Author: MP News Group
MISSING dogs are not an unusual occurrence on the Mornington Peninsula, as any look at local social media attests to. But some pull at the heart strings more than others.The case of lost dog Fifi has another layer of sadness, with the pooches’ owner Nicole Kenyon finding out about the dog’s escape on 14 June, when she was stuck in hospital for several weeks and helplessly unable to do anything. Kenyon had placed her beloved Maltese x Shitzu dog in the hands of a dog minder, but as often happens when dogs miss their human, the 11-year-old pet escaped an…
‘Ecological disaster’ unless cats are controlled The suburbs of Melbourne that have none of the many species of birds once common in Blairgowrie have arrived on the Mornington Peninsula. Where have they gone? Killed by cats (Dumping a problem for cats and wildlife, The News 6/2/24). There is a golf course estate in a neighbouring municipality where cats are banned. It has become a haven for many species of birds, and it is not unusual to see bandicoots and other animals in broad daylight. Cats hunt day and night and kill for food or to satisfy an instinct. The peninsula…
LACHLAN Vize, of McCrae, is making waves in windsurfing and wing foiling, having recently returned from the Windsurfer World Titles held in Perth, where he won the male youth title and came fourth out of a fleet of 250 boards in the slalom. He competed against local and international sailors in the light weight division slalom event and a marathon. His placing in the youth division means he also won a scholarship to help pay his way to the next windsurfer world titles. Vize also represented Australia late last year at the Pacific Games where he won silver and bronze…
THREE probationary drivers had their vehicles impounded and were fined after being filmed by a drone hoon driving in Mornington on Wednesday 21 February. The trio, a 20-year-old male and a 19-year-old male from Frankston, and a 20-year-old male from Langwarrin, were arrested when Somerville Highway Patrol responded to complaints of hoon driving in Milgate Drive, Mornington. With the assistance of the police drone operated by Mornington police, the three were caught on camera performing burnouts. All vehicles were impounded on the spot for 30 days, with two of the vehicles issued defect notices. The men will be charged on…
LAST week’s dry, hot weather sparked a number of grass fires across the Mornington Peninsula and kept fire brigades on alert. A grass fire in Duells Road, Rosebud, on Wednesday (21 February) saw emergency crews from Fire Rescue Victoria join CFA brigades from Boneo and Rosebud to bring it under control. There were also scrub fires on the Mornington Peninsula Freeway between Lonsdale Street and McCulloch Street, Rosebud, with other fires along the freeway rumoured to have been caused by sparks from a vehicle. Others, including one near Devilbend Reserve at Teurong, were caused by dry grass igniting in the…
ONE of Australia’s favourite sporting heroes, John Bertrand AO, who skippered Australia II to victory in the 1983 America’s Cup, will be guest speaker at the Mornington Yacht Club’s foundation business lunch on Friday 5 April. The win etched Bertrand’s name into sporting history, ending 132 years of American supremacy in the prestigious sailing race, and giving Australia its only win in the event’s history. The now 77-year-old went on to represent Australia in five America’s Cups, 1970, 1974, 1980, 1983 and 1995, and two Olympic Games, Munich 1972 and Montreal 1976, winning bronze in Montreal in the Finn class.…
GRADE 5 students at Moorooduc Primary School are getting the opportunity to write, illustrate and publish their own book with the help of a published author. The students’ brief is to create and publish a children’s story that inspires others to make the world a better place. Mornington-based writer Jane Ting, author of the Zac’s Happy Planet children’s picture books, will help guide students through the creative writing process. “I want to give students an insight into the whole publishing process, so they have a real insight into children’s picture book publishing,” she said. “Their goal is to create a…
Frankston Sexual Offences & Child Abuse Investigation Team detectives are investigating four separate sexual assault incidents, across the Mornington Peninsula, during January and February. It is understood an unknown offender was riding his bike when he approached four women at separate locations and struck them on the backside. 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…
More than two years after a couple were assaulted in their Mornington home detectives are making a renewed appeal for information as they reignite the investigation. Mornington Peninsula Crime Investigation Unit detectives have today released computer generated images of two men in the hope it will assist the investigation, following the aggravated burglary at a Grange Road home on Thursday 16 September 2021. Detectives have been told an offender forced his way into the home, armed with a firearm, and threatened the two residents sometime between 4-5am. A physical altercation ensured before the offender stole a mobile phone and fled…
