LAST Thursday’s Mornington Art Show opening has been hailed “a resounding success” by one of its organisers. Mornington Rotary Club member John Renowden said more than 400 people attended the opening at Mornington Community Theatre, with “record sales” being made of artwork and items in a silent auction. “The silent auction alone raised more than $8000 for bushfire relief,” Mr Renowden said. The money follows $10,000 already pledged by the club for bushfire relief. Individual artists have also made donations. “The art show has continued to achieve high numbers attending in its first weekend,” Mr Renowden said. The exhibition of…
Author: MP News Group
FLINDERS MP Greg Hunt years ago added his voice to those fighting to stop Melbourne Water discharging partially treated sewage into the sea near Gunnamatta. The protesters, led by the Clean Ocean Foundation, successfully forced Melbourne Water to lift its wastewater treatment to Class A, although hundreds of thousands of litres of water are still pumped daily through the ocean outfall. However, more uses are being found for the recycled water and Mr Hunt was pleased to visit Mornington Golf Club this month where $300,000 from the federal government is being used to bring water to storage dams. Recycled water…
SHOTGUN blasts and Molotov cocktails shattered the overnight calm in Dromana, early Saturday 11 January. Detective Senior Sergeant Miro Majstorovic, of Somerville CIU, said the occupants of a “white vehicle” fired two shotgun rounds at a house in Palmerston Crescent about 2.20am. They also threw Molotov cocktails onto the road out front. Pellets from the shotgun reportedly damaged two cars in the driveway. Three people were at home at the time: a 59-year-old female and two men, aged 51 and 32. No one was injured. Police “can’t rule out” that the parties knew each other, Detective Majstorovic said. First published…
A MAN who stole a bottle of spirits from a Mornington liquor store threatened staff who tried to intervene. He returned the next day but left empty handed when again confronted by staff. The man, pictured, is described as being in his late teens to early 20s, Caucasian, stocky build, about 177cm wearing a baseball cap, camo pants and blue jacket, stole a bottle of Wild Turkey valued at $46 from a bottle shop in McLaren Place, 10.30pm, January 6. He returned at about midday the next day. Police said he was wearing the same pants with a black jacket,…
MORNINGTON Senior Constable Dave Burton and Constable Dylan Beaumont spotted a Mitsubishi Triton ute and trailer parked on the side of the road at Somerville, Wednesday 15 January. Doing a spot check they found the number plates on the car, and the trailer, had both been reported stolen days earlier. Selecting a vantage point they sat and waited until a man walked up and opened the car’s door. When approached the man claimed he had “nothing to do” with the vehicle and had opened the door because he was curious about why it was parked there. The police searched a…
WHILE CFA members from across the Mornington Peninsula were shuttling back and forth to help in East Gippsland last week, smoke from weeks of bushfires blanketed skies across the state. Semi-darkness throughout the days created an eerie feeling and presented unusual sights on the Mornington Peninsula. Among the most compelling were the lighthouse at Cape Schanck and Mornington Harbour. Red Hill Fire Brigade’s David Breadmore said 20 or so fires in in East Gippsland were difficult to control because they merged into one big fire, At one stage there was more 1000 kilometres of uncontained fire edge, including in remote…
Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding a fatal collision which occurred at Pearcedale yesterday afternoon (14 January 2020). Investigators have been told an SUV was travelling along Baxter-Tooradin Road at 12.20pm when it attempted to overtake two cars and collided head-on with a semi-trailer. Emergency services arrived on scene but were not able to revive the male driver of the SUV. The driver of the truck has been transferred to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Baxter-Tooradin Road was closed in both directions. Anyone who witnessed the crash or with further information or dash cam footage is urged to contact Crime Stoppers…
