WATCHING the main 50-metre pool at the Yawa Aquatic Centre slowly being filled with water was a highlight for Nepean MP Chris Brayne as he toured the centre earlier this month. Mr Brayne and Mornington Peninsula Shire CEO John Baker were shown over the $37 million complex in Besgrove Street by the shire’s project manager David Hampton. The community hub is expected to attract about 400,000 visits a year to its gym, group fitness and learn-to-swim classes, cafe and wellness suites. An aqua play area has three slides and a splash pad and a boom to allow the pool to…
Author: MP News Group
REFLECTING on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on so many people prompted Devilbend Foundation secretary Jill McIver to ponder how they can recruit new volunteers for worthwhile projects. This came during National Volunteer Week 17-24 March. “We all had to deal with the restrictions in different ways and the after-effects of what we do next,” she said. “After volunteering for over 25 years in various forms – children’s kindergarten, school, sports clubs, lifesaving and environmental groups – I’m calling on the next generation to step up!” Ms McIver, who stepped down as secretary of Mornington Environment Association last October…
WESTERNPORT Tourism, which runs the visitor information centre at the Old Fish Shed at Hastings pier, is looking for volunteers to help visitors. Manager Del Skinner said while Westernport Tourism had been around for decades, interest had been “waxing and waning”. “[The service] was re-invigorated in about 2012 with a number of interested businesses,” Ms Skinner said. “The main focus now is to run the visitor information centre.” Ms Skinner praised the work of Lisa Dixon, now a Mornington Peninsula Shire councillor, who had been “tireless in helping to establish the VIC”. “When we gained the lease to The Fish…
By Steve Taylor CRICKET PENINSULA Veterans Over 50s Cricket team capped off an exciting first year by defeating Garfield/Tynong in their grand final at Frankston on Sunday 21 March. Batting first the peninsula team scored 3/223 in their 40 overs. Henry Dolphin, Chris Lanting and Al Davie all retired at the compulsory 40 runs. They were backed up by Brendon Gardner, 18, David Martin, 26, John Harrison, 23 not out and Brian Parton, 17 not out. In reply Garfield only managed 97 with all bowlers playing their part backed by some excellent fielding. John Harrison, 1/11, and Craig Burch, 2/25,…
By Brosnan Kelly HASTINGS GIFT SATURDAY 13 March saw the third running of the Hastings Gift carnival. After a tough and trying 2020, not even saturating conditions could deter athletes from around the country from flocking to the Thomas Barclay Oval for a display of competitive professional athletics. “We would like to thank our sponsors Mornington Peninsula Shire, AGL, Port of Hastings Development Authority, Tuckett Tyrepower Hastings, Jack Engineering P/L, Westernport Innate Chiropractic and Peninsula Heating, Cooling & Electrical for their continued support,” said event organiser, Terry Kelly. The Hastings Gift is organised by a local community based group, ‘Peninsula…
A VISITOR to the Mornington Peninsula won the major prize in the Hello Again Giveaway competition drawn on Saturday 6 March. Nitin Jayswal, of Hawthorn, who has never owned a car before, won a Mazda 3 Pure G20 auto from Mornington Mazda. The winning entry was one of 30,000 in the giveaway sponsored by Mornington Peninsula Regional Tourism, Easy Music 3MP, Mornington Mazda, Mornington Peninsula News Group, RBK Advisory, Searoad Ferries, Samsonite and Eastlink. Other prizes included Peninsula Hot Springs Experiences, Mornington Cup Experiences, $1000 worth of wine from Crittenden Estate and two nights in a penthouse apartment (plus personal…
ANYONE wanting to discuss an idea or other municipal matters can apply to meet the Mornington Peninsula Shire mayor Cr Despi O’Connor and CEO John Baker. The once-a-month 25-minute meetings start this week and will rotate across the shire’s Rosebud, Mornington and Hastings offices. All applications will be reviewed and, if a meeting request relates to operational matters, the applicant may be referred to a shire officer. Meeting times are limited and not confirmed until a response is received from the shire’s councillor support team. Confirmed times may be subject to change. Those attending will receive follow-up correspondence after each…
