TWO young men from the Mornington Peninsula have made a spectacular entrance into the electric vehicle market, armed with nothing but a bright idea, a modest amount of savings and a lot of faith.Twenty-four-year olds Toby Batters-Holding and Daniel Henry, who became friends while students at Western Port Secondary College, have launched a mobile EV charging business that has attracted interest from media around the country.Before taking their idea to the market, Henry, an electrician, and Batters-Holding, a boiler maker, spent 12 months learning about the EV industry. Although they did not own EVs themselves, they knew enough to see…
Author: mpnews
By Max Bryant* WESTERN Port Oberon Association has celebrated the 100th birthday of its oldest member, Duncan Lamont Mackinnon.Born on a sailing ship, the steel barque Garthsnaid, on 5 December 1923 while it was moored in the Yarra River, Mackinnon is the oldest member of the association, which operates the Victorian Maritime Centre at Crib Point.To attend school in Port Melbourne he had to row a dingy with his bike aboard across the Yarra and cycle to school.At the age of 10 his mother took him to Scotland where they lived for three years.Aged 14 at the start of World…
Compiled by Cameron McCullough AT the Frankston Court yesterday, before Mr. W. G. Smith, P.M.; and Messrs. C. Gray, P. Wheeler, and J. Brown, J.’sP., Miss Irene Galt sought an order from the Court to compel J. B. Jolly to erect a six foot paling fence between their respective properties on Melbourne Road, Frankston.Mr. Robertson appeared for the plaintiff, and Mr. J. Hogan for Mr. Jolly.Irene Galt said she was the owner and occupier of property on Melbourne Road, Frankston. Mr. Jolly occupied the property on the north side of her place.The properties at present were divided by a fence…
Parks vegetation provided its own protection There is a small bush reserve between Shire Hall and Mills beaches encircled by a popular walking track. Recent notices erected advise that the “Friends” are restoring the bush”, which means they are removing introduced species which are not natural such as tea-tree and replacing them with grasses and shrubs.A further notice advises “Management” requests visitors to stay out of the area to protect the vegetation which, if the area had not been “opened up” in so many places and the scrub had remained dense, there would be no reason to stray off the…
MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire Council has buckled under pressure and introduced some changes to its controversial paid parking trial after receiving a backlash from businesses and drivers.It is believed the council has introduced a 50 per cent discount for people who pay through the PayStay App, and also recently offered a 24-hour grace period from the date of parking. But a popular waterside Mornington restaurant which has spearheaded a petition to the state government is calling for a bigger revamp of the parking trial. Robert De Santis, who owns The Rocks restaurant and a separate cafe next door, at Schnapper Point,…
THE 20-year-old Pelican Park Recreation Centre at Hastings will be closed for four to six months from October.Mornington Peninsula Shire Council the closure is needed for such “vital works” as replacing plant equipment including heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and boilers and repairs to the pool shell. The centre should reopen in March or April 2025.These works are necessary to ensure our community can continue to enjoy visiting Pelican Park into the future.Mornington Peninsula Shire will provide regular updates while we work towards enhancing the facilities at Pelican Park Recreation Centre.“The maintenance and renewal of Pelican Park Recreation Centre is crucial…
RSPCA Victoria is inviting exhibitors to connect with hundreds of passionate pet owners at this year’s Million Paws Walk at Hastings. The Mornington Peninsula is home to one of the RSPCA’s main dog walking events, which provides the opportunity for businesses to make contact with dog and pet lovers, while raising money to end cruelty to animals.Event and community fundraising manager Kate Kasby said this year’s event was a special milestone. “We’re very excited for this year because it marks the 30th anniversary of Million Paws Walk and we are planning an amazing day out for all pet lovers,” Kasby…