By Josh Sinclair* AS many of us enjoyed our summer holiday, a small parcel of reclaimed land inside Western Port made national headlines. Situated between a major steel manufacturer and the Long Island Point gas plant is the reclaimed land foreshadowed by the state government as the home to the Victorian Renewable Energy Terminal. The federal government’s recent intervention to halt the project has created uncertainty for the region and the offshore wind industry. However, given the sensitive environmental and biodiversity concerns of a Ramsar listed wetlands, it’s important these matters are handled delicately and with great care for our…
Moorabbin Crime Investigation Unit investigators have charged a teenager following a collision involving an allegedly stolen vehicle in Chelsea yesterday evening. The vehicle was allegedly spotted driving erratically in Carrum about 6.40pm, before being involved in a collision with two other vehicles at the intersection of Nepean Highway and Maury Street. It is alleged the male driver ran from the scene and was arrested by police nearby, with assistance from an off-duty member who was in one of the other vehicles. He was taken to hospital under police guard. The 16-year-old Mornington boy has been charged with three counts of…
OBITUARY Carl Robert Bryant 22 September 1928 – 13 November 2023 Carl Bryant was born in Hastings and was a descendant of three pioneering Western Port families: the Bryants, the Barclays and the Graydens. He passed away on 13 November 2023 in The Bays, Hastings where he had been a resident for several months. He was 95. In accordance with Carl’s wishes, no funeral service was held but he was interred in the Tyabb cemetery, Hastings, on 21 November. This tribute is based on information provided by his daughter, Jenny. *** Carl Robert Bryant was born at the family home…
Somerville Highway Patrol are investigating a fatal collision which occurred in Tootgarook Tuesday (20 February) morning. It is believed a Holden Commodore was travelling along Truemans Road when the driver crashed into a bin and then collided with a Holden Cruze at the intersection of Bona Street about 10.30am. The driver of the Holden Commodore, a 61-year-old Narre Warren man, died at the scene. The passenger of the Holden Cruze, a 58-year-old Tootgarook woman, sustained minor injuries and went to hospital for treatment. The driver of the vehicle, a 65-year-old Tootgarook woman, sustained minor injuries but did not require hospital…
The teenage driver of a stolen car, who has been linked to a number of aggravated burglaries, has been arrested by police after he crashed into a number of vehicles in Chelsea yesterday. Police first became aware of the stolen vehicle following reports to Triple Zero (000) that a car was driving erratically in Carrum about 6.40pm. Officers on patrol were making their way to the area when they received reports of a collision at the intersection of Nepean Highway and Maury Street shortly after. It is believed the driver of the stolen car was travelling north on Nepean Highway…
Trust: easily lost, hard to regain The relocation of the Harry Potter Experience to a less sensitive location at The Briars will come as a great relief to those who pressured Mornington Peninsula Shire Council to reconsider its decision. A new ecological report for this community forest (dog walking park) will be published on the shire website soon. This new location is 500 metres from the nearest point of the wildlife sanctuary and, we are told, will have minimal effect on the fauna and flora. CEO John Baker acknowledged that the community backlash definitely influenced this decision to change the…
SORRENTO SES unit was dealt a blow last week when thieves stole the unit’s ATV and trailer from its locked compound early Monday 12 February. The ATV’s registration number is 1LT1RD and the trailer’s is Y3119. Unit spokesperson Max Daw said they had CCTV footage and were disappointed that someone would target a volunteer organisation. “I was gutted, I came in and knew something was wrong, something had happened,” he said. “It took about two years to build and get this finished.” First published in the Southern Peninsula News – 20 February 2024
A MORE than 20-year drought has broken for the Rosebud Sea Scouts. Bruce Male was presented with his Queen’s Scout award on Saturday 10 February, the first received by a member of the group since 1999. The presentation made by DRRH Venturer unit leader Sam Blair was the first at the group since 1999. Fewer than five per cent of Venturer scouts aged 15-18 earn the award which involves achieving milestones, completing an adventurous journey, providing community service and leading others to achieve. Male’s achievements included such challenges as a seven-day 100-kilometre mountain hike, leading the only Victorian patrol to…
DREAMWEAVERS, a series of short documentary films about three Mornington Peninsula-based women who have suffered adversity and inspire others, will be screened as part of the Flinders Fringe Festival on Sunday (25 February). The series was made by award winning film makers Heather Forbes-McKeon and photographer for The News, Yanni Dellaportas. Gidja Walker, an ecologist and ethnobotanist who has worked for years protecting Earthscapes, overcame discrimination in a male dominated profession. Walker mentors young women entering the world of nature-based learning and an advocate for traditional owner custodianship. Jacquie Beddows suffered a stroke and aneurysm in 2011, aged 50. While…
