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…
Author: MP News Group
SEA scouts from across the Mornington Peninsula will gather in Mornington this Sunday (18 February) as 2nd Mornington Sea Scouts hosts its inaugural carnival day at Scouts Beach. Group leader Dan Power said the day would be packed with water and beach activities and would be a great chance for sea scouts to show their skills on a family-friendly day out. “Our beach carnival will include a number of events – canoe and kayak regattas, beach activities, including beach sprints, obstacle course, sandcastle battle, wading, and more. Each of these activities will be run in rounds via a knockout system…
A PANAMANIAN-flagged liquid petroleum gas tanker that lost its propellor in Bass Strait was forced to anchor for several days until emergency vessels could tow it to Flinders. The Australian Maritime Safety Authority has confirmed that the LPG tanker Bougainville lost propulsion on 2 February during pre-arrival main engine testing, and was later found to have lost its propeller. The vessel was then forced to anchor near Phillip Island in Bass Strait until emergency vessels arrived on 5 February to tow it to Flinders. An AMSA spokesperson said the authority was “satisfied that the crew was safe, and that the…
PARKS Victoria is digging up the past at Cape Schanck and giving visitors the chance to see an archaeological dig in action. This weekend’s open day will provide an insight into archaeology at Cape Schanck’s historic light station. Over the past three summers, a dig by the Cape Schanck Archaeological Field School has explored the hidden history of the light station and given student archaeologists the chance to do field work at a place steeped in Aboriginal and post-colonial heritage. “The dig has given archaeology students a rare opportunity to participate in the excavation of a significant site and learn…
A NEW breast imaging suite at Frankston Hospital has been named after the former MP for Dunkley, the late Peta Murphy, who died from cancer last December. The Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan today joined Murphy’s family at the opening of the Peta Murphy Breast Imaging Suite on Saturday 3 February. “Peta took great pride in the Labor Party’s role in the story of Australia’s public health system. It is so fitting that this wonderful addition bears her name,” Albanese said. “Thanks to Peta’s advocacy, the women of Dunkley have a new quality service close to…
MAREE Feutrill was last month made CEO Saltbush Balnarring Beach, a not-for-profit group that provides respite holiday accommodation to families in need and parents with children who have disabilities. Her appointment follows the resignation of Rachel Connor who had been with the organisation for a decade. Feutrill joins Saltbush after spending four years working with remote Indigenous communities in the Northern Territory developing preventative health programs. She is the former area manager for YMCA Camping, and previously led Camp Manyung at Mount Eliza for two decades where she specialised in camping and outdoor education for people with disabilities, culturally and…
THE Liberal Party has promised to spend $900 million to electrify the rail link from Frankston to Baxter if it wins government. Opposition leader Peter Dutton made the pledge in Frankston on Friday as part of the campaign by the Liberal Party’s Dunkley by-election candidate, Frankston mayor Nathan Conroy. The planned electrification and duplication of the Stony Point line from Frankston to Baxter was abandoned by the federal government after an infrastructure review last year. A business case has estimated it would cost $1.5 billion to electrify and duplicate the train line to Baxter. Dutton said having diesel trains running…
A FURORE over foreshore access has highlighted the divide between conservation and public right of use. A recent decision by the foreshore committee at Capel Sound to prevent “goat tracks” being used for people to access the beach has upset some nearby residents. Eighty-two-year-old Darryl Donaldson, who lives on Point Nepean Road, said he and a few neighbours had come to enjoy immediate access to the beach for “decades” by using tracks through the bush. He did not believe the tracks were causing any damage to the delicate coastal bush environment, where they had existed for up to 50 years.…
A FRESH push for the decommissioned water reservoir in Kunyung Road Mount Eliza to be protected from development and kept as community space has begun in the lead up to the Dunkley by-election. Mornington MP Chris Crewther, shadow minister James Newbury, South Eastern Centre for Sustainability president Steve Karakitsos and Ian Morrison, of Mount Eliza, visited the site on Tuesday 23 January. The MP and candidate had earlier inspected the Beleura cliff path at Mornington which has been closed because of landslides (‘Spy cameras’ on wrong track, The News 30/1/24). The South East Water reservoir land has been handed to…
A teenaged motorcyclist has been arrested after allegedly clocking speeds of up to 160km/h while evading police on the Mornington Peninsula last week, before posting the vision to social media. Police were travelling on the Mornington Peninsula Freeway at Dromana on Monday 28 January, when they observed a motorcycle with its licence plates concealed, about 1pm. It will be alleged the motorcycle was ridden only on its rear tyre before accelerating at high speeds. Police attempted to stop the rider in McCrae a short time later, however, he allegedly rode off at 160km/h, and began weaving through heavy traffic. It…
THE Southern Peninsula Angling Club is out to lure new members. “We’re a family friendly club that encourages and practices responsible fishing. It is open to people of all ages,” treasurer Alain Gaspard said. The club meets once a month and potential members can attend three general meetings before deciding whether they would like to join. “Our meeting consists of fishing reports, raffles, competitions’ reports, events, and financial report,” Gaspard said. Guest speakers cover such topics as water safety, baits, tackle and rigs targeting snapper, whiting, salmon and gummy shark. The club’s 65 members – men, women and children -…
