THE Victorian Fisheries Authority has identified about 50 dead seastars left on Mornington pier as environmental pests, northern Pacific seastars. The invasive seastars are thought to have been introduced into Port Phillip through ship ballast water from Japan in 1995. Fully formed Northern Pacific seastars can grow from the severed arm of just one injured individual and the VFA recommends that they be dumped in waste bins rather than being thrown back into the water or left on the pier. Stacey Fallowfield was dismayed and photographed (above) seastars seemingly left to die on Mornington pier mid-November. “I enjoy walking down…
Author: MP News Group
OLD and unwanted household chemicals can be disposed of responsibly and for free at the Detox Your Home event at Mornington transfer station, 9am-3pm, Saturday 5 December. The Sustainability Victoria pop-up event will accept a specific range of highly toxic household chemicals, such as cleaning products, pool chemicals, and weed killer. These products are not accepted at most transfer stations because they pose a high risk to safety when combined or stored in large volumes. However, no paint, fluorescent lights or batteries will be accepted. Organisers say household chemicals can harm people and pets, fuel a house fire, release toxic…
RESIDENTS living in koala areas can receive free trees under a plan to improve habit on the Mornington Peninsula. Mornington Peninsula Koala Conservation and the Conservation Collective Nursery are giving away trees from the nursery at 52 Westernport Highway, Somerville, during business hours. Check conservationcollective.shop for contact details and hours. Mornington Peninsula Koala Conservation president Dirk Jansen urged those interested to direct any questions to the nursery and to be “quick because the trees won’t last long”. “Feel free to share with your friends and neighbours and send us a photo of the trees you have planted,” he said. “If…
A MONKEY bike rider hooning around Tonkin Avenue, Safety Beach last week had his bike impounded with a release fee of $1250. Rosebud police say support from the community with information led them to the culprit who is expected to be charged with unlicensed riding, riding an unregistered vehicle and failing to wear a helmet. He will appear before a children’s court at a later date. Police describe the bikes as dangerous and their use as putting people at risk. Local intelligence and co-operation from the community is essential to apprehending riders, they say. Anyone seeing a rider is urged…
A MAN who allegedly head-butted a security guard at Safety Beach last month is being sought by police. The man reportedly approached the guard and verbally abused him before pushing and head-butting him outside a marina on Marine Drive, 10.15pm, Thursday 15 October. The victim, a 19-year-old Lyndhurst man, suffered minor injuries. His attacker is described as 185cm tall, messy brown hair, aged 30-40, wearing a green jacket, black track pants, black pull-on boots and carrying a fishing rod. Anyone who recognises the man or who has information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers 1800 333 000 or file a…
HIGH velocity storms, frequent heavy rain and gushing stormwater in street drains, waterways and outfalls on the Mornington Peninsula are anticipated this spring and summer as a result of the La Nina effect. The forecast follows a report by insurer AAMI which ranks Mornington, Mount Martha, Mount Eliza and Frankston at number four in its list of storm-damaged suburbs. (“Storms create claims havoc” The News 2/11/20). Mornington Peninsula Shire says storms and heavy rains can have a big impact on property, neighbours and the wider community. Residents are being encouraged to revisit or create an emergency plan and prepare their…
A NEW work ute given to a Mornington Peninsula men’s charity will help it spread a positive mental health message. HALT (Hope Assistance Local Tradies) project worker Mick Simmons took the keys to the Mazda BT50 XT from Mornington Mazda general manager Michael Tidball last week. Mr Simmons says this type of community support is vital to the work he does on the peninsula and south east Melbourne suburbs. “Without this amazing support we wouldn’t get to talk to thousands of tradies at hardware stores and at building sites,” he said. Mr Tidball said: “We decided to support HALT and…
A HASTINGS man has been charged with serious driving offences over a fatal crash at Somerville, Sunday 15 November. This follows the death of a 23-year-old Reservoir woman who was a passenger in a car which left Jones Road and crashed into a tree, 9.55pm. She died at the scene. The driver and another passenger were taken to hospital with injuries. Major Collision Investigation Unit detectives on Saturday charged the 25-year-old with culpable driving, dangerous driving causing death, negligently causing serious injury and dangerous driving causing serious injury. He was refused bail and was due to appear at Melbourne Magistrates’…
By Jake Pike THE death of a family member or friend is never easy. COVID restrictions have highlighted the pain caused when those closest are not afforded closure around the death of a loved one. But this pain and uncertainty is not an unprecedented pandemic phenomenon, it’s a feeling all too familiar for the friends and family of the women found in Tynong North and Frankston between 1980 and 1983. Despite the six-million-dollar reward and multiple investigations, the murders of Catherine Headland, Bertha Miller, Allison Rooke, Joy Summers, Narumol Stephenson and Ann-Marie Sargent have gone unsolved for forty years. While…
THE closure to traffic in Main Street, Mornington, between the Esplanade and Barkly Street, is expected to be a boon for shoppers and traders. But police warn shoppers and cafe patrons that, unless they are within the confines of a licensed venue, central Mornington is a designated no-alcohol area. This means it is illegal to consume alcohol or have an open beer can, stubby or other alcoholic drink, anywhere else within the shaded area on the map. Police and Local Laws officers can issue on-the-spot fines and issue a banning order to offenders committing the offences. The ban extends for…