THE release of the mainly Aboriginal names for Mornington Peninsula Shire’s 11 wards coincides with public approval being sought to name the “brand new Southern Peninsula Youth Hub in Rosebud”, Tounnin Wominjeka. The shire says it decided to use “traditional owner language” for the name after feedback from young people interacting with its youth services department and consulting with the Bunurong Land Council Aboriginal Corporation (Aboriginal names for $13m youth hub, The News 13/1/24). The land council had suggested three suitable names and the shire had since “engaged” with more than 360 young people, with most voting for Tounnin Wominjeka.…
THE former site of the Blue Moon hardware store in Red Hill is now a centre to exhibit works by emerging and established Mornington Peninsula artists. The temporary space opened last month and will feature a diverse range of works, including paintings, photographs, prints, sculptures, pottery, furniture, jewellery and illustrations. Featured artists include painters Margaret Amond, Mary Schepisi, Charlie and Gee (Gerald) Ryan, Joshua Searle and Michael Leeworthy; photographers Elizabeth Clancy, Oliver Altermatt and Philip Robertson; and sculptors; Jean Sheridan, Amy Leeworthy, Amber Skehan, Emma Cleine, Natalia Milosz-Piekarska and Mark Richardson. The space is managed by volunteers and has no…
Mornington Peninsula Crime Investigation Unit detectives have charged a teen after he was found sleeping in an allegedly stolen vehicle in Sommerville early morning Tuesday 13 February. Officers spotted the allegedly stolen white Nissan station wagon in a carpark on Eramosa Road about 3am. Police approached the vehicle to discover a male youth asleep inside. After gaining access to the vehicle, officers arrested the teen. It is alleged that the Nissan was stolen during a burglary in Clyde yesterday. A 16-year-old Korong Vale boy has been charged with theft of a motor vehicle, burglary and fail to stop vehicle on…
Frankston Sexual Offences & Child Abuse Investigation Team detectives are investigating an incident after a man was masturbating on a beach in Mornington in January. Police were told a man was seen at Mills Beach and engaged in sexual activity in the presence of three females at about 3.45pm on 24 January. Investigators have released a computer-generated image of a man they believe may be able to assist them with their enquiries. He is perceived to be Caucasian, about 50-years-old, with a slim build and grey/brown hair. The man was last seen wearing jeans, a t-shirt, and black shoes. Anyone…
THE SUDDEN influx of white-winged butterflies on the Mornington Peninsula has some people reaching for the insecticide, but experts say there is no need to be alarmed. The white butterfly invasion has been sparked by recent hot weather and the rapid growth of food source for the butterfly larvae and is occurring all over the country. Some gardeners are taking extra precautions to protect their vegie patches, but the butterflies – also known as cabbage moths – won’t be around for long, and provide a source of food for birds. President of the Filed Naturalists Association of Victoria, Max Campbell,…
A BYO picnic with live entertainment in the grounds of St Johns Anglican Church will be the finale at this year’s Flinders Fringe Festival. The entertainment will be headlined by Indigenous singer-songwriter Jess Hitchcock and Kee’Ahn. The community-focussed event will run on Sunday 25 February from midday to 3pm, with tickets at $15 adults and $5 children and concessions. Picnic-goers can take their own food and beverages or buy from the Flinders Pre-School barbecue stall. Curated and produced by Sally Baillieu and a team of volunteers, the fringe finale will start with a welcome to country by Bunurong Land Council,…
IT hadn’t been driven for more than 40 years, but that did not deter the car restoring team at Mornington Men’s Shed from trying to get it back on the road. Three years after acquiring this 1967 MGB, the team has delivered on the task and rebuilt the car and its engine almost from the ground up. President Mark Parritt said about 10 shed members shared their skills and talents to get the car back in shape, with some outside help when special machinery was required. “There are a few of us who have restored cars before, but it’s also…
Shire keeping off the grass Couch grass growing uncontrollably along the Esplanade walk at Mornington where the paid parking trial is underway is almost as tall as a fence. This is just one of many uncontrollable weed patches along this walk. Ratepayers were promised that the paid parking trial was for the upkeep of our foreshore. Really? It certainly proves true that the proof is in the pudding. Mornington Peninsula Shire has made a lot of money from the trial which none of us asked for. The shire is certainly not maintaining anything. The obvious question remains: What exactly is…
By Sarah Russell MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire has a track record of failing to consult ratepayers about important decisions. First, it came for older people who use aged care services. Then it came for our beloved wildlife sanctuary at The Briars. In 2022, councillors voted to outsource aged care services to corporate providers, a decision presented to the local community as a fait accompli. Thousands of vulnerable older people were left without home care – some for several months. Then mayor Cr Anthony Marsh said the council wanted “to ensure our residents had a choice and the advantage of a competitive…