TWO delivery trucks were written off after colliding at a busy Crib Point intersection, Tuesday 16 February. Crib Point CFA Captain Andrew Brown said his crew rushed to the intersection of Stony Point Road and Woolleys Road fearing those aboard were trapped in their cabins after the force of the impact sent them careering into a brick and steel fence, 12.11pm. Injuries to the two drivers, from Crib Point and Narre Warren, and a passenger from Mount Eliza, were not severe. “It wasn’t as dramatic as we were told but the men were in shock and suffering cuts and bruises,”…
Author: MP News Group
ROSEBUD Girl Guides were preparing to mark World Thinking Day with activities on the Rosebud foreshore, last night (Monday 22 February). The special day came about in 1926 when Girl Guides from around the world were attending their 4th World Conference in the US. They set aside an annual day when Girl Guides could express their appreciation of the international movement. The day – which became World Thinking Day – was chosen because it was the birthday of both Lord Baden-Powell, founder of the Boy Scout Movement, and his wife Olave Baden-Powell, World Chief Guide. Mornington Peninsula Girl Guides District…
YOUNG hoons who ran amok at Sorrento Community Centre before Christmas have written letters of apology to the manager, Heather Barton. “Acting Sergeant Steve Drew and his team have done a magnificent job … and have built up an ongoing story. There appears to be two separate groups of youths,” she said. “He tracked down members of the group who harassed our board on 18 December and today we have received four separate letters of apology from them.” On that occasion, a board member had a heart attack after an altercation with the hoons, with the doctor attributing it to…
MOTORISTS on Peninsula Link may have seen Melbourne Water’s sign, pictured, advertising a proposed solar farm at the Eastern Treatment Plant, Bangholme. The farm is one of the many ways the authority says it is adapting its operations to “prepare for a changing climate, reducing our own carbon emissions and generating more renewable energy”. The Eastern Treatment Plant, opened in 1975, treats about 330 million litres of sewage a day – about 40 per cent of Melbourne’s total. It already makes biogas that provides about 30 per cent of the energy needed to run the plant each year; the proposed…
PENINSULA Film Festival will open with the feature Don’t Tell at the Peninsula Cinemas, Rosebud, Friday 5 March. The three-day festival was founded in 2011 by actor and Rosebud resident Steve Bastoni to give filmmakers the opportunity to have their work featured and to network with some of Australia’s leading directors, actors, and producers. The opener Don’t Tell will include a Q&A session hosted by Australian actor Lachy Hulme and provide an opportunity for guests to mingle with festival judges. Up to 20 shortlisted Australian filmmakers will present their films before the judges and film luminaries at Dromana Drive-in on…
THE arrest of three men after drugs and a loaded sawn-off rifle were allegedly found in a car at Skye led police to a Mount Eliza property where they allegedly found ammunition, steroids and what is believed to be methyl-amphetamine. The garage on the property had also been turned into an outlaw motorcycle gang (OMCG) clubhouse. Police intercepted a Kia Sportage at a service station on the Western Port Highway after noticing the men at a petrol bowser, 1.50am, Friday 12 February. A 45-year-old Mount Eliza man, reportedly a Finks Outlaw Motorcycle Gang member, was charged with trafficking and drug…
MORNINGTON Peninsula residents who did not to vote in last year’s council elections will be sent “please explain” notices by the Victorian Electoral Commission. The VEC says it may send an infringement notice and a penalty of $83 to anyone who doesn’t respond to the letter, or doesn’t provide a sufficient reason for not voting. Around 350,000 letters will be sent out statewide. The letters are due back to the VEC within 28 days. “This notice is not a fine. It’s your chance to explain why you appear not to have voted, if this is the case. This is a…
A “SUBSTANTIAL amount” of money was found in the pocket of an item of clothing donated to a Rosebud charity last week. Property officer Tony Paterson, of Rosebud police, said the money was waiting to be claimed by the rightful owner who would need to name the charity, the amount, and the denominations before being allowed to collect it. Meanwhile, police are seeking the owner of a Canon EOS 1000D camera found on Dromana foreshore on 30 January. If the owner can identify the camera either by its serial number or by the type or description of the photos police…
