THE Esplanade through Mount Martha and south past The Pillars has been described as “a death trap” for motorists, cyclists and pedestrians. The issue is not new, with Mornington Peninsula Shire Council and the state government have been debating for years on how to manage traffic and parking on the narrow road around The Pillars and Mount Martha village. The shire last year asked the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning to pay for a study into building a pedestrian boardwalk to The Pillars “based on the outcomes” of a yet-to-be completed report. But Mount Martha resident Andrew Postregna…
Author: Liz Bell
MCCRAE residents are calling for urgent road safety improvements in the main township area, following the death of a pedestrian in Catherine Street last month. The woman, 76, was hit by a car as she walked along the street on 30 December and died that night in hospital. A petition has been started, and around 50 residents attended a public meeting at McCrae on Friday (21 January) to discuss traffic management ideas, including the designation of a McCrae local precinct, and reducing speed limits to stop drivers using local roads as a rat run. One of the organisers, Robyn Galloway,…
EVERYONE loves to be at the beach in summer, but the four-legged friends of some beachgoers are giving authorities and other users a headache. Mornington Peninsula Shire Council is reminding dog owners who come to enjoy the peninsula’s beaches that they must follow the rules surrounding dogs or face being fined. The issues are leading to unrest in some coastal communities, with some dog owners ignoring or misunderstanding the regulations. Sarah Nelson, of Dromana, said she avoided going to her beach at busy times because of the many dogs running around off leash and their owners not picking up dog…
THIS year’s Mornington Peninsula Walk With Women underlines the importance of ovarian cancer research, as participants remembers its founder and welcomes others touched by the disease. The 30-kilometre walk will leave Safety Beach Sailing Club on Sunday 6 February, and a five-kilometre walk that starts at Canterbury Jetty Boat Club, Blairgowrie. Since it began in 2016 with six friends, Walk With Women has grown to more than 200 participants and raised more than $80,000 for vital Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation-financed research. Ovarian cancer has no early detection test, so many cases are advanced when diagnosed and the survival rate remains…
ROSEBUD resident and member of the Lions Club of McCrae and District, Jack Milledge, was recently celebrated for achieving 50 years of service in the organisation. Due to COVID a celebration to recognise Mr Milledge for his work and service to the community was postponed last year until 23 January, when club members and members of the Lions district executive met at the Rye Hotel. Mr Milledge joined Dromana Lions in 1971 and in 1972 transferred to Rosebud where he became the charter president. As Rosebud did not take women as Lions at the time, he transferred to the newly…
THE owners of properties across the Mornington Peninsula impacted by recent heavy rains are demanding Mornington Peninsula Shire Council urgently improve storm water drainage. While storm water drainage comes under complex shared responsibility rules, where councils are responsible for the water between the discharge point, kerb and channel, and the landowner is responsible for their own pipes and drains, residents are not letting the council off the hook. One resident who did not wish to be identified, said her home was flooded and left uninhabitable after storms on 7 January. The woman said it was clear from the extent of…
A PROPOSAL to rezone one of Dromana’s remaining pockets of bushland close to the town has raised concerns about over development and a lack of town-specific planning for growth. Mornington Peninsula Shire Council has advertised the proposed planning amendment C249 to allow a 250-lot subdivision on a bushland triangle of land on the corner of Boundary and Collins roads. Planning documents reveal the proposal will require vegetation removal on the treed allotment, with the land to be rezoned from low density residential to neighbourhood residential zone, and the environmental significance overlay to be removed. Many Dromana residents have warned council…
CONNOR Sahaley has returned to his roots to complete two gruelling fundraising challenges for the ‘It’s Okay, Not to Be Okay’ charity. The 22-year-old, who has had his own mental health challenges, including the loss of a Red Hill business during COVID-19 lockdowns, has also known many in his peer group who have struggled with issues of self-esteem, identity and life in general. Knowing that he wanted to help, Mr Sahaley has been focused on raising money to help reach others struggling with the pressures of life and uncertain times. Mr Sahaley says he found his level of self-awareness and…
COMMERCIAL fisherman Neville Hutchins is fast approaching his 70th birthday, but retirement is not in his sights despite facing the loss of his netting licence in March. He is so entrenched is his routine of throwing out the nets every evening at dusk and offering his catch for sale at Fisherman’s Beach, Mornington that he couldn’t contemplate taking the six-figure payout – rumoured to be at least $500,000 – offered when the state government began its phase out of commercial net fishing in 2018. Instead, he stayed on to do what he loves and knows best, well aware that the…
THE Hastings SeafarersCentre is calling for help to rebuild its headquarters and have enough money to enable it to continue its work supporting ships’ crews. Heavy rain and storms on Friday 7 January damaged the roof of the group’s Bayview Road building, causing the water-logged ceiling to collapse. The building is now uninhabitable and the volunteers who are dedicated to supporting ship crews when they come into Western Port need a helping hand. Branch chairman Geoff Connelly said the repairs to the building would cost thousands of dollars, and there was an urgent and ongoing need to be ready to…
