By Michael Harris* WHILE it is fantastic to see David Attenborough add his voice to help save the Flinders pier from demolition, there are other issues regarding the pier and precinct that really need to be addressed. I have worked on Flinders pier since 1993 and Parks Victoria has now recognised me as a “stakeholder”. I have seen a lot of change in the physical entity of the pier and in the shuffling of government departments. If a properly financed maintenance program had been followed, we would not be in the situation where Parks is using the term “demoli-tion” in…
Author: MP News Group
PENINSULA Community Legal Centre’s Street Law project is continuing its mission despite the impact of COVID-19 restrictions and amid concerns its money will dry up at the end of the year. The van delivering free legal services, free coffee and material aid will be back on the road at the end of this month. The Street Law philosophy is to deliver free legal services when and where its clients need them. Discussing legal issues in this environment is comforting to those who, apart from needing legal assistance, have urgent material needs, the project’s street lawyer Joe Oliver said. “The service…
THE number of artists along the Peninsula Studio Trail has almost doubled to 34 during lockdown. Regular open studio weekends and the group’s annual exhibition have been replaced with one online exhibition, which runs until 12 December. While in lockdown the artists have produced a range of works, painting, printmaking, ceramics, drawing and sculpture. Not all the artists have work in the exhibition, but their work can be seen on the website on each artist’s page. All works can be bought directly from the artists through the website. The exhibition is at: peninsulastudiotrailinc.org First published in the Mornington News -…
SOUTHERN Peninsula Community Support CEO Jeremy Maxwell says a “huge thank you” to the Sorrento Boomerang Bags team for its $2000 donation to the centre. The team raises money by hand-making and selling reusable bags with the dual aim of reducing the amount of plastic in the community and raising money for community causes, such as Southern Peninsula Community Support. “These guys have supported us over a number of years and are great contributors to our community,” Mr Maxwell said. “As CEO I find it inspiring to have people who are so committed to helping their community that they find…
MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire is one 13 Australian municipalities certified as a carbon neutral business after meeting the requirements of the Climate Active Carbon Neutral Standard for Organisations. The shire’s carbon neutral policy adopted in 2016 confirmed a commitment to operate with zero net emissions by 2021 and become certified as carbon neutral. Since introducing the policy, the shire’s total emissions have been reduced by about 16,679 tonnes CO2-e, 36 per cent of the previous emissions. “I could not be happier and prouder to share the news that the shire is now operating with zero net emissions, fulfilling our commitment to…
Detectives from the Security Investigation Unit have today charged a man following a fire at a phone tower in Mount Eliza earlier this month. A 44-year-old Mount Eliza man was arrested at his home this morning and subsequently interviewed by police. He has been charged with criminal damage by fire, possess prohibited weapon, possess cannabis, possess drug of dependence, and commit indictable offence whilst on bail. The man will appear at Melbourne Magistrates’ Court this evening. The charges follow an allegedly deliberately lit fire at a phone tower on the Nepean Highway, near the intersection of Sunnyside Road, on Thursday…
FRANKSTON Dolphins FNC and Cranbourne FC will not be playing MPNFL football in 2022. The two clubs had applied to be admitted into the Mornington Peninsula competition. Cranbourne FC have previously tried to join the MPNFL, but have been unsuccessful. Before a meeting of the 22 MPNFL clubs last month, Cranbourne FC withdrew its application. The clubs took a vote on allowing Frankston Dolphins to enter, but the club did not gain enough votes to secure its place. Although a majority of clubs voted to include the Dolphins in the competition, it did not secure the required 75 per cent…
SIX fire trucks and CFA crews from Rosebud and Rye fought a blaze above a shop on Point Nepean Road, Capel Sound, last week. The fire started about 3.30am and caused extensive damage to the two-storey premises, Friday 8 October. Firefighters took an hour to bring it under control. A fire-fighting platform was brought in from Dandenong to check the roof after the fire had been extinguished. FRV Commander Chris Hall said an investigator had been on-site to determine the cause of the fire. First published in the Southern Peninsula News – 12 October 2021
WOMEN wanting to head outdoors, improve their fitness, or who are craving some well-deserved “me” time may enjoy the free Walk 4 Wellbeing – an eight-week focus on recovery, self-care and reconnection that started last Saturday (2 October) and ends Sunday 28 November. Participants will be joined by an online community of like-minded women who are ready to get away from being overwhelmed, recover from the impacts of lockdowns and re-energise for the start of 2022. Women can join the event no matter where they are. Everyone’s journey is different, so participants choose their own experience by selecting their distance…
A SIX-MONTH trial of hand-cleaning beaches – instead of mechanical cleaning – has begun at Mount Eliza, Mount Martha and Rye. Earlier in the year Mornington Peninsula Shire sought feedback from coastal advisory and beach patrol groups about the existing beach cleaning program on how it could improve the process. The shire said an “overwhelming 78 per cent of respondents did not support the mechanical beach cleaning program and 67 per cent said they would prefer a hand cleaning program”. Planning and Infrastructure director Mike McIntosh said the trials, at Moondah Beach, Mount Eliza, South Beach, Mount Martha and at…