CANNABIS plants and drug trafficking items were allegedly found at a Rye house last week. Rosebud and other police arrested a 32-year-old woman and charged her with cultivating cannabis, trafficking a drug of dependence, possessing trafficking equipment, possessing the proceeds of crime and related charges, Thursday 4 February. She was bailed to appear at Dromana Magistrates’ Court at a later date. “Targeting local-level and mid-tier drug crime to disrupt and dismantle networks is a focus and part of Victoria Police’s drug strategy,” Acting Sergeant Flyn Loughlin, of Rosebud police, said. “Cannabis is the most commonly used illicit drug in Victoria…
ROSEBUD’S Eastbourne Primary School has possibly set some sort of record for the number of twins among its students. Four sets of twins started this year, bringing the school’s total to seven. “Add these twins to the other three sets of twins across the school and you could walk around and think you were seeing doubles everywhere,” principal Stephen Wilkinson said. Mr Wilkinson compared being back at school to “getting back on the bike”. “We sure came through some challenging times in 2020, but staff, students and parents adjusted well and finished last year with enthusiasm, commitment and a desire…
CHILDREN at Capel Sounds educational child care centre and kinder are getting a head start to live a healthy life. The 150 children are learning the benefits of healthy eating and oral health, physical activity, mental health and wellbeing, sun protection, safe environments and the evils of tobacco, alcohol and other drugs. This comes as the centre, at Tootgarook, is recognised for its health and wellbeing efforts in Cancer Council Victoria’s Achievement Program – one of only a few state-wide to receive the accolade. “We know that helping children establish healthy habits sets the foundation for their future health, development…
CAMPERS were back on the road for home last Friday (12 February) ahead of the latest travel restrictions and closure of the Mornington Peninsula Shire-run foreshore reserves. Having avoided the peak-season hordes and setting up camp after the school holidays, the campers’ visions for a quiet break were brought to a sudden halt by the latest outbreaks of COVID-19 and Friday’s 11.59pm “circuit breaker restrictions”. Once home, the campers are limited to the same rules applying to all other Victorians, leaving home for just four reasons: permitted work/study, essential shopping (within five kilometres of home), care or caregiving and exercise…
FLINDERS Fake or Fortune fete will be held at St Johns Church hall, 10am-2.30pm, Saturday 6 March. The 82nd fete, which provides much-needed funds for community work and peninsula charities, has been online but now it is going live for a special event in a slightly different format. The online fete had support from donated paintings plus Christmas specials, cakes, biscuits, jams, pickles and locally-made craft. A new feature will be a Flinders Fake or Fortune Fete event based on the popular BBC Antiques Roadshow plus some interesting stalls. Organisers Mary Iles and Patricia Macdonald said experts Warren Joel and…
HOLIDAYMAKERS staying closer to home due to COVID-19 restrictions, has led to more visitors to the Mornington Peninsula. The influx after months of lockdown and lost incomes has been a welcome relief for businesses needing tourist dollars. But a big downside, according to Waste Wise Mornington Peninsula co-founder Birte Moliere, has been “a growing amount of litter”. “One solution to our litter problem is a long overdue container deposit scheme where you get 10 cents for every returned can, plastic and glass bottle,” Ms Moliere said. She said that in 2019, Victorian-based beach patrol groups collected 21,014 kilograms of litter…
TWO men were arrested after an alleged stabbing at Rosebud last week. A 24-year-old Capel Sound man and 23-year-old Tootgarook man were interviewed and later released pending further inquiries. Police said a 28-year-old Rye man was sitting in a car on Rosebud Parade at 11pm, Thursday 4 February, when he was flagged down by two men. The man got out of his car and, after an argument, he was allegedly stabbed several times to the upper body. The man ran to a nearby licensed venue on Eastbourne Road and was later airlifted to hospital with serious injuries. The two men…