A MAN is expected to face court after crashing his car at Tootgarook last week while allegedly being almost five times over the legal alcohol limit. Police were called to Burdett Street following reports that a blue BMW sedan had crashed into a tree, 7pm, Thursday 11 March (above). The driver had left the scene and the unregistered car, with false plates, was abandoned. Police later arrested a 60-year-old man at a nearby house. At the police station he allegedly returned a positive oral fluid test and breath-test reading of 0.233 per cent. The man’s licence was suspended and he…
POLICE have warned against scammers impersonating authorities, including police and the Australian Tax Office (ATO). They say scammers will claim that your ATO tax file number has been hacked and that your ATO account has been involved in criminal activity. Others say they are calling from the local police station and to deposit money into an account over the phone, or to hand money over to “authorities” in person at a meet-up point. Victims are told to verify their personal and banking information over the phone and that they can pay “debts” with online gift cards and other methods. Police…
YOUNG people on the Mornington Peninsula will soon have a new place to seek help for their mental health. This comes as work begins on the Rosebud Secondary College youth wellness pavilion to support the mental health and wellbeing of its students and the wider community. The pavilion will house the college’s wellbeing team and provide office space for mental health and community services. The concept was developed following the suicides of two Rosebud students in 2013. The pavilion came about through community-wide efforts to support young people living on the peninsula. Since then, the work of college staff, including…
CITY racing comes to the Mornington Peninsula for Neds Mornington Cup Day this Saturday 20 March. It is one of the most stunning days trackside you’ll ever experience on the Peninsula. From the rolling front lawn, to the deck with Winning Post views or three-course dining, there is a space and an experience for everyone. For a relaxed day on the lawn, set yourself up trackside with the Squealing Pig Spritz Bar dedicated to keeping you hydrated across the day and an array of food trucks with a selection of snacks and meals to keep your hunger pangs at…
A SEVEN metre long humpback whale found dead on a Mount Martha beach last Thursday (11 March) is unlikely to have died of natural causes. However, the cause of its death may never be known as authorities were unable to arrange a necropsy, or post mortem examination. To avoid contamination of popular beaches the whale’s carcass was towed to Safety Beach from where it was taken to a tip. “Samples, measurements and photographs taken from the whale before it was removed from the beach will help assess possible causal factors and support scientific research,” Department of Environment, Land, Water and…
Arthurs Seat Eagle is taking love to new heights with its ‘Cupid Cabins’ for Valentine’s Day. Lovers, pal-entines and gal-entines will be able to indulge in a special twilight experience for two aboard a private gondola over the Mornington Peninsula. Waiting onboard, guests will discover two glasses of T’Gallant sparkling (or alternate beverage), a gourmet grazing platter, a sweet treat from Mornington Peninsula Chocolaterie and a single red rose by local florist, Artful Blooms. This is the first time guests can enjoy a glass of sparkling for Valentine’s day while gliding in one of the Eagle’s aerial gondolas, taking in…
SOME residents living in a group of streets at Rosebud are upset that roads have been resurfaced despite appearing to be in good condition. The work involved “microsurfacing” the roads with “graded aggregates and bituminous polymer modified emulsion”. Residents were asked by the Mornington Peninsula Shire to not use the roads after 7am and warned that driveways could be blocked for up to four hours once the work started. Streets affected by the works were Curlew Drive, and Currawong, Sanderling, Dotterel, Whimbrel. Egret and Sandpiper courts. However, at least one street, Sandpiper Court, was blocked for six and a half…
By Steve Holland* MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire councillors have for the first time held an open briefing before releasing a draft budget. A recording of the Tuesday 2 March public meeting is available on the shire’s YouTube channel. I would encourage other municipalities around Victoria to adopt this new practice, as it proved to be a win for transparency and lifts the lid on the local government budget formulation process. According to the state government website, Know Your Council, the shire’s rates are much lower than other municipalities. While some residents will dispute this, the statistics are publicly available and speak…
