HOUSEHOLD recycling bins will be collected weekly on the Mornington Peninsula from Monday 16 December until Friday 31 January 2020. Mornington Peninsula Shire issued a news release saying it was “working hard towards a cleaner peninsula and encourage our community to reduce, reuse, recycle”. Recyclables should not be placed in plastic bags and can also be taken free to resource recovery centres at Rye, Tyabb and Mornington and hoppers at Dromana, Sorrento and Flinders. Items that can be recycled include aluminium and steel cans and foil; rigid and solid plastic items, such as children’s toys, kitchen ware, cups and drink…
Author: MP News Group
ELEVEN of the 276 VCE students at Padua College, Mornington received ATAR scores above 90. Five of the 11 were above 95 and the highest was 97.8. College principal, Anthony Banks congratulated the class of 2019 and announced Ryan De Ruyter as dux of the school with an ATAR of 97.8. “Congratulations also go to Monique Machin, who achieved the exceptional study score of 50 in outdoor education, and to her teacher Adam Cooper,” Mr Banks said. Students who scored higher than 90 included Ryan De Ruyter, Ronan Pakai, Fintan Bowe, Isabella Shannon, Shannon Christodoulou, Marcus Schaper, Alana McShane, Lily…
WORKS by students from Toorak College, Mornington Secondary College and Balcombe Grammar are all again featuring in January’s Mornington Art Show. There is a series of photographs by Toorak student Georgie Kerkhoff called “Rose coloured glasses” and Renee Pollock, also from Toorak, has printed on silk her “Trilogy of Tranquility”, her view of the purity of nature. Amber Jeffrey from Mornington Secondary College has entered several small portraits in various mood poses done in pencil. Students from Balcombe Grammar have submitted works representing several genres, including a fabric cactus piece by Soleil Stern. The annual show run by Mornington Rotary…
WESTERN Port Coast Guard crews brought Christmas cheer and help to five boats in trouble out on Western Port Bay, Sunday 8 December. Commander Jeremy West said having so many other boats out on the water on “such a glorious day” meant no one was in any real danger, although breakdowns have the potential to turn nasty if the weather deteriorates. Boats assisted off Corinella, Tyabb and Yaringa had flat batteries; one was a motor fail. These mostly minor issues reinforced the necessity of boat owners conducting gear and safety checks before going out on the water, Commander West said.…
CHILDREN feeling unsafe or suffering from personal issues at three Mornington Peninsula primary schools can sit in a Buddy Bench in the playground and someone will come to check on their welfare. Members of the New Peninsula Men’s Shed, Mt Martha, installed a Buddy Bench at Rosebud Primary last week – their seventh so far – with others having been installed at Eastbourne and Balnarring primary schools. Shed president Andrew Doncovio said sitting in the seat triggered a “hierarchy of help” for the students, meaning they could feel confident they were not alone and that others were looking out for…
GIVING more people more access to the bay’s beaches is the aim of Mornington Peninsula Shire’s beach matting program. It is part of the Beach Access program which has been running at Mount Martha beach since 2016 and is now at Mills Beach, Mornington. The beach matting is permanently on the sand offering those in wheelchairs, or with limited mobility, the chance to get to the water’s edge during summer. The matting was rolled out on Friday 8 November and will remain until Easter Monday (13 April) with beach accessible wheelchairs available on weekends during patrol hours. The Disabled Surfers…
A MOUNT Martha man allegedly stormed into two neighbours’ houses and terrorised the occupants, 12.30pm, Sunday 1 December. The man, 43, allegedly forced his way in the front door of a house on the Esplanade and began threatening and verbally abusing a middle aged couple. While they cowered the man, possibly substance-or-drug affected, left and kicked in the front door of another house, again allegedly verbally abusing and threatening the occupants. No one was injured in the incidents although the occupants were said to be shaken. The man allegedly refused to come out of the house before being arrested by…
A TERRIFIED couple in their 60s was ordered out of their car in Mount Martha by two men who then drove off and crashed it into a tree, 3.15pm, Sunday 24 November. Detective Acting Sergeant Peter Drake, of Somerville CIU, said the couple was being tailgated by a silver Honda SUV in Dickson Grove when the incident occurred. Two men in the Honda pulled in front of the couple’s Mercedes and stopped. One, who “appeared to be holding something under a white cloth”, ordered them out, Detective Drake said. One jumped into the Mercedes and it, and the Honda, was…