FARMERS forced to destroy thousands of dollars of crops because of labour shortages are warning that prices will rise as vegetable growers rethink their business models and scale down. In a scene familiar in agricultural regions across the state, Mornington Peninsula farmers are ploughing crops into the ground because they can’t get enough seasonal workers to harvest them. In Rosebud, fifth generation vegetable farmer John Cochrane was devastated last week after watching $50,000 of broccoli get chopped up and buried. Because of isolation requirements, only a handful of his seasonal workers were available for harvesting after 13 were impacted by…
THE state government says it will take a ‘’strategic’’ and ‘’evidence-based approach’’ to tackle speeding issues on Mornington Peninsula roads. The Transport Department’s “plan” was outlined following calls to lower speed limits on Frankston-Flinders Road and improve safety in accident hot spots. Works are now underway to reduce the speed limit from 60kph to 50kph along a section of Frankston-Flinders Road between Hurley Court and Station Street, near Stumpy Gully Road. However, despite repeated requests from resident groups and Mornington Peninsula Shire, Cr David Gill said there were no plans for further interventions along the busy road. A Department of…
PENINSULA Health has enacted its own code brown in line with the state government’s emergency alert to relieve pressure on the hospital system. From Wednesday January 19, Peninsula Health has been able to redeploy workers to areas of greatest need, postpone leave to boost staffing numbers and redistribute resources to ensure critical patients are prioritised. It can also call on Australian Defence Force personnel for help and to drive ambulances. Peninsula Health’s acting executive director medical services, Dr Chris Bowen, said the organisation was managing the pressure on its health system, but was asking the community to keep COVID-safe as…
FLINDERS Community Association has stepped up its Save Flinders Pier campaign over summer and is towing a mobile promotional trailer through holiday destinations along the Mornington Peninsula. The Save Flinders Pier trailer with the iconic weedy seadragon pictured on the side has already attracted public attention in Rosebud, Rye and Red Hill; with Sorrento and Portsea next on the list. Association spokesperson Charles Reis said the intention of the trailer was to raise awareness. He said the group is encouraging holiday-makers from other parts of the peninsula to visit the Flinders pier over summer to assess its condition for themselves.…
“VIRTUAL fencing” designed to stop wild animals crossing in front of vehicles is about to be trialled along a two-kilometre section of a “hot spot” road in Boneo. Mornington Peninsula Shire has been working with the community, specifically the Mornington Peninsula Wildlife Action Group and Greens Bush Association and has already bought virtual fencing for the trial. The technology uses audio and visual alarms to deter wildlife from crossing the road when vehicles are passing. It is triggered by approaching headlights and creates a virtual barrier of sound and light. Victoria Carter, of the wildlife action group, applauded the shire’s…
RECREATION Aviation Australia is investigating an incident at Tyabb Airport on Thursday afternoon, when strong wind is being blamed for blowing a light aircraft off the runway. Neither the trainee pilot nor the instructor was injured when the aircraft came off the runway on landing. A report on the incident will be made by the RVA and Peninsula Aero Club. Club president Jack Vevers said televised media reports of the incident were surprising, given the plane had already landed safely and no one was injured. The two people helped from the damaged aircraft before emergency services arrived were later checked…
ADVOCATES of protecting the Mornington Peninsula’s green spaces are celebrating a significant step forward in their fight for green wedge protection. In a pre-Christmas announcement, Planning Minister Richard Wynne authorised the shire’s proposed Planning Scheme Amendment C270morn to rezone 10 parcels of land – seven of which are outside the urban growth boundary – from special use to green wedge or public conservation and resource zone. A council statement said the rezoning aimed to protect the shire’s highly valued open spaces from development, resolve anomalies in the planning scheme, and ensure the zoning of the sites “reflects their intended use…
BALNARRING resident Valda Angus says there is no secret to her longevity: It is simply a lucky trifecta of a positive attitude, a happy marriage of seven decades, and having “the best daughter in the world”. Ms Angus, 100, now lives with her daughter Gayle Anderson, but for 69 years lived with her husband Victor in Frankston, after buying a block of land after the war and building their home. Their marriage was a love story that started after a trip to the old Frankston carnival and then a meeting at the Frankston railway gates, where they were instantly smitten…
MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire says it is investigating ways of improving disability access and has now rolled out wheelchair-friendly beach matting at Mount Martha and Sorrento. The mayor Cr Anthony Marsh said improving disability access to shire beaches was the focus of January, with beach matting also being rolled out later this month at Mothers Beach, Mornington, and next to the piers at Rosebud and Rye. But disability advocates say there is a “fundamental accessibility problem in the region” and more needs to be done. One parent whose three-year-old who uses a wheelchair said the shire had been slow to act…
A LARGE council-commissioned mural in Mornington’s Main Street has been painted over and will be replaced because it too closely resembled work by a European artist. Mornington Peninsula Shire Council paid $5000 for the mural as part of its graffiti prevention project around Mornington and Hastings. Council representatives and the commissioning artist Adrian Boyle unveiled the mural on 20 December, but the council was later told that Portrait of a Local Fisherman was too similar to a street mural in Switzerland. That information led to the mural being covered up and later painted over. The council’s community activation manager, Natasha…