THE Disabled Surfers Association Mornington Peninsula’s first beach day of the year saw 156 surfers and more than 300 volunteers at Pt Leo on 20 January. Since 2012, DSAMP has been fulfilling its mission to put “smiles on dials” by offering safe, accessible and fun surfing experiences to surfers of all disabilities. Established by Gary Blaschke in 1986, the Disabled Surfers Association of Australia now has more than 19 chapters in Australia and one in New Zealand. “In the 12 years since we started, we have watched our events continue to grow,” DSAMP president Pea Saunders said. “There’s a fantastic…
NO MATTER if she is near or far from home, 21-year-old Kristin Blight is willing to jump on the truck when the need arises. Following in the footsteps of her dad, Blight is a Rosebud firefighter who came up through the Boneo junior ranks. From June to September 2023, her CFA volunteerism stretched even further when she headed to Mount Buller for the snow season and had the opportunity to join the local brigade while working there. “Shortly after I arrived at Mount Buller for the season, Commander Paul Scragg was doing a walk through our building with the brigade…
PENINSULA Health’s call for the community to participate in its FEB 50 Challenge to raise money for Rosebud Hospital was answered loud and clear when it kicked off last Thursday (1 February). The FEB 50 Challenge encourages participants to walk, run, ride or choose the activity they prefer to complete 50 kilometres in February. The campaign started last week with a Peninsula Health-coordinated five kilometre walk from Rosebud Hospital to Rosebud pier and back. Rosebud Hospital is part of Peninsula Health, the major public health service providing healthcare for Frankston and the Mornington Peninsula. The hospital has one acute and…
GARDENERS are being urged to use wildlife-friendly netting when trying to protect their backyard crops, as wildlife carers and authorities report a spike in animal injuries and deaths from entanglements over summer. The Conservation Regulator has issued a warning about the dangers illegal netting poses to native wildlife, such as birds, bats, and possums, and are reminding household growers that they must use safe, compliant (preferably white) fruit netting with mesh no bigger than 5mm by 5mm. Users of illegal netting face on-the-spot fines of $384 while sellers can be fined $769. First published in the Mornington News – 6…
COMMUNITY group Peninsula Voice is holding a public meeting to discuss the detrimental effects and ways of combating climate change. “Worldwide, there is significant concern and confusion about climate change. On the Mornington Peninsula, we’re seeing changes in our climate and our natural environment impacting our health and wellbeing,” Peninsula Voice convenor Peter Orton said. “Coastal erosion is really just the tip of the iceberg. We’re naturally worried about how the peninsula is being impacted, and we also want action before it’s too late.” Orton said temperatures in Victoria had risen 1.2 degrees Celsius since 1910, cool season rainfall had…
Permit required It was an interesting exercise recently as to how to put on a community event locally. After calling Mornington Peninsula Shire, I discovered that to run an event in one of our parks, which I’ll add here, that our parks belong to all Victorians to enjoy, I would need to require a permit if the event held more than 50 people. The permit base rate would cost me $1100 that would be paid to our shire. For this base rate I could acquire a food van for the people enjoying the park, after that, the permit price increases…
Police have resumed their search this morning for a man missing in waters off a beach near Rye. Emergency services were called to the area off Browns Road and Tasman Drive yesterday after reports three people were swimming when they got caught in a rip about 7pm. A man and a woman, aged in their 20’s made it to shore while a 20-year-old Cranbourne man remains unaccounted for. A search of the area has been initiated with the assistance of Air Wing, Water Police and SES units. High winds and strong swells are making the search difficult for rescue crews…
The Water Police Squad will have a new eye on hoons as they team up with local officers to crack down on poor jet ski behaviour on the Mornington Peninsula this summer. Every Water Police Squad member is now equipped with a body worn camera to record video and audio of jet ski incidents and interactions with vessel operators. The squad has been issued with specialised custom-made lifejackets that include mounting points to easily attach the devices while out on the water, marking a first for Victoria Police. Body worn cameras not only improve community and police safety but enhance…
ORGANISERS of the Rosebud Hospital rally on Wednesday (24 January) are hoping the large turnout of community members will convince politicians, business entities and philanthropic donors to support the hospital being redeveloped. One of the organisers, Jo Gilbert, said the turnout had been a massive show of support for the hospital and backed the argument for the need to keep it in the local community. “We heard stories from people who have relied on it, and we heard how important it is to the community, we just need the government to listen,” she said. First published in the Southern Peninsula…
FLINDERS Cricket Club will celebrate its 150th birthday on the weekend of 17 and 18 of February with a special round of matches, cocktail party and a family day. Mornington Cricket Club is the only club on the Mornington Peninsula that can boast about being older, having been founded in 1863. On Saturday, the seniors will be at home for the second match of the day with longtime adversary Balnarring. During the evening teams of six decades will be announced, culminating in the unveiling of a champion team. Flinders Cricket Club owes it origins to the Eastern Extension Cable Company,…