AT the recent annual meeting of the Hastings branch of the Bendigo Bank shareholders were advised that the reduction of interest rates had limited the growth of the bank. However, a profit was recorded and the previous level of dividend was maintained. The bank continued to support a variety of organisations in the local community and the total of grants made now exceeds $500,000. The Alf Tallon Community Service Trophy for 2019 was awarded to John Watson for his contribution to both the Hastings Fire Brigade and the Hastings Football Club. Mr Watson was recently presented with a 60-year service…
A man has died following a suspected drowning at a Mornington beach on Saturday. Investigators have been told male snorkellers located the man’s body in the water at Mills Beach on 10 January shortly after 11.30am. The 36-year-old Cheltenham man was unable to be revived. Police will prepare a report for the coroner and are not treating the death as suspicious. Anyone who witnessed the incident or can provide any information to investigators is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or make a confidential report at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au Victoria Police News – Monday, 13 January 2020
HUNDREDS of surfers and volunteers are expected at Point Leo beach on Saturday (18 January) for the first event of the year held by the Disabled Surfers Association Mornington Peninsula (DSAMP). Registration for surfers and volunteers starts from 10am near the Point Leo Surf Lifesaving Cub. The first surfers will be in the water by 11am with the event finishing at 3 pm. “You don’t have to be an experienced surfer to help, we have volunteers of all ages and backgrounds who help at our events,” DSAMP president John Bowers said. “And we have all sorts of things for our…
TWO community groups have been busy in the background raising money for bushfire relief. Red Hill Lions and Flinders District Lions collected $11,500 from parking cars at the January Red Hill market. The money would normally go to peninsula-based charities and projects, but will this time go to the victims of the East Gippsland fires. Both clubs are in a district that stretches to Mallacoota, so there are close friends, family and communities that need assistance. As well as Lions club members, volunteers at the market came from the Red Hill CFA, schools, kindergartens and the wider community. “It was…
MORE police are out on Main Street, Mornington in a bid to stop potential antisocial behaviour and alcohol-fuelled violence near pubs, clubs and restaurants. Mornington police say they will conduct more foot patrols, more venue walkthroughs, and more engagement with the public to “ensure patron and venue staff safety”. They will focus on Uber pick-up points and take a zero-tolerance approach to any anti-social behaviour. Anyone involved in alcohol-fuelled violence will be banned from licensed premises under the Mornington Safe City Liquor Accord and Court Sanctioned Alcohol Exclusion Orders. Liquor Accord bans are a collaborative approach between venues in Mornington…
A ROSEBUD man is walking into 2020 after allegedly driving at 106kph in a 50kph zone along Point Nepean Road through Dromana, 3.30am, Tuesday 31 December. Rosebud police impounded the car for 30 days with a release fee of $1010. The 35-year-old is expected to be charged on summons with driving at a speed dangerous and exceeding the speed limit. All police vehicles have speed measuring devices and officers are authorised take action as required. First published in the Southern Peninsula News – 15 January 2020
A MT MARTHA man allegedly clocked at 124kph over the speed limit on Christmas day is expected to be charged on summons with serious driving offences. The 69-year-old was behind the wheel of a silver 2015 Ford Falcon FGX Turbo sedan allegedly detected by a speed camera at 224kph going southbound on Moorooduc Highway, between Bentons and Craigie roads, 9.20pm, Wednesday 25 December. And he isn’t the owner of the car: It’s in the name of a 31-year-old Mt Martha man who has been issued with a notice to surrender his vehicle to the impound yard for 30 days. “In…
MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire’s Australia Day celebrations will include live music, entertainment, children’s activities, fireworks and lots of delicious food. Events will be held at Mornington Park, Dromana, Hastings and Rye foreshores, Mount Eliza and Rosebud villages greens, Sorrento Bowls Club and Sorrento-Portsea RSL, each with its own flavour and attractions. The shire-run event at Mornington Park will feature Kate Ceberano live on stage, while the kids will enjoy Nickelodeon’s PAW Patrol, featuring appearances by Marshall, Chase, Skye and Rubble. The mayor Cr Sam Hearn said Australia Day was a time to reflect on what it meant to be Australian and…