FRONTLINE workers at Frankston Hospital have begun to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Peninsula Health staff began to receive their first vaccine doses on 3 March. Nurse Vanessa Nolan said “it went absolutely fine, barely felt a thing.” “It was a really simple and seamless process. I sat in the chair, signed a consent form, got the vaccination, sat down for about 15 minutes or so and then back off to work,” she said. “I’ve seen the effects of the virus on people and their families. I’m just doing my part to get vaccinated, not just to protect myself and my…
STUDENTS at Tootgarook Primary School are keen to participate in National Ride2School Day, Friday 19 March. They are among about 350,000 students taking part in Australia’s biggest bike riding party and the peak of the Ride2School program which helps children get their 60 minutes of daily exercise by riding a bike to school. “National Ride2School Day is a fun way for students and parents to experience the joy of riding a bike,” Bicycle Network’s Anthea Hargreaves said. “There’s no better time to make riding to school part of your routine. “It’s free and fun and can also help students perform…
COMBINING lawyers and a coffee fix is an ideal way to boost access to legal advice for Mornington Peninsula residents. With this in mind, Peninsula Community Legal Centre has begun hitting the streets to provide free legal assistance with their Street Law Coffee Van in partnership with White Lion and Social Engine. This pop-up coffee van and legal service team visits locations ranging from emergency food relief centres and showers for the homeless to weekend markets and the car park at Bunnings. Its primary goal is to talk to people wherever they are in the community, making speaking to a…
A LIBERTY Swing at Lawson Park, Rosebud, will allow wheelchair users to experience the joy and therapeutic benefits of swinging. The swing allows wheelchairs to be rolled aboard and securely attached, allowing wheelchair-bound children and adults to experience the joy and exhilaration of swinging in the air. Disability support service Gen U recommended the Australian-made award-winning swing as the safest for children and adults in wheelchairs. It was funded by Mornington Peninsula Shire as part of the 2015-2020 Playspace Strategy and is also one of the objectives of the Disability Inclusion Plan 2018-2022. Disability Advisory Committee member Cr Kerri McCafferty…
ANGLERS are gearing up for the 32nd Annual Whiting Challenge to be held next weekend, Saturday and Sunday 13-14 March, at Westernport Angling Club adjacent to the Hastings public boat ramp. The event is approved COVID-19 safe with rule changes to enable safe social distancing. It is open to the public and entries can be lodged up until 2pm on the Saturday. This year, instead of competitors weighing their 10 best King George whiting each day, they will only weigh one heaviest whiting each day so as to avoid queues at the weigh station. Talking Fishing’s David Kramer will present…
By Lucy Gowdie THE paths we walk in education, the roads we travel, are often so fast paced, we forget to look back at the steps we have taken. Yet sometimes, every now and again, the road catches up with us and we realise, what we left behind mattered. As a young graduate teacher, only three years older than the Year 12 cohort I taught, I relied on my untested resolve and unyielding energy to engage my students in their learning. In that classroom, sat an even younger Samantha Hutston, a quiet and shy learner, with a passion for literature…
MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire has extended all parklet permits until 30 April. It says the move follows consultation with traders and “positive feedback” from residents and visitors. The extended outdoor dining program allowed traders to temporarily use car parking spaces for outdoor dining in towns and shopping areas from Mount Eliza to Sorrento. The outdoor dining areas were separated from roads with fences, planter boxes and decking. The shire says most of the 400 people asked in a January survey in Rosebud, Mount Eliza and Mornington gave the parklets a score of either nine or 10 (out of 10) and wanted…
MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire last week took the unusual step of organising a demonstration to show the state government how much opposition there is to AGL’s plan for an import gas terminal at Crib Point and a 55km pipeline to Pakenham. The mood was urgent as Planning Minister Richard Wynne will decide on the proposal within the next four weeks (“Shire, Opposition unite against AGL” The News 16/2/21). The shire and 28 community organisations and businesses have signed an open letter and sent a video to Mr Wynne urging him to reject the power company’s plan. The letter, also sent to…
