs across the Mornington Peninsula. This vandalism is not just random tagging by kids, it seems to be an organised campaign by people who, for some reason, are angered by the democratic process and the right of everyone to express their opinion. This has ranged from painting No across the signs to actually cutting the Yes from real estate type boards. This process would take some time and effort and property owners report feeling unsafe and violated by such a concerted effort to deface…

DRIVERS who sustained damage to their cars while driving on Frankston Freeway last week could be eligible for compensation. A pothole which damaged dozens of cars on the freeway on the evening of 3 October has been repaired, but not before more than a dozen cars had to be towed away for repairs. For more information and to apply visit vicroads.vic.gov.au First published in the Mornington News – 10 October 2023

MORNINGTON’s Main Street Festival will be back on Sunday 15 October, after a three-year hiatus and celebrating its 25th year. The festival in Main Street, Mornington will showcase the cultural lifestyle of the Mornington Peninsula – bringing together the elements of food, wine, music, art, entertainment, shopping and fun. There will also be seasonal produce and a selection of peninsula wines. Seven stages and performance areas will host a range of music styles, and there will be children’s entertainers, roving performers community and dance groups. “Mornington Peninsula Shire is a proud supporter of the arts and is delighted to be…

A 19-year-old P-plate driver from Red Hill had her licence immediately suspended on Sunday (9 October) and her vehicle impounded after she returned a breath test of 0.213. At around 5am, Hastings police were on patrol when they saw a white Holden Commodore allegedly swerving all over the road, on Mornington-Tyabb Road in Moorooduc. The car was intercepted, and the P-plate driver was found to be more than four times over the legal blood alcohol limit. She will receive a summons to attend court at a later date. First published in the Southern Peninsula News – 10 October 2023

AN elderly female driver was taken to hospital with suspected serious injuries after her vehicle crashed into a house in Boundary Road, Dromana last Tuesday (3 October). CFA, police, SES volunteers and two ambulances attended the accident, which happened about 2.30pm. Witnesses said the roads were wet and slippery, and the driver have been travelling along Manna Street before she may have clipped a kerb and lost control of the vehicle, veering across Boundary Road and crashing through a property’s front fence and into the veranda. The driver, believed to be aged in her 80s, was trapped for a short…

MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire Council is inviting the community to have a say on a new strategic plan to increase the resilience of its coastal areas. The shire says its Our Coast Our Future Coastal Strategy will include long-term plans to manage current and future coastal hazards and risks, drawing on science, technical assessments and community input, and drive sustainable outcomes in the face of climate change. Stretching almost 200 kilometres, the peninsula’s natural environment, especially its coastal and marine areas, are diverse and always changing. The coast’s landforms and ecosystems vary from sandy beaches and dune systems, rocky shores and…

A 21-year-old man has his car immediately impounded after he was caught speeding more then 80km/h over the speed limit in Dromana this morning. Somerville Highway Patrol officers clocked a Hyundai i30 sedan travelling at 181km/h in a 100km zone on the Mornington Peninsula Freeway about 3.30am. Officers spoke to the driver, who holds a probationary licence, and immediately impounded his car. The Prahran man is expected to be charged on summons with speed dangerous, exceed speed and other related traffic offences. Victoria Police News – Wednesday 4 October 2023

Permit solution a remedy for peninsula’s housing shortage Our Mornington Peninsula Shire mayor, Cr Steve Holland, laments the proposed 7.5 per cent tax on short stay accommodation and adds that it will do nothing to fix the housing crisis (“Overnight tax ‘bad for business’” The News 26/9/23). Of course not. Short stay accommodation is an easy and lucrative way of making money out of tourism and the state, which contributes to tourism, is simply getting in on the act and raising revenue. Tourists are there for no other reason than to be exploited. On the other hand, the mayor is…

A 24-year-old man has his car immediately impounded after he was caught speeding more then 80km/h over the speed limit in Mount Martha this morning. Somerville Highway Patrol officers clocked a Mitsubishi sedan travelling at 185km/h in a 100km zone on the Mornington Peninsula Freeway about 2.45am. Officers spoke to the driver and immediately impounded his car. A Clyde man is expected to be charged on summons with speed dangerous, exceed speed and other related traffic offences. Victoria Police News – Tuesday 3 October 2023

THE Love Flower sculpture is set to move from its Peninsula Link home by the end of the year. Love Flower, by John Meade, has been at the Cranbourne Road overpass of Peninsula Link since 2019. It replaced Reflective Lullaby, the infamous chrome gnome. The Peninsula Link overpass sculpture is replaced every four years as part of a partnership between McClelland Gallery and Southern Way. Last year artist Natasha Johns-Messenger was handed a $300,000 commission to complete a sculpture titled Compass 23, which will be installed at the site. The new artwork is expected to feature 12-metre high powder coated…

ALONG with the warmer weather, snakes are emerging from months of inactivity to search for food and a mate. Many snakes stop eating over winter and conserve energy by not moving around as much, although they may come out and bask on a warm sunny day in the middle of winter. The Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA) last week said snakes were more visible during warmer months but were rarely a threat. “Snakes prefer to keep away from people. They rely on external sources like the sun to give them energy,” senior wildlife projects officer, Katherine Whittaker…

MEMBERS of the Progressives of the Peninsula group have launched their Just Ask campaign as a way to “engage the disengaged, the undecideds and the No voters” before the 14 October Voice to Parliament referendum. “Our democracy relies on informed voters. Rather than push a Yes or No position, we merely provide people with information,” the group’s chair Dr Sarah Russell said after the campaign launch outside Dromana Community Market on 23 September. Members of the Progressives display If You Don’t Know, Ask Here signs and wear If You Don’t Know, Just Ask t-shirts. “Although I believe informed and compassionate…