A MOUNT Martha man received minor injuries and had his car stolen during an aggravated burglary last week. The 50-year-old was confronted by two men attempting to force the front door of his house in Kilburn Grove, 1.30am, Wednesday 3 February. The man ran to the nature strip where he was attacked by two other men with what police describe as a “weapon”. The four offenders then entered the house and stole the keys to a 2020 Audi RS4 wagon, registration BLA824. They were last seen fleeing south along Kilburn Grove in the stolen Audi which is yet to be…
COVID-19 is still lurking around the community and anyone with cold or flu like symptoms, however mild, should get tested. Medical authorities say every test helps the community stay safe and stay open. Symptoms can include fever, coughing, sore throat, shortness of breath, runny nose, headache, muscle or joint pains, nausea, diarrhoea, vomiting, loss of sense of smell, altered sense of taste, loss of appetite and fatigue. Testing clinics on the Mornington Peninsula are at Eleanora House at the front of the Rosebud Hospital, in the clinic car park at Atticus Health Medical Clinic, Hastings, by appointment only, and at…
VISITORS to Mornington Peninsula cafes, shops and businesses are being urged to check in using QR codes or by jotting down their names and phone numbers. Checking in properly – even if only there for a coffee – allows contact tracers to more easily follow up in the event of a positive case of coronavirus. First published in the Southern Peninsula News – 9 February 2021
A SOCIAL match at Tyabb Cricket Club this week will focus attention on an incident that shocked the country back in 2014: the murder of young Luke Batty by his father at cricket training. The 2021 Luke Batty Memorial Shield will be played in a T20 format between Tyabb Cricket Club and the Victoria Police Cricket Club, 5pm, Friday 12 February. A secondary aim is to promote the plight of mental health among emergency services by including a“Man of the Match trophy in honour of Senior Constable Paul Topham, who took his own life early last year after a prolonged…
FOR the first time in its 120-year history, Sorrento Cricket Club has fielded a girls’ team. Junior coordinator and coach Kane Gordon, along with his 13-year-old daughter Tammy, gathered girls aged 10-17 for the Mornington Peninsula Cricket Association’s 2020/21 season. With only basic cricket knowledge but a thirst to learn, the girls played two games. In the first game against Balnarring the opposition showed exceptional sportsmanship and camaraderie. Team members believe that with assistance from Rob and Will Dunball at training and at matches, success awaits just around the corner. Mr Gordon said: “This year the only goal is enjoyment,…
SOMERVILLE Highway Patrol is reminding drivers to slow down at school zones as the school year resumes. Police will strictly enforce the 40kph speed limits and be on the lookout for unsafe driving behaviour on the Mornington Peninsula. They say students could be distracted as they catch up with friends after the holidays and their road safety skills “could be a bit rusty”. Police will be working with Local Laws officers to reinforce parking rules at drop-off and pick-up times. They say parents “should be aware of their local parking restrictions”. First published in the Southern Peninsula News – 2…
TRIBUTES flowed on social media for Frankston Bombers footballer Ben Tournier, pictured, who died after his car struck power poles and rolled in Mornington, 12.15am on Australia Day. Police believe Tournier, 29, was heading south on Nepean Highway when he lost control near the corner of Weber Drive and flipped his car. Frankston Bombers teammates gathered at the club at Baxter later that day to remember him. Tournier played with the Bombers for more than a decade and was a regular member of the senior side before more recently playing in the reserves. Nepean Highway was closed between Strachans and…
THREE teenagers have been arrested following a series of alleged incidents on the Mornington Peninsula as well as at Carrum Downs, Bendigo, Bentleigh, Blackburn, and Toorak, from 1-5 January. The three boys, one aged 14 and two aged 15, have been charged under Operation Gully with a range of offences, including aggravated burglary and robbery. They have been remanded in custody. The boys were among a group of 11 alleged offenders arrested by detectives from the Southern Metro Region crime team who have been cracking down on aggravated burglaries, car thefts, robbery and driving offences throughout January. Detective Inspector Peter…