FRANKSTON train line commuters are facing two months of bus replacements. More level crossing removals have been scheduled on the Frankston line. Five level crossings across Edithvale, Chelsea and Bonbeach are expected to be removed by the end of this year. Edithvale, Chelsea, and Bonbeach stations will close for demolition and reconstruction in the middle of the year. Trains will run express through them while works are ongoing. From around September, the line will shut down between Mordialloc and Frankston. Bus replacements will be scheduled for commuters for two months. First published in the Western Port News – 3 March…
WESLEY Orbison, Roy Orbison’s eldest son is very proud to fully endorse and present this amazing live concert experience remembering his father as we relive the sound & all the magical hits of Music Legend Roy Orbison in an International production starring The sensational Voice From Down Under John Stephan. This is the only show of it’s kind in the world and is officially endorsed & presented by Roy Orbison’s eldest son Wesley Orbison. Featuring spoken word from Wesley with a very personal narrative of Roy’s intriguing yet tragic life. Superstar Roy Orbison was one of the world’s greatest…
COME and Celebrate the magical hits of The King Of Rock n Roll in a sensational 2 hour Concert Spectacular. All of Elvis” No 1 hits will be performed in the original style that made Elvis the greatest performer that ever lived. Internationally Acclaimed sensation Mark Anthony, one of the most dynamic Elvis tribute artists in the world today, brings this unique period to life – the songs, the costumes, the emotion, the energy, the raw power – all brought together in a two hour concert spectacular. With over 600 million record sales worldwide and 3 time Grammy Award…
By Hugh Fraser* MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire CEO John Baker has been quick to propose to the new council – with eight new councillors out of 11 – radical changes to meeting procedures that substantially enhance a CEO’s powers while reducing council’s ability to regulate its own procedure. Touted as “best practice”, these management-proposed rules are not. Council needs to be zealous in guarding the representative democratic rights of the community to our third tier of (local) government as transparent, community engaged and able to extract accountability from management. As recently as 2018, councillors revised their meeting procedure rules. Over the…
MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire is choosing to challenge gender stereotypes by again supporting International Women’s Day on Monday 8 March – the Labour Day public holiday. The global day celebrates the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. This year’s UN theme is Women in Leadership which promotes women’s and girls’ achievements, women’s independence and decision-making and challenges gender stereotypes and roles. Members of the community can join in online to raise awareness of gender equality on International Women’s Day. This year, women are being asked to challenge. To make a pledge, visit the shire website and explain in 140…
ANTI-vaccination protesters have abused and hassled police for two days outside the Somerville office of Health Minister and Flinders MP Greg Hunt. Their action came just days after the first vaccinations against coronavirus being administered across Australia. The number of Victorians vaccinated by Sunday was nearing 4000. While urging people to get vaccinated, Mr Hunt has said getting the jab will not be compulsory. On both Friday and Saturday (26 and 27 February) police outnumbered the protesters outside his office by almost two to one. No one was inside as staff had been told to work from home. Police said…
Local shoppers in Frankston can now experience a fresh new-look supermarket with the completion of the Woolworths Karingal Hub store renewal. Over twenty new jobs have been created in the supermarket to cope with the additional customers due to the closure last year of the other Woolworths store in the Hub, which was part of the shopping centre’s major redevelopment plans. Amongst the convenient new features, customers can expect an extensive fresh fruit and vegetable section, with certified organic products, as well as a range of fresh fish and seafood and a new look continental style deli. The renewed store now also…