SEVEN high achievers have been chosen as Australia Day ambassadors for the Mornington Peninsula. The honour reflects their “significant contributions to the community” in areas as diverse as computer programming, community volunteering, army veterans and media and entertainment. The ambassadors are volunteer health awareness campaigner Roy Francis, of Mornington; mathematics and computer science pioneer Alison Harcourt AO; entertainment industry veteran Lisa Edwards; food company managing director Joseph Cannatelli; interpreter and community volunteer Sabihe McDonald; former RSL state president Major General David McLachlan AO; and television presenter George Donikian. They will join official proceedings and celebrations across the peninsula giving members…
MORNINGTON Peninsula councillor and Frankston policewoman Julia Morris and her swimming partner Daniel Burton have so far raised $5055 of a $10,000 goal to assist in treating police PTSD and mental health disorders. The pair swam the 10 kilometres from Mornington to Frankston, Wednesday 8 January – three-times the length of their longest swim to date. Sergeant Burton and Senior Constable Morris are both keen triathletes, and have been swimming together for three years, sharing a passion for the Frankston and Mornington coastline. Their swim was inspired by Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton’s Head to Head walk. Anybody wanting to donate…
ORQUESTA Bombon and Ventana Fiesta present Postcards of Tango, a musical and cultural voyage at the Frankston Arts Centre. Be transported back in time to the ports of Buenos Aires and Montevideo, where thousands of migrants arrived accompanied by their own unique rhythms and sounds. Through this musical, dance and visual arts journey from 1840 to 2020, you will witness how costumes and customs converged and harmonised to create the modern tango. A cast of 12 musicians, six dancers and two visual artists will powerfully bring the story of tango from South America to life for the first time in…
THEY are wrapped up for Christmas with not a battery in sight. Carefully crafted toys made by members of the Woodworkers of the Southern Peninsula (WoSP) were last week handed over to the charities which will in turn hand them on to the children of needy families. The woodworkers have been making toys for the cause for 21 years and this year, despite losing the use of a workshop for more than six weeks, have still made 750 toys. While still meeting their toy quota, the woodworkers moved from makeshift tin sheds in Besgrove Street, Rosebud to a purpose-built workshop…
BLAIRGOWRIE’S Sarsha Pancic came in the under-14 girls division at Australian Junior Surfing Titles at Margaret River, 30 November-7 December. The Victorian team won the event for the first time with members including Sara Hickson and Lucas Hickson, of Rye, and Willem Watson, of Shoreham. They were among 28 Victorian juniors in the seven-day event at local break Surfers Point. It was chosen as the primary event location because it has the most consistent and reliable waves in the region. It is also home to the WSL Margaret River Pro. Surfing Victoria’s Elley Harrison said the main break Margaret River…
FORMER Dromana MP Tony Hyams is saying thanks to doctors who gave him a double lung transplant by swimming in the Pt Leo Classic on Boxing Day. The 74-year-old is tackling the 1.2 kilometre swim to raise money for research into lung disease in the knowledge that he was saved from a rare and potentially fatal lung disease four years ago. Money raised will go to clinical and research work at the world-recognised respiratory unit at The Alfred Hospital to support those suffering from lung disease. The target is $20,000. “The staff’s work at The Alfred is amazing; it’s like…
LIFE memberships have been given to long time Pink Lady volunteers at The Bays aged care home at Hastings. Valerie Gregory (25 years), Margaret O’Donnell (23), Carole Wooldridge (17) and Janice Danaher (11) were presented with certificates at The Bays’ annual general meeting in November. “Their individual contributions are outstanding. Helping to define The Bays’ community-centric approach, they are an integral part of our culture,” The Bays Healthcare Group CEO Elena Allen said. “It is a well overdue accolade for these humble individuals who have dedicated their life to supporting the mission of The Bays within the community that we…
