POLICE found more than expected when they searched a car during a routine intercept in a Mornington street, 3.40am, Tuesday 26 May. They allegedly found a sawn-off double barrel shotgun and quantities of the drug methyl-amphetamine, or ice. Two Mornington men aged 32 and 24 were arrested and charged with possessing a modified firearm and possessing a drug of dependence. They appeared at Frankston Magistrates’ Court where one was further remanded and the other bailed to reappear at a later date. Senior Sergeant Paul Edwards said the arrests were the result of “vigilant police work”. First published in the Southern…
Author: MP News Group
MORNINGTON Senior Sergeant Paul Edwards said the relaxing of COVID-19 restrictions was “not the time to think everything’s back to normal”. “People still need to be aware of the numbers allowed at gatherings and events and to make sure they keep to 1.5 metre distancing,” he said. In a sign that many people think the danger has passed, parents have begun registering their children’s upcoming parties with the station. “People will still need to use commonsense and to check the Department of Human Services’ guidelines to ensure they know what is and isn’t allowed.” Senior Sergeant Edwards said police were…
DANCING schools say authorities determining rules for their reopening on Monday 22 June are out of step with the industry. More than 170 dance schools are lobbying the Premier Daniel Andrews to let them have a say in regulations being drafted by the Department of Health and Human Services which they say is based on recommendations from the Australian Institute of Sport. Australian Academy of Dance director Mike Harrison-Lamond said dance studio owners said the AIS was “not our governing body, nor do they have an understanding of our industry”. He said requiring four square metres a person, 20 people…
A HERITAGE locomotive number plate (above) was stolen from the Mornington Railway Preservation Society’s depot at Moorooduc in an early morning burglary last week. Doors and fences were damaged in the raid which was captured on CCTV, 4am, Saturday 16 May. “We were lucky that they didn’t steal more items,” society secretary Robert Reed said. “One of our volunteers just happened to be on site and ran in to them and they fled.” Mr Reed said the thieves were preparing to use a wheelie bin to remove valuable engineering equipment and machinery from a storage shed when they were interrupted.…
CAR owners may breathe a little easier with the arrest of a Mount Martha man over a spate of late night tyre slashings last year. The 25-year-old was nabbed by Somerville detectives after they “received some information”, Tuesday 19 May. The man is facing eight counts of criminal damage with more charges expected to follow. The tyres of up to 40 cars parked outside their owners’ homes in Mornington and Mount Martha were allegedly slashed with a box cutter or sharp knife from September to December. More than one tyre was slashed on most cars. Black and white images captured…
MORNINGTON footwear manufacturer Bata is donating shoes to health care workers fighting COVID-19. The offer is part of the company’s global effort to provide one million pairs of shoes to health care workers, volunteers and their families. “The generosity of local businesses, such as Bata Shoes, in recognition of the role of health care workers has been tremendous,” Peninsula Health’s chief operating officer Helen Cooper said. “Our hardworking team spends a lot of time on its feet, so a new pair of work shoes is invaluable.” Bata managing director Jon Moore said it was important to show appreciation for those…
AUSTRALIANS reportedly lose more money on gambling each year, per person, than residents of any other country. Encouraging them to bet is gambling advertising which is prominent across all media, particularly in sports. Social researchers are questioning whether poker machines should be switched off for good as they are in Victoria now because of COVID-19 social distancing restrictions. Mornington Peninsula Shire is one area of government counting the mental health costs and social disruption caused by gambling excesses. It says it is “committed to preventing gambling harm” in a world where smartphones are keeping us connected to betting sites. To…
STUDENTS Molly, Sara, Isla and Grace were jumping for joy when they found out their classmates would soon be joining them at Our Lady of Fatima school, Rosebud. The girls have been attending classes during the COVID-19 pandemic as their parents are essential workers. Visual art teacher Amanda Heggen said they made the “welcome back” rainbow arch to let everyone that school “is a happy and safe place to learn”. Picture: Supplied First published in the Southern Peninsula News – 26 May 2020
POINT Nepean Men’s Shed members are cock-a-hoop after receiving shire approval to build a shed for their mobile workshop van and equipment storage at Stringer Reserve, Blairgowrie. The 120 square metre shed of corrugated iron on a concrete slab will be additional to their workshop in the former Southern Peninsula Rescue Squad hangar, Hotham Road, Sorrento. Members have been busy on various community projects, such as building planter boxes, potting tables and garden retaining walls at Sorrento Primary School, bicycle maintenance and restoration at Rye Primary School, building whisper phones for St Joseph’s Primary School, raised planter beds and a…
STAFF at a Mount Eliza florist were terrified when they spied an intruder lurking in the darkness early on Mother’s Day morning. Abricot Mornington Florist manager Matilda Alievski said the unidentified man shining a torch seemed to avoid CCTV cameras behind the Mount Eliza Way shop Saturday 9 May as he made his way slowly towards the back door (pictured). He was wearing a hoodie, beanie, gloves and boots, and covering his face. “Our staff were working inside the shop trying to get our orders ready and we saw this man on our cameras and immediately panicked,” Ms Alievski said.…