A DRAFT plan for the Sorrento’s pier and harbour is open for community comment. Parks Victoria says the Sorrento Local Port Area Plan outlines improvements for the pier precinct, balancing and enhancing existing uses, creating new, safer recreation opportunities and shoring up the future for Sorrento pier. Feedback from the public will be considered in the development of the final plan to be released mid-year.“Sorrento Pier is a popular destination for locals and tourists, fishers and boaters, and a valued feature of the Mornington Peninsula,” Parks Victoria’s regional director Jodi Heath said. “As a vital part of the planning process,…
Compiled by Cameron McCullough UNDER the above heading an inaccurate and obviously partisan statement regarding the proceedings in the County Court last week, when Cr. Oates sued W. C. Young, publisher of “The Standard,” and Mrs. Wilson, dairywoman, appears in another paper, which, by reason of its ridiculous partiality is referred to by an amused public as “Oates’ Weekly.”The newspaper referred to, in its garbled statement of the case, omits to state that the offer to quash proceedings at the eleventh hour came from Oates’ counsel, and that the only disclaimer asked for was a general assurance from Mr. Young…
Removing seastars to help the bay’s health On Saturday 16 March, 25 residents, ecologists, ecology and marine biology students gathered on Mothers Beach, Mornington to do what they’ve been trained to do. That is to identify and remove as many northern Pacific seastars as possible from Mornington harbour.These invasive pests are decimating parts of the bay where they aggregate in their thousands. They have a voracious appetite, especially for small marine organisms which would ordinarily be the food source for many other marine creatures.In the absence of these seastars, the bay has a healthy, biodiverse ecosystem which is what helps…
POLICE are appealing for witnesses to a fatal road accident in Pearcedale on Thursday 21 March. Police were told a car travelling on Tyabb-Tooradin Road collided with a truck approaching in the opposite direction at about 4.50pm.The male driver of the car, the sole occupant of the vehicle, died at the scene. The truck driver was not injured and stopped at the scene. The circumstances surrounding the incident are yet to be established and an investigation is ongoing.Anyone who witnessed the collision, with dashcam footage or information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or crimestoppersvic.com.au First…
POWERLINES in high fire danger areas on the Mornington Peninsula could be placed underground as part of a package of new “resilience measures” being tested and considered by electricity distributor United Energy. The distributor is looking at how it can make its network in Melbourne’s south-east and the peninsula stronger and more resilient in the face of increasingly frequent severe weather events.United Energy representatives last week met with community members in Red Hill to hear their views on the proposals and road test a range of scenarios as part of a five-year business plan, with a draft to be submitted…
SUPPORTERS of the campaign to redevelop Rosebud Hospital made their message clear at a rally on Friday (15 March) holding signs reading Frankton Too Far.Drivers in cars, buses, trucks and ambulances tooted, honked, or flashed their lights and sirens to support the cry that the hour’s drive to Frankston is too far for people on the south end of the Mornington Peninsula when they need care. Supporters lined the road south of the hospital waving at passersby and traffic and listened to stories about people’s hospital experiences. Hospital supporter Jan Gilbert, who organised the rally, said she and others would…
THE Tiny Home Expo is coming to Mornington Peninsula, and Expo Organisers say the event is gathering more and more interest as people seek alternative solutions to a multitude of pressures from rental stress, the housing crisis, and also aged care alternatives, and options for young people wanting to save rental money.“Whilst initially the Tiny House Movement was in the realm of a alternative lifestyles, a greener solution and coming from the aspect of having less ’stuff’, in more recent years it has attracted a much wider audience in search of solutions to an array of issues, the most obvious…
Compiled by Cameron McCullough A DEPUTATION from the Frankston and Hastings Shire Council, consisting of Councillors W. J. Oates, F. H. Wells, C. Gray, and J. Bradbury, accompanied by Mr. D. J. Quartermain, the manager of the Council’s Electric undertaking, waited upon the Electricity Commission today, with regard to the many interruptions in the service that have been experienced recently.The deputation pointed out that, during the month of February there had been no less than eight stoppages – some of them being of quite a lengthy period.The case of the all day Sunday stoppage was specially stressed, as this stoppage…