BEACHES on the Mornington Peninsula will be a focus of the police Operation Summersafe until March. The police are armed with an arsenal of tools and resources to help ensure community safety, including the public order response team, mounted branch, water police, drone unit and dog squad. Commander Libby Murphy said police would have a highly visible presence on beaches within the Southern Metropolitan Region. “We will focus on using real time intelligence and technology through the drone unit to detect and deter offending, giving us the ability to flexibly deploy resources to where they’re most needed,” she said. “Those…
MORNINGTON Peninsula Regional Gallery’s summer exhibition Sublime Sea: Rapture and Reality will run 14 December-23 February. This major summer exhibition will feature about 100 paintings, sculptures, photography, film and the decorative arts. They aim to reveal “how the sense of wonder and awe that has driven artists across the centuries is heightened today as the sea itself is under threat”. With loans from major galleries and museums, including NGV, NGA, Art Gallery of NSW, Queensland Art Gallery, Australian National Maritime Museum, Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences, Museum Victoria and various private galleries, Sublime Sea: rapture and reality evokes the…
Mornington police are hoping to identify two men after a security camera was stolen from a cricket club in Moorooduc. Police have been told two unknown men driving a SUV attended the club on Derril Road about 4am on Tuesday 12 November. It is believed the pair stole a security camera which was attached to a bracket off the wall and fled the scene. Both offenders are perceived to be Caucasian in appearance and aged 30 to 40-years-old. The first man had a shaved head and was wearing a singlet top, jeans and grey hooded top. The second man was…
THE higher profile Global Day of Action for Climate Change rally, Friday 29 November, was the catalyst for an afternoon sit-down outside Flinders MP Greg Hunt’s office, Somerville, the same day. Organiser Meike Suggars said the government’s “inaction on the climate crisis [was] contributing to catastrophic fire conditions”. “People are hurting,” she said. “Communities are being devastated – and summer hasn’t even begun.” Ms Suggars said she had previously been unable to arrange a meeting with Mr Hunt “to discuss my concerns over climate change”. “So, when I saw [last] Friday was a day of action for ThisIsClimateChange, I decided…
By Brosnan Kelly IN only its second year, two hundred and forty athletes from around Victoria – and some interstate – descended upon the Thomas Barclays Oval for the annual running of the Hastings Gift. An event organised by a local community based group, ‘Peninsula Athletics Association Incorporated’, the Gift was initiated in 2018 in an attempt to raise interest in the suburb and attract tourism to the area, as well as aiding in the continuity of the richly historic sport of Professional Athletics. The AGL Hastings Women’s Gift was run and won by emerging sprint star and local peninsula…
MORNINGTON Peninsula Table Tennis Association will this week play host to the best players from Australia and the Oceania region. Stars of Oceania include Heming Hu, Nathan Xu, Melissa Tapper, Grace Yee. They will be competing for a ticket to the teams’ events at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, as well as the 2019 ITTF Oceania Tour of Australia, Friday to Sunday 6-8 December. Residents are invited to get in on the action at Civic Reserve Recreation Centre, Dunns Road. Association president Max Coulthard said: “We welcome all spectators to come and cheer and a give a warm welcome all…
FORMER Mornington Peninsula Shire Citizen of the Year Karen Fankhauser last week opened the season of Mornington Yacht Club’s Sailability program. As chair of Mornington Peninsula Shire’s disability advisory committee, Ms Fankhauser would have felt right at home in the sailing program which allows people of all ages and abilities to enjoy sailing in a fun and inexpensive way. The program has been running since 1999 and participants can enjoy the freedom and fun of recreational sailing, while the more competitive strive to develop their racing skills. Participants come from the general community, disability service organisations, and special developmental schools.…