SOUTH Mornington Pre-School will use $4219 from the state government to build a pollination garden for blue-banded bees. Education leader Natasha Beimers said the pre-school was one of 113 schools and youth organisations to receive a Victorian Junior Landcare and Biodiversity grant. Ms Beimers said blue-banded bees used to visit the pre-school “many years ago”. “One of our educators remembers the children’s fascination with the little bees, especially their striking colours and the interesting ways they would move their bodies – buzz pollination – to encourage flowers to release pollen.” Although the bees haven’t visited the pre-school for some time…
A DISCUSSION paper released last week found that an ageing population was “more of a silver lining than a silver tsunami”. In what was described as a classic case of the “cure being worse than the disease”, the paper concluded that any federal government policy of rapid population growth to off-set ageing brings far greater problems than any brought on by ageing itself, organisers said. The paper, commissioned by Sustainable Population Australia (SPS), was written by Queensland University academic Dr Jane O’Sullivan who, for the past decade, has researched demographic pressures on food security, economic development and environmental sustainability. SPA…
CONSIDERATION of charges against a business allegedly operating as a restaurant contrary to the Mornington Peninsula planning scheme have been delayed until at least next February next. A mention hearing of the charges brought against the Green Olive at Red Hill by Mornington Peninsula Shire were deferred in Dromana Court last week. The charges relate to the alleged use of the land for a “restaurant” and development of the land contrary to the planning scheme and approved permits. The charges were filed with the court in December 2019, more than four years after a report about shire councillors being urged…
ACTING on a tip off police raided a Hastings house and allegedly found a large quantity of various drugs of dependence, steroids, and a “substantial” amount of cash. Hastings police, alongside members of the Dog Squad, including a Passive Alert Dog (PAD dog), raided the house in the early hours of Friday 13 November. A 25-year-old Hastings man was charged with 15 counts, including trafficking a drug of dependence, possessing a drug of dependence, and possessing the proceeds of crime. He was bailed to appear at Frankston Magistrates’ court on 10 August 2021. Senior Sergeant Warren Francis-Pester said the permanent…
REPORTS of family violence have escalated this year and Mornington Peninsula Shire’s new mayor says respect “is at the heart of the prevention of violence against women”. “If we are serious about ending [it], then we must address gender inequality and disrespectful attitudes,” Cr Despi O’Connor said. “Our council is committed to creating a violence-free community and we’re proud of the work we are doing to build gender equality on the peninsula.” In the 2019–20 financial year 2211 family violence incidents were reported to police on the peninsula, up 17 per cent from the previous year. The shire has for…
HUNDREDS of visitors to Main Street, Mornington voted with their feet over the weekend, signalling their approval of Mornington Peninsula Shire’s decision to ban cars from between Barkly Street and the Esplanade. However, the move is not so popular with everyone and the shire has also come under fire for being unprepared for the rubbish generated by sudden influx of people to the town and its beaches. First published in the Mornington News – 17 November 2020
BOMB Squad sniffer dogs were deployed to Dromana beach after explosives were found in the sand beside a beach box on Sunday (15 November). As they worked, the Canine Unit, Arson and Explosives Unit, Rosebud police and Air Wing cordoned off the beach box and searched the sand before declaring the area safe about 3pm. Detective Senior Constable Tim Jamieson, of Somerville CIU, said the beach box’s owner had been digging away sand before repainting when he unearthed a length of PVC pipe about 50cm deep. Unscrewing one end he discovered what he thought to be electronic detonators wrapped in…
A 40-year-old Rosebud man has been released pending further inquiries after an Echo Taskforce investigation into a non-fatal shooting in Bulleen in August last year. Four warrants were executed in Narre Warren South, Rosebud, Brooklyn and Hampton Park last week by police from the Echo Taskforce, Southern Metro Divisional Response Unit, Special Operations Group, Critical Incident Response Team and the AFP National Anti-Gangs Squad. Three people were charged after the raids: A 28-year-old Narre Warren South man has been charged with attempted murder, intentionally causing serious injury in circumstances of gross violence, recklessly causing serious injury in circumstances of gross…
SEAROAD Ferries is giving away $1 million worth of foot passenger tickets to encourage visitors to the Mornington and Bellarine peninsulas. Online registrations for the tickets to the ferry connecting Sorrento and Queenscliff start on Wednesday (18 November) and close 5pm Sunday 22 November. The free tickets can be used between 23 November and 31 July next year. Searoad CEO Matt McDonald said the 38,384 tickets would enable the winning passengers to “feel a world away from the challenges this year has brought”. He said the giveaway was “motivated by a desire to bring visitors back to the region and…
PHOTOGRAPHS to adorn the Yawa Aquatic Centre at Rosebud when it is completed in March will aim to “celebrate and champion the work of a local artist as well as promote awareness and appreciation of creative communities”. The works will help ensure that the Mornington Peninsula Shire’s public spaces are “stimulating and engaging” for visitors and will hang in the entrance to the main thoroughfare from the car park. The successful artist must live in the shire and will receive $5000. Mornington Peninsula Shire is seeking to engage an artist through an expressions-of-interest process to create the photographic works. They…