Shire’s advertisement lacked information It should be noted that Mornington Peninsula Shire Council had a full page ad in this newspaper only a few days before the free green waste weekend (News dumped, Letters 12/3/24). This ad raved on about all the services the shire had to offer and all that it was doing, but not a hint of the approaching “freebie”. The council never mentioned its previous free weekend either, so I’ve been monitoring its home page on the internet ever since.The lack of the normal traffic congestion made it easy to get to the check-in point but you…
LATE-career painter Stewart Westle, from Red Hill, is holding an exhibition of 45 of his works at Manyung Gallery’s art and design studio in Progress Street, Mornington.Westle’s work features a series of panoramas from Flinders to Sorrento, with one painting composed of 10 works over almost 15 metres. The exhibition, Sail With Me, will run for 12 days from Saturday 16 March, and can be viewed 11am to 4pm Tuesday to Friday. Details: manyunggallery.com.au First published in the Mornington News – 12th March 2024
Frankston Sexual Offences & Child Abuse Investigation Team detectives have arrested and charged a male in relation to four alleged separate sexual assault incidents, across the Mornington Peninsula, during January and February. The first incident occurred on The Boulevard in Somers on 22 January about 10.30am. The second incident occurred on Tasman Road in Somers on 31 January about 6.10pm. The third incident occurred on Peterson Street in Crib Point on 1 February about 5pm. The fourth incident occurred on Sandy Point Road in Balnarring on 13 February about 5pm. In each of the incidents it is alleged the male…
OAKHILL Gallery, Mornington, has a new micro residency program that is giving artists an opportunity to engage with gallery visitors and increase their exposure.Artists are offered week-long free use of the space to exhibit their works and work on site, as well as chat and meet members of the public and other artists. County Court illustrator Fay Plamka – who works in a range of mediums – was at the gallery last week to start the program. She will be followed by different artists each week until early May.Members of the public can visit to say hello and view works…
POLICE have charged a man with weapons offences after allegedly locating three firearms in a vehicle with stolen number plates in Frankston South.Frankston police were conducting routine patrols as part of Operation Trinity when they observed a Volkswagen Golf sedan parked on Frankston-Flinders Road just before 2am on Friday 8 March. Checks identified the licence plates as being stolen and the male driver, 34, was arrested at the scene.During a search of the vehicle, police allegedly uncovered three pistols and ammunition in the rear footwell.It will be alleged one of the pistols was home made, another had been 3D printed…
A FREE legal information session covering two of the most common legal issues affecting older people – wills and power of attorney – will be held at Safety Beach on Wednesday 20 March.Co-hosted by the Respecting Seniors Network, Peninsula Community Legal Centre and the Mornington Peninsula Shire Council, the session will include guest speakers talking about the tips and traps of planning for decision making as people age. They will also talk about how to protect older people’s rights and assets, as well as how to ensure that a person’s wishes are respected at a time when they are at…
CAMPAIGNERS calling for upgrades to Rosebud Hospital say the state government’s focus on redeveloping Frankston Hospital is short sighted. A rally planned for this Friday (15 March) will put pressure on the government to commit money to upgrading the hospital.Ongoing pressure on the government to repair and upgrade Rosebud Hospital will focus on the catch cry of Frankston Too Far Away to highlight the difficulties for southern peninsula patients to access hospital care. Spokesperson and long-time health worker Sue Gilbert said the nearest major hospital from Rosebud was more than one hour away.“We will not let the government hand ball…
Compiled by Cameron McCullough IT is with deepest regret we learn that ex-Councillor C. Murray, of Somerville, passed away on Thursday morning, at “Marrinook” private hospital, East Melbourne, where he has been hovering between life and death for some time.We feel that we are expressing the feelings of all residents of the shire who were acquainted with the deceased gentleman, when we say how deep the feelings of regret will be.The late Charles Murray, who had been a member of the Shire Council almost continuously since 1904, was a man who did not intrude himself unnecessarily on the Council by…