A CLASS project by Year 11 Design Technology Fabrics students at Mornington Secondary College will improve life for poverty-stricken children in Africa. Their Little Dresses for Africa project began with donations of pillow cases by parents and other students that the girls crafted into colourful dresses. They will be sent to Africa through the charity and the students will be sent pictures of the girls receiving them. The school’s head of art Lea Gilbert said she came across the idea while looking for recycled fashion ideas. “I thought it would be a great thing to do for charity as well…
FRESH from rescuing a swimmer in danger under Frankston pier, Senior Constable Julie Morris is planning a pier-to-pier swim from the Frankston to Mornington. The endurance swim in January will raise money for the Victoria Police Blue Ribbon Foundation. To be called #piertopierforourpeers the swim also has the nickname “10k for 10k”. Senior Constable Morris, a member of Frankston police and a Mornington Peninsula Shire councillor, led a distressed Corey Wood to safety from under Frankston pier on a hot and windy Thursday 22 November (“Police to the rescue in pier drama” The News 26/11/19). An accomplished long-distance swimmer, Senior…
A ROSEBUD man caught driving at an alleged 111kph, pictured, in a 60 zone near the base of Arthurs Seat had his car impounded and will be summonsed to appear in court for driving at a dangerous speed. The 23-year-old, apprehended at 7.30pm, Sunday 24 November, faces a 12-month driving ban. Somerville Highway Patrol officers also detected a P2 probationary licence holder doing an alleged 141kph on the Mornington Peninsula Freeway at McCrae on the same day. The 21-year-old man, of Yarraville, told police he was “on a car cruise and was trying to catch up with mates” about 7pm.…
A SPEECHWRITER has been hired to “provide help” to Mornington Peninsula Shire’s 11 councillors and its CEO John Baker. Christina (Tina) McGuffie was appointed in August “to support our councillors by providing help with the high demand for speeches which has always been a function of the shire’s communications team”, communications and events executive manage Randal Mathieson said. “The peninsula has a very active population and our councillors are highly engaged with their local communities,” Mr Mathieson said. “Each month we receive dozens of requests from community groups for councillors to speak at events, launches and activities throughout the shire.…
A MORNINGTON tree-lopping business has been fined almost $7000 for illegally dumping truckloads of mulch and garden waste. This comes after Mornington Peninsula and Frankston councils joined forces to prosecute the company at both the Dromana and Frankston magistrates’ courts. Tree pruning and removal business Trim Up Tree Service, described as a “serial rubbish dumper”, was found guilty of dumping the waste at Mount Martha and Langwarrin. A Mornington Peninsula Shire news release said the shire had a strong zero-tolerance approach to illegally dumped rubbish, successfully prosecuting 12 offenders this year resulting in fines of $12,000. “Illegal dumping is a…
EVERY walk has a start and a finish. On Friday 22 November Mornington Peninsula Shire mayor Sam Hearn joined the CEO of Kids Under Cover Jo Swift in taking the first steps of a four-day walk to raise money to prevent young people being homeless. Kids Under Cover has been running for 30 years, although it was the first time its fundraising walk has started in Rosebud. “We hope it’s the first of many,” Cr Hearn said, of the walk which ended in Richmond on Monday. “The work Kids Under Cover has done in this region and the state broadly…
ARMADAS of the stinging bluebottle jellyfish (Physalia utriculus) have been washed up on the Mornington Peninsula’s ocean beaches and may soon be entering Port Phillip. The bluebottle, or Pacific man-of-war, is an occasional visitor to Victorian beaches but more common in Sydney and further north. The wind and currents determine its journey before being brought ashore by incoming tides. Wikipedia says bluebottles differ from other jellyfish in several ways. The gas-filled float supports a number of specialised tentacles, which are actually members of a complicated colony. The individual members, or zooids, cooperate to form what looks like one jellyfish. Some…