PENINSULA Grammar will stand down staff in the school’s administration, marketing and maintenance departments”. The Mount Eliza private school, which admits to being “greatly impacted by the global pandemic”, said in a statement it had “made the difficult decision to commence a staff consultation process that will potentially impact” staff numbers. The statement, attributable to a spokesman, released on Friday 15 May Sarah Coghlan, senior account executive of Civic Financial Communications, said there would be “no staff cuts to student-facing roles”. The cuts to “non-student facing roles” were being made to “ensure the school’s strong financial position is maintained”. No…
ANIMAL management breaches prompted Mornington Peninsula Shire officers to issue 587 infringements during the first three months of the year. Data contained in the shire’s Quarterly Community Report: January-March 2020, released last week, shows that officers responded to 3215 animal management matters from January to March. During that period 147 cats were impounded at the shelter in Watt Road, Mornington, with only 50 found to be registered. Of these, 30 were returned to their owners, 31 were adopted through the shire’s adoption program, 30 were re-homed by rescue groups, and 35 were euthanised. All were registered at the time of…
By Barry Morris* BALCOMBE Estuary Reserves Group has warned of an “environmental disaster” if sediment continues to fill the estuary at Mount Martha. Its president Peter McMahon has accused Melbourne Water of “sitting idly by as we slowly lose this beautiful estuary to indifference, penny-pinching and demarcation issues”. Melbourne Water says it has been “consulting” with Mornington Peninsula Shire and BERG “for more than a decade” to stop the accumulation of sediment which comes from unsealed roads. The 76-hectare estuary and adjoining reserves are home to hundreds of native birds and animals and a popular recreation area for residents and…
DESPITE being hit by high winds and storms, work continues on the sandbag seawall at Portsea’s front beach. New sandbags are replacing old ripped inside the area protected by a temporary rock wall. With nearly 30 per cent of the work completed, contractors plan to remove the timber handrail at the rear of the sandbag seawall to make way for the final rows of sandbags. The handrail will eventually be replaced further back. A geotechnical investigation has been made on the stability of the cliffs east of the sandbag seawall. First published in the Southern Peninsula News – 12 May…
EXTRA measures to ensure those experiencing domestic, family and sexual violence know where to get help during the coronavirus pandemic. The Help is Here campaign is part of a $150 million federal government package helping support services meet demand. Advertising will be splashed across TV, digital, social media, radio, magazines and newspapers, as well as at shopping centres, hospitals and GPs’ surgeries. This comes after a family violence victims’ advocate said she feared enforced isolation because of enforced restrictions could lead to an increase in abuse. Dromana resident Geraldine Bilston said isolated living, less contact with people outside their homes,…
HASTINGS police arrested and charged a Gippsland couple with a range of offences last week. The couple, in their 20s, from Bairnsdale and Morwell, were nabbed at a Hastings house on Wednesday 6 May after a verbal dispute with neighbours. They were charged with armed robbery, home invasion, burglary, possessing stolen property, car theft and driving offences – as well as breaching COVID-19 restrictions. Acting Senior Sergeant Stephen Reidy, of Hastings police, said the man was also charged with possessing a loaded homemade handgun, or pen-gun. The pair appeared at Frankston Magistrates’ Court. They were remanded to appear at the…
A WOMAN arrested at Rye last week has been charged with 11 counts of burglary of homes and holiday homes on the southern Mornington Peninsula. The 41-year-old, of Tootgarook, faced Frankston Magistrates’ Court charged with stealing clothing, jewellery and household items. She was further remanded to again face court at a later date. Detective Acting Senior Sergeant Tony Henry, of Somerville CIU, said the woman’s arrest on Wednesday 6 May followed a series of burglaries at Tootgarook, Rosebud and Rye over several weeks. First published in the Southern Peninsula News – 12 May 2020
THE Peninsula Community Legal Centre is offering free over-the-phone legal assistance during the coronavirus crisis. The centre can help with family law, family violence, tenancy, fines and general law, debt, crime and employment issues. While COVID-19 restrictions apply, the centre will provide duty lawyer services remotely at the Federal Circuit Court in Dandenong and the Magistrates’ Court at Frankston and Moorabbin. The centre’s social worker is available to help with non-legal needs. Phone appointments can be made by calling 9783 3600, 9am-5pm Monday to Friday. First published in the Southern Peninsula News – 12 May 2020
ROSEBUD Memorial Hall has become a busy distribution centre for non-perishable and personal hygiene items for those doing it tough during the pandemic. Redeployed Mornington Peninsula Shire staff and up to 800 volunteers pack and send the goods bought from funds donated by members of the community. They are distributed through community information and support centres at Mornington, Hastings and Rosebud and other peninsula-based food relief programs. “It’s amazing how the staff and the volunteers have come together to help,” the mayor Cr Sam Hearn said. “It an example of community caring in which up until last week had distributed…
BATA Shoes in Mornington is offering a free pair of $50 work shoes to aged care and health care workers during May. The company’s graphic design and marketing manager Brad Rayson said the offer was influenced by the valuable role these workers are playing during the current COVID-19 pandemic. “The sign went up [outside the factory] today and we are starting to get lots of calls,” he said, Thursday 7 May. “To take advantage of the offer workers can come in and flash their employer ID.” First published in the Mornington News – 12 May 2020