THE COVID crisis is escalating on the Mornington Peninsula as the population swells over summer and the health system buckles under enormous strain. Staff shortages at Peninsula Health and rising COVID-19 cases in Frankston and on the peninsula threatens to cripple the health system, with health workers struggling to keep up with demand and reports that up to 40 per cent of nurses have resigned. There are reports from staff that ambulances are being forced to divert patients away from Frankston Hospital and some are having to “ramp” for long periods while they wait for confirmation of where patients can…
DESPITE his modesty and unassuming demeanour, Mornington Peninsula-based swimmer Chris Yencken is something of a legend in swim circles. At 66 and boasting a level of fitness many men half his age would envy, the retired banker is gearing up for his 36th Portsea Swim Classic, an event he has participated in every year since its inception in the 1980s. Yencken first took to the sport of swimming at three, when his mum enrolled him in swimming lessons at Sorrento baths. He has barely spent one day out of the water since and is now a regular competitor at swim…
THE unexpected death of one of Mount Eliza’s most loved residents, Percy the peacock, has elicited an outpouring of grief from residents who knew and loved him. Expressions of sadness and anecdotes about Percy, right, and his local travels flooded local Facebook pages this week as news spread that he was found on Thursday (16 December) with injuries so severe he had to be euthanised by a vet on the following Monday. It is believed he was hit by a car and sought sanctuary in long grass until found by residents concerned that he had not been seen for four…
IT’S been a life punctuated by parental and societal abandonment, cruelty and betrayal, near-death experiences and fragmented relationships, yet Mornington’s Klaas Kalma’s glass remains “half full”. Surprisingly, none of the obstacles have stopped the feisty survivor from living life to the full, and now, at 77, Kalma gives readers another glimpse into his fascinating life story in his second novel, Distant Echoes. Part auto-biographical, part fiction, the book follows on from his 2011 novel, Creeping Shadows, to tell more of the life story of Jobe, a likeable larrikin born in war-torn Holland at the start of WWII, who then faces…
THE Frankston-based Peninsula Community Legal Centre has welcomed the support of high-profile domestic violence campaigner Rosie Batty in the fight to stop funding cuts that could cripple the service and the community. The legal service has helped thousands of low-income clients to access free legal advice and representation every year since opening 40 years ago, with the majority of clients seeking help with family law and domestic violence-related matters. The centre’s chief executive officer Jackie Galloway said domestic violence was a “scourge” on the Frankston community, and free legal help for those affected was essential to keep them safe, housed…
MORNINGTON Peninsula horticulturalist Lisa Brassington knows that crops and ducks sometimes don’t mix, but the crafty inventor has come up with a simple solution to the problem that leaves both unharmed. Ms Brassington, who works at Peninsula Fresh Organics in Baxter, has spent the past three years watching ducks shift from foraging for insects to organic leafy green produce as they take advantage of what she calls “the best buffet in Baxter”. Wanting a solution that would save crops without hurting the ducks, she combined her education in rural planning and physics with her love of farming to come up…
THIS year’s six-week team challenge at Mt Eliza Bowls Club attracted 26 teams, up from 10 when the competition began last year. Coordinator Gordon Sanders said residents had embraced the idea of competing in 45-minute games, which allowed friends and families to enjoy the social and competitive side of the game, even with little former experience. He said the club had recently installed two synthetic greens with lights, and started the challenge to recruit players and make the most of the warmer days and evenings while they lasted. “We got 26 teams this year, which meant more than 100 non-bowlers…
HOMEOWNERS in Mt Eliza’s prestigious Ranelagh Estate have defended their rights to embrace modern architecture in the wake of claims that new developments are changing the character of the 1920s “garden estate”. Their claims come in the wake of protests from a group opposed to what it calls “inappropriate” development. The Ranelagh Residents Association and several other property owners have appealed to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) against a planning application for a two-storey house in Rendlesham Av. The association, led by architect Victoria Grounds, is trying to retain what it says is the estate’s unique neighbourhood character.…
PRESSURE is mounting to stop demolition of the iconic building that once housed Manyung Gallery in Mt Eliza. More than 400 people signed a petition in just three days to prevent the loss of the building. Mornington Peninsula Shire Council has approved plans to turn the Nepean Highway site into a childcare centre, but demolition orders were put on hold until 31 March after the owner of neighbouring Licciardo’s Bar and Grill, Rob Licciardo, took the matter to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal. Archaeologist and Mt Eliza resident, Peter Jupp, who organised the petition, said the building should be…
LAST year’s protests which forced Mornington Peninsula Shire to scrap its plans for a concrete footpath in Somers has prompted talk of a new community supergroup to represent residents in the seaside township. While the Somers Village Community Association (SVCA) had a minor win at the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal last year when the council’s case was rejected, the battle is not over, as council prepares to pursue another footpath scheme. Somers Residents Association (SRA) president Gerry Lewis, whose group supported the council’s proposal to build the concrete paths, said residents needed to “work together”. Plans to build a…