MORNINGTON police seized imitation firearms, drugs and cash from a Dromana house last week. They allegedly found $20,000 in cash, two gel blasters, .22 calibre ammunition, and drugs believed to include cannabis, magic mushrooms, LSD, MDMA and others, at the Coleus Street property, 9.05am, Friday 1 October. A 30-year-old man arrested at the scene was charged with 22 offences, including trafficking drugs of dependence, being a prohibited person possessing an imitation firearm, possessing cartridge ammunition, bail offences and negligently dealing with the proceeds of crime. He was remanded to appear at Frankston Magistrates Court yesterday (Monday 4 October). Police said…
A WARRANT has been issued for the arrest of Jake McAuliffe in relation to criminal damage. The 29-year-old, pictured below is known to frequent the Mornington and Frankston areas. He is 180cm tall with a solid build and short, dark hair. Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report online at crimestoppersvic.com.au First published in the Mornington News – 5 October 2021
MORNINGTON Mermaids were tooted, cheered and clapped as they took part in the Olivia Newton-John Wellness Walk last week. Setting off from Lilo Cafe, Mornington, at 11am, wearing masks and socially distanced, they walked along the Esplanade, through Mornington Park and down to the end of the pier, Sunday 26 September. They returned up Main Street to Barkly Street and home to the cafe for a “well-earned coffee”. Organiser Jacky Howcroft said the walk raised more than $300 on the day boosting the online total to more than $2100. “We dressed in different coloured tutus and took along our Mornington…
Police have arrested a man following an alleged sexual assault in Mornington on 14 September. A 36-year-old woman was pushing a pram along a track beside The Esplanade, near Strachans Road shortly after 1.30pm. It’s alleged a man approached and sexually assaulted her. A 29-year-old Pakenham man self-presented at a police station on Friday 1 October and is currently assisting police with their enquiries. Victoria Police News – Monday 4 October 2021
Police are appealing for witnesses after a woman was sexually assaulted in Mornington on 14 September. The 36-year-old woman was pushing a pram along a track beside The Esplanade, near Strachans Road, about 1.37pm. An unknown male approached her and sexually assaulted her. The man then ran off toward Main Street. The man is described as approximately 40-50-years-old, 170-190cm tall with a ruddy complexion. He was wearing a cream baseball cap, blue hooded top, blue t-shirt, black tracksuit pants and runners and appears to have a tattoo on his upper arm. Investigators have released CCTV and images of a man…
DREDGING is about to start at Rye and Sorrento to make sure boats can safely access ramps and piers. The dredging will deepen the channel at Rye and around Sorrento boat ramp’s southern pier. The six weeks allocated by Mornington Peninsula Shire for the works is aimed at minimising the impact on recreational water sport users, as well as taking account of weather conditions and the migration of the spider crabs. An environmental management plan has been developed to minimise impacts on the environment. Sand dredged at Rye and Sorrento will be used to replenish nearby beaches. The shire says…
A REIMAGINED 2021 Seniors Festival will be staged next month. Mornington Peninsula Shire, community, businesses and organisations have put together a COVIDSafe calendar of events complementing a host of online and radio programs through the Victorian Seniors Festival website. Events and offers include a free plant giveaway at The Briars, the workshop Compost Like a Champion at the Eco Living Display Centre, Tai Chi at shire libraries, community choir workshop, and downsizing your home online information sessions. The festival will be launched on the inaugural Australian Ageism Awareness Day: Friday 1 October, coinciding with the UN’s International Day of Older…
TWO COVID-19 education officers have been hired by Mornington Peninsula Shire for six months to help businesses, community groups and event organisers establish COVIDSafe plans and practices. The shire has also partnered with the state government to provide extra resources to help protect customers, staff and members of the public in the pandemic. The officers will help their clients put in place or update COVIDSafe plans as well as provide resources and templates to help with plans and practices. They will also promote safe practices among those in the hospitality industry, at community venues and in small retail settings. Details:…
BENTON Junior College, Mornington, is testing the power of flowers to “bring the community together”. The school’s front fence is being used as a base for a spring flower art installation, named Flower Ville in recognition of the Spoon Ville sites that appeared during 2020. “We chose flowers as a celebration of spring and the uplifting power they have on people,” visual art teacher Michele Marshall said. “We have invited our school community to contribute a homemade flower and attach it to the fence over the school holidays.” Ms Marshall urged other schools to establish Flower Villes as a “simple…
HOMICIDE Squad detectives are investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of a man in Frankston on Saturday. The man’s body was discovered when police attended at an address in Rassay Court to conduct a welfare check just before 10pm. Police and forensic experts attended the scene and SES volunteers were called in to help. The victim was a 34-year-old man. The Rassay Court death on Saturday follows the death of a man in Frankston on Thursday night. Police believe a woman, 58, and her son, 17, were at their Dandenong Road West home when there was a knock on the…