HAVING no marine-related injuries or collisions between boats or jet-skis over the Australia Day weekend proved the success of Operation Unity, police say. Peninsula police teamed up with the Water Police in the three-day foreshore and beach operation focusing on water safety, marine compliance and public order. This followed several weeks of increased and serious marine-related incidents in waters from Mount Martha to Portsea. Police, supported by other government and volunteer agencies, detected 588 offences and issued 66 infringement notices to jet-ski riders and boaters, with about half relating to speeding or irregular operation within five-knot zones. Rosebud Acting Sergeant…
MORNINGTON Peninsula Citizen of the Year Julie Saunders puts her community first. Like others named in the shire’s Australia Day Local Awards last week, she has spent years working to improve the lives of others. Ms Saunders was honoured alongside Young Citizen of the Year: Phoebe McShane, Community Event of the Year: Senior’s High Tea, Crib Point Community House, Community Spirit Award (accepted by Mary Budd): Josie D’Alia, and Lifetime Achievement Award winners Michael Wunderly and Colin Blythe. When the COVID-19 crisis hit in March, Ms Saunders, of Crib Point, knew straight away how she could help. During the lockdown…
VOLUNTEERING Victoria has given Mornington Peninsula Shire $23,000 to “strengthen volunteer connections on the peninsula”. The shire says it will use the money to help community groups recruit more volunteers in a COVID-safe environment. The mayor Cr Despi O’Connor said: “Volunteering allows people to connect with and make a difference in their communities. “Dedicating your time as a volunteer not only helps the cause they choose to volunteer for, it is also a good opportunity to make new connections and friends.” The shire says it can can help recruit and screen volunteers in a COVID-19 safe way. Resources include the…
THIRTEEN young skaters competed in a skateboard competition on Australia Day. These included four in the under-12s, eight in the under-18s and lone girl Holly. Jemison Watkins reports that a skater identified only as Ed won the under-18s with “two solid, trick filled runs that made use of the whole park”. “It was extremely close between first and second, but Ed pulled through with his consistency and skill. “Holly competed with huge enthusiasm, making full use of the park in both her runs. She was especially brave being in a competition full of boys.” He said Rex Wheeler “fully shone”…
A “BOUTIQUE” refurbishment of the Boneo Lions Op Shop has turned the old and tired Rosebud shop into a light, bright, open and welcoming space where customers can browse and buy quality pre-owned goods. Last week’s Cupcake and Cuppa Day opening, followed the shop’s “soft” opening in December aimed at capitalising on the tourist trade and working out the early teething problems. Since then, feedback has been positive at the shop which opened in 2000 as Rosebud Primary School Op Shop and which Boneo Lions took over in early 2020. Looking back, president Terry Cook admitted: “Although we saw the…
IT’S a fair bet that Red Hill Tennis Club players felt Sam Groth’s serve was a little too fast for them to return – after all the former Australian pro player has the fastest-recorded serve in the world. At 263kph the former world-ranked No. 53 (singles) and (24) doubles can serve a little bit faster than the average club player. Groth was at Red Hill last week as a member of the Australian Open Men’s and Women’s Grand Slam Trophy tour around regional Victoria. He currently works for the Nine Network, with regular appearances on ‘Wide World of Sports’ and…
MATTING has been laid down at Mount Martha beach to help those in wheelchairs or with limited mobility get across the sand to the water. The matting is available at the beach daily and two MobiChairs are available on weekends until Easter Monday 5 April. Mornington Peninsula Shire has laid the matting as part of its Disability Inclusion Plan with help from Mount Martha Life Saving Club. The mayor Cr Despi O’Connor said: “COVID-19 has created some challenges for us this year, but we’re working within the guidelines to give access for all to enjoy our beaches this summer. It’s…