NO entertainment and no nonsense will again be Mornington Peninsula Shire’s approach to New Year’s Eve on the southern peninsula. Shire officers will work with police to minimise any negative impacts of celebrations. The shire says this tactic has helped in providing a safe destination for residents and holiday makers since its introduction more than 16 years ago. It provides better security, lighting, additional transport and services throughout the Nepean Ward towns of Rye, Blairgowrie, Sorrento and Portsea. The aim is to make the peninsula a safe place to enjoy the New Year period. In essence it means there will…
A CAR was burnt out after being stolen from outside its owner’s house at Safety Beach, overnight Friday 13 December. Burglars took the keys to the $20,000 Audi from a Rymer Street house and within half an hour had torched it in nearby Bruce Road. A VW Golf was stolen from outside a house in Davies Street, Safety Beach at about the same time was still missing late last week. “In both instances, the owners did not hear anything. Both cars were parked outside their respective homes,” Detective Senior Sergeant Eddie Logonder, of Mornington Peninsula CIU, said. He would not…
MEMBERS of the community are being asked to “look out for one another” as calls for help with family violence are expected to peak during the holiday period. Police typically see an increase of family violence incidents as the end of year approaches. “While [it’s] a great time to get together and celebrate with family, police certainly see an increase in trauma that happens during the festive season,” Assistant Commissioner of Family Violence Command, Dean McWhirter said. “Statistics show that police responded to 83,775 family violence incidents in a 12-month period – that’s one call for help every six minutes.…
By Barry Morris TUCKED away in a closed-up shed at the back of a Mornington Peninsula property rests a cardboard box of mouldy, moth-eaten papers and documents from long ago. Talk about a bygone era – an old copy of Scouting for Boys written by the movement’s founder Lord Robert Baden-Powell, or B-P for short. Baden-Powell became a hero in Britain for his role in the relief of the besieged town of Mafeking in South Africa during the Boer War at the end of the 19th century. Today, there’s a street named after him that traverses Frankston South and Mt…
DISCOUNTED Early Bird tickets for the much anticipated Tyabb Airshow have just gone on sale for a limited time. Every second year the Tyabb Airshow provides the community an opportunity to get up close to the action as Warbirds from WW1 to current day ADF aircraft as well as historic & rare civil planes thrill and remind us all of how flying was. Some of these planes are very rare, some are the only operating examples in the world. They are not museum pieces, they fly. Come along and hear the sound of Rolls Royce Merlins, the roar of heavy…
MORNINGTON MP David Morris wants the state government to declare a highway school zone outside Balcombe Grammar School, Nepean Highway, Mount Martha. He says there are “credible and disturbing reports” that cars are ignoring pedestrian lights near the school entrance. “While the school has funded and installed pedestrian lights to assist in crossing the highway, there are credible and disturbing reports that numbers of cars are jumping the red light,” Mr Morris said. “All too often in these situations it is a case of waiting until an accident happens before any action is taken. I do not want that to…
ELECTRICITY distributor United Energy wants Mornington Peninsula residents to prepare for extreme temperatures and the fire season by ensuring they “know what to do if the power goes out in an emergency”. The company says customers can plan for outages to ensure they stay safe and minimise inconvenience, as well as “get back on with their day quickly once the lights come back on”. It says it plans year-round for summer, with “500 people involved in inspecting poles, cutting vegetation and installing bushfire mitigation devices”. “However, [we] can’t control the weather, so these tips will help locals prepare for the…
THE carbon capture and storage company CO2CRC has delivered the first major component of a hydrogen refining plant to AGL’s Loy Yang brown coal mine in the Latrobe Valley. The pilot plant being developed at Loy Yang which employs a two-step process to clean-up, purify and separate the synthetic gas (syngas) from the coal gasifier will produce a pure stream of hydrogen with concentrations greater than 99.999 vol per cent. The plant will be used as part of the Hydrogen Energy Supply Chain (HESC) project – a world first trial to establish the feasibility of supplying clean hydrogen for export…