CROWDS were down on previous years and masks were mandatory during the Remembrance Day ceremony at the Dromana cenotaph. However, the restrictions did not make the ceremony any less moving or meaningful. Words were spoken and flowers placed as those gathered on the lawns remembered those who gave their lives for their country. First published in the Southern Peninsula News – 17 November 2020
Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding a fatal crash which occurred on Jones Road, Sommerville last night. Officers have been told a white sedan was traveling along the road about 9.55pm when the driver lost control. The sedan left the road and crashed into a tree. A passenger in the car, believed to be a woman in her 20s, died at the scene. The driver and another passenger, both believed to be men in their 20s, have been taken to hospital with injuries. Detectives from Major Collision Investigation Unit are on scene and are investigating. Anyone who witnessed the crash…
RIDERS of bicycles with petrol motors on the Mornington Peninsula face fines of more than $2000 and risk injury on the bikes which are not designed to carry a motor, police say. The frames are not made to travel at high speeds, and the brakes are not adequate to stop a petrol-powered bicycle. To be legal, the motors must have a maximum ungoverned power output of 200 watts or less. A 50cc engine puts out about 2238 watts which is over the limit. Most bolt-on petrol motors or kits being advertised online as “governed” or “limited” to 200 watts are…
POLICE want the public’s help after a road rage and assault incident on Point Nepean Road, Rosebud, 4pm, Tuesday 3 November. Two cars were travelling west when the victim changed lanes. The offending driver sounded his horn and yelled abuse. The men stopped at the intersection of Boneo and Point Nepean roads and approached each other before a scuffle began. When the victim returned to his car the offending driver followed and allegedly punched him to the head through the open window. The attacker driving a white Toyota 4WD is described as Caucasian, mid-30s, with blonde hair and beard and…
ROSEBUD police had their work cut out maintaining order at a large, unauthorised car night at Arthur’s Seat Summit car park, Thursday 29 October. About 30 enthusiasts had gathered when police saw the driver of white four-wheel-drive practicing his off-road skills in the garden bed, 10.50pm. The 19-year-old P-plater later recorded a 0.118 per cent blood alcohol reading at Rosebud police station – way over the 0.00 per cent reading stipulated for P-platers. The Capel Sound man’s licence was suspended and his vehicle impounded. He is expected to be charged on summons with drink driving-related offences. The impoundment was part…
AN Australia Post contractor has been charged with criminal theft and theft of mail items after Rosebud police and Australia Post found more than $10,000 worth of allegedly stolen parcels at his Mount Waverley home. Acting Sergeant Ron Trainer, of Rosebud police, said an investigation was launched after a large number of packages were reported missing around the Rosebud, Rye, Tootgarook, Portsea and Sorrento areas from August to October. The Sri Lankan national was arrested at the Rosebud distribution centre in front of “stunned” colleagues on 21 October. Police later searched the man’s apartment which was said to be “chockers”…
THE release of the long-awaited Frankston rail extension preliminary business case shows that inadequate public transport in the Mornington Peninsula region is not being taken seriously by the state government, says the Committee for Greater Frankston. The preliminary business case (PBC) was released on Monday 9 November. A news release from Flinders MP Greg Hunt said the business case showed running electric trains to Baxter from Frankston could directly benefit residents across “the entire Mornington Peninsula”. “Delivering a metro rail line extension south of Frankston will help open up the whole of the Mornington Peninsula, meaning locals can get to…
AS life gets back to normal it’s time to leave the car at home, tie up the shoelaces and walk, scoot or ride to school. Mornington Peninsula Shire is calling on all kids and their families take part in the VicHealth Walk to School program supported by Peninsula Health. Active travel to school has great community benefits: it reduces traffic congestion on the roads, cuts pollution, and creates an opportunity to spend more time with friends and family. As part of the program, families are encouraged to participate in a weekly photo competition with four nature-based treasure hunts running until…
WITH lockdown restrictions eased, residents can dump green waste for free at Mornington Peninsula Shire tips at Rye, Tyabb and Mornington, 13-16 November. The green waste must be taken to the tips over the four days in private vehicles and trailers only. No commercial vehicles or commercial green waste will be accepted. Contact details will need to be provided at the gate to satisfy COVID-safe requirements. Residents should take proof of residency, such as a driver’s licence or rates notice. Green waste includes all types of garden waste and untreated timber. The Mornington transfer station can accept up to three…
THE Frankston-based First Peoples’ Health and Wellbeing and Nairm Marr Djambana are among six Aboriginal organisations to share $930,000 released by the state government’s Aboriginal Community Response and Recovery Fund. Aboriginal Affairs Minister Gabrielle Williams said the money was aimed at providing additional outreach support to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders in Frankston and on the Mornington Peninsula. The $10 million fund was set up to support Aboriginal groups respond to the coronavirus pandemic, including emergency relief, outreach and brokerage, social and wellbeing initiatives. “Victoria’s Aboriginal community hold the knowledge and expertise about what is best for themselves, their families…