SURFERS driving to breaks along Boneo Road, from Rosebud to Flinders, were being checked for breaching the five-kilometre limit last week. Somerville Highway Patrol Senior Sergeant Phillip Hulley said police under Operation Guardian were asking surfers’ addresses and were prepared to issue penalty notices if they were in breach. “We often get pretty feeble excuses, but they won’t wash with us and the surfers can expect a heavy fine if they are outside their limits,” he said. The penalty for breaching the five-kilometre rule is $1817. Operation Sentinel Sergeant Steve Wood, based at Somerville CIU, said three fines for breaching…
MORNINGTON Peninsula Highway Patrol police are gearing up for a big AFL Grand Final long weekend. They will be taking part in Operation Scoreboard from just after midnight Thursday 23 September to just before midnight Sunday 26 September. Somerville Highway Patrol Senior Sergeant Phillip Hulley said the long weekend had historically been high risk in terms of road trauma. He said police would target badly behaved drivers with a major focus on excessive speed and impaired driving. Police will provide a “highly visible active and mobile presence to reinforce positive driving behaviours and lessen the incidence of road trauma…
TWO Mornington residents were awoken by a man possibly armed with a gun last week. Detective Senior Sergeant Eddie Lagonder, of Somerville CIU, said the unknown man broke into the Grange Road home, 4.50am, Thursday 16 September. After confronting the married couple, he allegedly assaulted the 74-year-old man who was later taken to Frankston Hospital with minor injuries. Detectives were still determining what was stolen, Thursday morning. The offender is described as being short and stocky. Anyone with information about either of these incidents is urged to call Somerville CIU 5978 1300 or Crime Stoppers 1800 333 000. First published…
REBECCA Fraser, of Mount Martha, has been awarded $1000 in money, bookstore vouchers and a two-week Police Point artist’s residency after her story Due South won the 18 years-plus category in the Mayor’s Short Story Writing Awards. The tale is about a Tasmanian widower, Franklyn, who rebels against his daughter’s plan to deposit him in a retirement home on the mainland and, instead, packs up his cat and rows “due south”. “Franklyn wants to maintain charge of his own destiny,” Fraser said. “He reminds us that we have our own paths to follow.” She said it was a “thrill to…
IT comes too late to save Greg Merlo’s community garden, but Mornington Peninsula Shire seems to have turned a new leaf in its appreciation of roadside vegetable and flower plots. The Balnarring resident, 82, became a local hero last year when he turned a vacant public walkway into a productive haven where neighbours could pick their own vegetables, chat with neighbours and learn about plants – until council workmen laid it bare (“Red tape crushes a ‘community’ garden” The News 16/8/21). But the penny seems to have dropped, with the council at its 30 August meeting adopting Cr David Gill’s…
MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire has invited community feedback on its approach to planning and managing water in the face of climate change and population growth. With the green wedge covering 70 per cent of its land area and 192 kilometres of coastline, water and land management plays an important role in the peninsula’s community, economy and environment. The draft integrated water management plan aims to enhance the peninsula’s water supplies by using alternative water resources, such as rainwater and stormwater, to irrigate and drought proof green open spaces; protect the health of waterways, wetlands and bays; reduce flood risks; increase sewerage…
MORE than a quarter of a million people have been tested at Peninsula Health’s COVID-19 screening clinics since the first swab was taken in the Frankston and Mornington Peninsula region 18 months ago. The milestone was reached on Thursday 2 September at the health service’s drive and walk through testing site, on the old tennis courts next to Frankston Hospital. Frankston and the Mornington Peninsula now have some of the highest testing rates in Victoria. Dozens of staff – including nurses, allied health, ward clerks, security guards and traffic controllers – have run permanent and temporary locations. The mobile team…
COMMUNITY batteries each able to power up to 280 homes could be installed across the peninsula as part of a $150,000 Neighbourhood Battery Initiative. It is part of a feasibility study being developed by United Energy and financed by the state government. It aligns with the views of Mornington Peninsula Shire Council and community energy and greenhouse alliance groups across Victoria. Work on the study will begin this year and be completed in 2022. Determining the best locations for the on-ground batteries will take in factors such as the community benefits and local power demand and constraints. United Energy general…
TWO men have been arrested over a series of burglaries and thefts on the Mornington Peninsula. Somerville CIU detectives with help from Rosebud police and the frontline tasking unit arrested the men after $21,500 in allegedly stolen property was found at Tootgarook and Rye properties. A 29-year-old Tootgarook man and 42-year-old Rye man were charged with a variety of offences. The Rye man was bailed to appear at Dromana Magistrates’ Court on 10 February charged with theft from a motor vehicle, theft of a bicycle, handling stolen goods, possessing property believed to be the proceeds of crime, and possessing methyl-amphetamine.…
JULIE Saunders earned the Mornington Peninsula 2021 Citizen of the Year Award partly for her role in cooking, packing and delivering three-course meals to around 60 needy households every Wednesday. She and a group of dedicated volunteers made 1200 meals which were delivered to mainly older residents during the COVID-19 lockdown. Ms Saunders also acts as an IP, or independent person. This voluntary position administered by the Department of Justice involves making herself available 24/7 to assist 12-17-year-olds who have been arrested. When a parent or guardian is not available an IP sits with that person to help them through…