SOMERVILLE Primary School students have been busily knitting during Thursday lunch times for a special project. The students, along with family members and staff, have been making woollen squares which are being crocheted together by colleague Judy Bray to make colourful blankets to donate to The Salvation Army. They will then go towards making cold nights more bearable for the homeless. “The children are loving being involved, and it has been wonderful to see them developing their knitting skills, making new friends and raising their sense of pride in contributing to a team project that is helping others,” school chaplain…
THE Arthurs Seat Challenge 6.7km fun run + walk was held on Sunday 10 November. The Challenge is held annually to promote the profile of the Fit to Drive road safety program and to raise funds to enable the continuation of this invaluable program at no cost to the secondary schools on the Mornington Peninsula and Frankston region. The overall male winner was Liam Ryan-Nicholls with a time of 25:53.217, which came extremely close to being a course record, and the overall Female winner was Sarah Klein in 28:09.383. The largest school entry was won by Bayside Christian College and…
MOUNT Martha resident Judi is calling for public assistance to locate five rings, believed lost. And while not one hundred percent sure where they went missing, she has a hunch they fell from her bag while at a café in Mount Eliza. “We were sitting having lunch in a Mount Eliza café on 4 November; the day before Melbourne Cup Day,” said Judi. “I recall reaching into my handbag to get something and I believed they may have fallen out.” The five rings were in a small, bright red, Asian-style purse. Of the five rings, one was an engagement ring,…
WITH that festive time of the year fast approaching, Santa is planning a return to Mornington Railway. Mornington Railway Preservation Society says its Santa Specials will return on Sundays 1, 8, 15 and 22 December, with two special afternoon departures on Saturdays 14 and 21 December. The rides give children and families the chance to enjoy some Christmas spirit while also experiencing the delights of the heritage railway which opened in 1889. The vintage steam locomotive K163, built in 1941, will be doing the hauling on the one hour return ride. Other activities to keep families entertained include a jumping…
BONEO Primary School teachers Liz Dewar and Ryan Jellie are joint winners of the $10,000 Outstanding Primary Teacher Choose Maths Awards announced at the 2019 Australian Mathematical Sciences Institute Awards. They and the school received an extra $1000 each for finishing in the top 10 meaning they will share $6000 and the school $6000. After discovering that student outcomes in mathematics were on a downward trend, the passionate educators set about transforming the way students and teachers viewed the learning and teaching of maths in their school. They developed a plan to transform maths instruction and improve student engagement through…
A SOMERVILLE drink-driver ploughed through an NBN junction box in his ute in Inglenook Crescent, Karingal, and severed the cable 7pm, Friday night 15 November. Police said the ute, above, was seen “driving erratically” in McClelland Drive around that time. After the collision the ute was stuck and the driver reportedly ran from the scene. Somerville Highway Patrol tracked him down about two hours later and took him to Frankston police station where he blew 0.082. He was issued with infringement notices for drink-and-careless driving totalling $893. His licence was cancelled and he was disqualified from driving for six months.…
BURGLARS entered a Mt Eliza house through an unlocked garage door and stole keys to two BMWs in the garage, overnight 16-17 November. They drove off in a white 125i model, registration number 1DK5PY, and a blue 320i (ZOA069) from the Manna Hill Court property while the owners were asleep. The total value of the cars is $55,000. The haul was among a series of thefts in Mt Eliza over the weekend. A set of speakers was stolen from the garage of a house in Buloke Close after thieves found a remote control in an unlocked car. The owners heard…
HOWLING winds blew down a section of the screen at Dromana drive-in last week. Owner Paul Whitaker, pictured, said a wind shift to the south mid-afternoon Thursday 21 November ripped off a plywood panel three metres high and 1.5 metres wide from the 30 metre-wide screen. “It’s happened before and it’s easy to fix with a bit of planning,” he said. The screening of Last Christmas and The Terminator were not affected. “We had to angle the projector slightly to the left but everything turned out OK,” Mr Whitaker said. First published in the Southern Peninsula News – 26 November…