NOW in its 45th year Rye Tennis Club held its annual Australia Day competition over the long weekend. For a small club Rye attracts 210 players from 238 entries that play in 18 events over 289 matches. Requiring Dromana Tennis Club to assist with a second venue. President Heather Kingston thanked tournament sponsors After- Care Rosebud, Community Bank Southern Peninsula and Prentice Real Estate for their ongoing support. Head coach and tournament director Aaron Leeder-Chard said that the “tournament ran smoothly with great weather and players of a high standard”. He also thanked the committee for their organizational skills which…
A man has died following a collision in Mount Martha earlier this month. Emergency services were called to reports a Lexus station wagon and a Suzuki sedan collided on Nepean Highway about 1.15pm on 9 January. The driver of the Suzuki, an 88-year-old Safety Beach man, was taken to hospital where he died on 28 January. The driver of the Lexus, a 73-year-old Mount Martha man, was taken to hospital for observation. He stopped at the scene and assisted police with their enquiries. Anyone who witnessed the collision, with dashcam footage or information that could assist investigators is urged to…
TWO of the candidates for the Saturday 2 March Dunkley byelection will speak at the next breakfast meeting of the Committee for Frankston and Mornington Peninsula on Thursday 1 February. The meeting from 7.30am at Commonfolk Mornington will be the second breakfast meeting for the newly merged group, which provides “strategic leadership, advocacy and influence to help attract government support and investment in the regions”. The two Dunkley candidates are Labor’s Jodie Belyea and Liberal Nathan Conroy, the mayor of Frankston. CEO Josh Sinclair said the committee’s new not-for-profit member, Fusion Mornington Peninsula, will make a presentation about youth homelessness…
FOR 10 days earlier this month it seemed there was no limit to the heights Vicki Sullivan’s art would reach. Tucked safely in a time capsule aboard a lander being carried upwards by a Vulcan rocket, the digitised artworks seemed destined to be among the first to land on the Moon. However, although Sullivan’s works made it into space, they also made it back to a fiery end on re-entering Earth’s atmosphere over the Pacific Ocean. Technical problems saw the Astrobotic’s Peregrine Mission 1 rocket launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida with the Artists on the Moon or Annex 9, exhibition…
MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire Council has recognised some of its most outstanding citizens and groups at the 2024 Australia Day local awards ceremony. Nancy-Joy Gardner was chosen as Citizen of the Year for her commitment to road safety over the past 25 years. Her nominator says, “Auntie Nance”, as she is often referred to, was someone who “shakes up her community and is a force to be reckoned with”, someone who “knows how to make events happen and get people involved”. Gardner has run road safety programs on the peninsula and south east Melbourne for 30 years with Wiser Driver Programs.…
THE passing of another Australia Day public holiday on Friday 26 January was marked across the Mornington Peninsula by private gatherings of friends, backyard barbecues and a few flag raising ceremonies, but none specifically held by Mornington Peninsula Shire. However, flags were raised at events part-sponsored by the shire. The shire held an afternoon invitation-only citizenship ceremony in Rosebud’s Memorial Hall. At Hastings, the national flag was flown at half-mast during a Change the Date event, although not at the direction of the event’s organisers, the Willum Warrain Aboriginal Association. “Aboriginal community members and non-Indigenous allies advocated for an alternative…
Shame on councillors who backed Potter show As the secretary and active member of the Mornington Peninsula Schools Environment Week for many years, I would like to add my expression of alarm and absolute amazement at Mornington Peninsula Shire Council’s recent deal with Warner Brother’s Harry Potter Show at The Briars. The current shire councillors have totally disregarded the claim to be an environmentally sensitive council and certainly lack credibility now when it comes to promoting the peninsula as an environmental model in Victoria. What were they thinking when they signed this secret agreement? It has to be related to…
A PRELIMINARY report into an accident between two jet trainer aircraft over Port Phillip, off the coast of Mount Martha, has noted the wings of the aircraft collided during a mid-air manouvre. On 19 November 2023, a pair of SIAI Marchetti S-211 aircraft were conducting an aerobatic formation filming flight when they came into contact, with one of the two aircraft then crashing into the water below, fatally injuring both occupants. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau has released the preliminary report which provides factual information from the early evidence gathering phase of the “no blame” transport safety investigation, ATSB chief…
MORNINGTON Racecourse is getting a facelift thanks to a financial partnership to add a new sand track, veterinary room with swab boxes and upgraded track lighting. The state government has committed $478,000 towards the works, with Racing Victoria contributing $373,645, and Melbourne Racing Club $104,800. The work is expected to improve safety for veterinary staff, trainers and horses, and will help meet the growing demand and better support training activities. Eastern Victoria MP Tom McIntosh said the sand track will create 10 new local jobs during construction and help Melbourne Racing Club meet growing demand for training facilities at the…