By Muriel Cooper* “Weird” is a common way of describing our circumstances during the coronavirus lockdown. With this “weirdness” can come a sense of being adrift, not tethered to anything, a sense of unreality; being disconnected. Our ancestors, European or Indigenous, often had to endure long periods of isolation on extended sea voyages or overland treks, and we could do worse than follow their example. How did they remain grounded? Here are a few ways in which I think they kept their sense of place and purpose: They were stoic; they did not expect life to be easy. They expected…
Mornington Community Information and Support Centre, Southern Peninsula Community Support, Information Centre and Western Port Community Support and Community Support Frankston will receive more than $500,000 from the federal government’s new Community Support Package. “This is such a different time with so many moving and changing challenges for emergency relief charities like ours, we have lost some important income streams just when they are most needed,” Southern Peninsula Community Support and Information Centre CEO Jeremy Maxwell said Stuart Davis-Meehan of the Mornington Community Information and Support Centre said the extra money would “enable us to expand the range of support…
THEFTS of, and from, cars on the Mornington Peninsula have “dramatically dropped” after the arrest of four suspects last week. Detective Acting Senior Sergeant Tony Henry, of Somerville CIU, said the men, all in their late teens, were nabbed at Morwell but were originally from the Hastings area. The group is alleged to have stolen three cars and broken into 12 others on the peninsula as well as at Frankston, Dandenong and Croydon over a three-week period. The alleged ringleader, 18, formerly of Hastings, is facing 10 charges which include driving offences. The alleged offenders faced Frankston Magistrates’ Court last…
ONE WEEK after its sister site opened at Rosebud, headspace Hastings will provide early intervention mental health support and assistance for young people experiencing complex mental health issues in the Western Port area. Sited at the Atticus Regional Medicentre, headspace Hastings was established under a $1.5 million federal government grant to set up youth services hubs on the Mornington Peninsula. “We know headspace is a service trusted by young people, and it’s great that headspace Hastings will be able to provide help and support to young people across the region to help them get through tough times, and get back…
HASTINGS police are seeking public help in identifying a couple in relation to the alleged theft of alcohol from a shop in Baxter-Tooradin Road, Baxter, 4.40pm, Sunday 29 March. Police released a CCTV image (below) of two people they believe can assist with their enquiries. The woman, aged in her 30s, is described as Caucasian, 168cm tall, with a medium build and blonde hair. The man, also aged in his 30s, is Caucasian, 175cm tall, with a medium build. Anyone with information is urged to contact Hastings police, 5970 7800, or Crime Stoppers 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential…
MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire councillor and Victoria Police officer Julie Morris said the deaths of four police in a horror crash on the Eastern Freeway, Wednesday 22 April, had “been felt in police stations right across the state”. “I’d like to thank our local community for the flowers, cards and messages of support,” she said. “The kindness we’ve seen and your words of support are encouraging and we thank you for standing beside us at this difficult time, as we mourn and reflect on the loss of our colleagues and friends.” Cr Morris was speaking after Leading Senior Constable Lynette Taylor…
DETECTIVES are searching for a white Ford work ute and trailer stolen from the driveway of a Balnarring house, 1am, Thursday 23 April. Detective Senior Constable Rohan Brock, of Somerville CIU, said another vehicle was broken into at the property earlier in which a spare key for the missing ute was found. A credit card in the ute was later used at a McDonald’s restaurant at Officer. Anyone with information can call Detective Brock, 5978 1300, or Crime Stoppers 1800 333 000. First published in the Western Port News – 29 April 2020
THE Pantry House, at Benton’s Square shopping centre, has been overwhelmed with support for its pay-it-forward board for emergency services and frontline emergency staff which is “getting huge every day”. “We would love more of those people to come and collect the free coffees the community have paid forward,” proprietor Emily Cook, said. “We always have over 50 coffees paid forward and if you check out our Instagram and Facebook I have posted photos of some of the front-liners that got the coffees.” First published in the Mornington News – 28 April 2020
THE number of animals being adopted from Mornington Peninsula Shire’s pound in Watt Road, Mornington has remained steady so far during COVID-19 pandemic. “They are about the same as they were prior to social distancing,” the shire’s environment protection manager John Rankine said. The number of animals being impounded was decreasing. The compatibility of pets and prospective owners is of primary concern to staff at the pound, who list animal profiles online with descriptions of their personalities and photographs. Interested applicants inquire online and staff send out an adoption form. Mr Rankine said the shelter team judged an applicant’s suitability…
VOLUNTEER members of Sorrento State Emergency Service unit are on standby to help during the COVID-19 crisis, but are unable to visit schools, kindergartens, clubs and attend events. “With the winter weather here and people spending time at home we would like the community to think about their home maintenance to reduce the event of injury to themselves and damage to their property,” deputy controller – community education/events Margaret Davis said. Preparing for winter included clearing gutters and downpipes; making sure roofs and fences were in good repair; and securing such outdoor items as trampolines. Ms Davis said it was…