McKenzie’s colleagues not in the same class Soon after Labor’s Jodie Belyea was declared the winner in the Saturday 2 March Dunkley byelection, the Liberal MP for Flinders Zoe McKenzie congratulated her and posted a picture of the two of them smiling together. Zoe said she “looked forward to working with Jodie”. It was a classy act of generosity towards an opponent and in today’s cut and thrust politics, an admirable gesture.The same, however, cannot be said for Ms McKenzie’s colleagues.They have reacted much as one would expect from a bunch of boorish, born-to-rule dullards. They said that “we are…
By Jane ByrneSANDY beaches, rugged cliffs and the twisting, somewhat haunting Moonah trees are natural features many imagine when they visualise the southern Mornington Peninsula, an area loved by holidaymakers and residents.Not only are coastal moonah woodland areas visually stunning, but they perform an important function. They help stabilise dune systems and prevent erosion caused by climate and sea level changes that threaten our coastal communities. Many of the moonah trees and adjacent vegetation communities are extremely old.With less than eight per cent of its original distribution remaining, coastal moonah woodlands are listed as a threatened community under the Flora…
MORNINGTON Peninsula Regional Gallery has three new exhibitions on display until 12 May. Contemporary art, design and fashion come together in the JamFactory travelling exhibition New Exuberance: Contemporary Australian Textile Design, that celebrates creative collaboration, sustainability and the versatility of textile craft through storytelling and conceptual ideas. There are more than 30 creatives and 10 commissioned works including from Ikuntji Artists, Iordanes Spyridon Gogos, Grace Lillian Lee and Romance Was Born.New Wave 24, is an annual showcase of incredibly talented local VCE and VCE VET students, and an important platform to support our next generation of emerging artists. There is…
A THREE-day Guitar Fest will be held at the Peninsula Beer Garden, Boneo over the 9 to 11 March long weekend.The brainchild of peninsula-based musician Steve Myles, who has spearheaded a program to revive live music on the peninsula and give seasoned and aspiring musicians a platform, the event will feature local, interstate and international guitarists and support musicians.The line-up includes Geoff Achison, blues player Anna Sconti and peninsula-based Ocean Pulse, a group that takes inspiration from vintage surf music and the peninsula’s surf vibe. Myles says the band plays surf music “like Jimi Hendrix”.Frankston-based guitar maker Jim Cargill, whose…
SOUTH East Water’s annual community grants program is now open for groups to apply for up to $10,000 available for community projects.Now in its fifth year, the program has granted more than $320,000 to 66 community groups across Melbourne’s south-east. “Last year we were thrilled to support 16 community groups with a range of community and environmental projects, from emergency food relief and crisis essentials for children entering out-of-home care, to rainwater tanks and recycled water systems, and a cultural meeting place for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students,” South East Water managing director Lara Olsen said.Applications are now open…
PENINSULA Health has joined the lobbying group Committee for Frankston and Mornington Peninsula as a community partner.The membership of the health service comes at the same that the committee “welcome” the state government’s $1.1 billion “investment into Frankston Hospital”. The committee, which said it would continue to lobby “for better health outcomes for our region” works at the hospital would “deliver a multi-storey tower with additional bed capacity, new operating theatres, enhanced mental health and oncology services and expanded maternity and paediatric services”. The committee’s CEO Josh Sinclair said the hospital project was “being delivered under a public-private partnership and…
MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire Council is being accused of not “staying in its lane” after revealing a proposal to charge higher rates for homeowners who do not go solar.Social media pages have been flooded with posts calling the plan “discriminatory” and “unfair”. Under the plan suggested by council officers, ratepayers who do not install new solar panels would pay more to subsidise those who go solar.The council is seeking feedback on its proposal to introduce a 20 per cent rate discount to households that install, replace or upgrade solar systems over 5kw after 1 July. The discount would be applied for…