A PENINSULA Teenage Art and Fashion Exhibition at Dromana Secondary College this week attracted a record number of garments designed and produced by students. Parents and Friends Association president Natalie Derri, who organised the Monday 21 October event, said: “We had entries from Toorak College, Padua, Rosebud Secondary College, Elisabeth Murdoch and, of course, Dromana College students. “Four esteemed fashion designers critiqued the students’ creations last Sunday and prizes were awarded at the exhibition. “It was an amazing event with the VCAL students also supplying the catering on the night.” First published in the Southern Peninsula News – 22 October…
Author: MP News Group
Mornington police are hoping to identify a woman after a mobile phone went missing from a local store last week. The mobile phone, belonging to a shop worker, was stolen from a Main Street store on Thursday October 17. Police believe that the woman in the pictures can assist them with their inquiries. The female is perceived to be Caucasian in appearance with dark hair and medium build. Anyone with information is urged to contact Mornington Police on 5970 4900 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report online at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au Victoria Police News – Monday, 21…
SUPER Koorie Kids Bush Playgroup and Balnarring Preschool have been named as finalists in the 2019 Victorian Early Years Awards. The awards celebrate the contributions that individuals and organisations make to improving the learning and development of young children and their families. Super Koorie Kids Bush Playgroup and Balnarring Preschool were nominated in the Creating Collaborative Community Partnerships category, which will be awarded next month. Since 2016, Mornington Peninsula Shire has worked closely with Willum Warrain Aboriginal Gathering Place to provide Super Koorie Kids Bush Playgroup, a culturally welcoming bush playgroup for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families.…
MEET Igor, a part-time scarecrow and part-time electrician who is very good at changing light globes and passing solar panels up onto roofs. The gentle giant is a big supporter of Somers Primary School and will put himself up for auction at the 16th Annual Somers Arts Fair, 10am-5pm, Sunday 27 October. His sale proceeds will go to the school. Made from recycled Oregon studs, pallets and old bocce balls, the 3.6-metre Igor has fully articulated limbs and is finished in a mixture of linseed oil and boiled gum turpentine to protect him from the weather. His creator, David Colcott,…
A DEVICE that reduces the risk of a spark from a powerline causing a fire is being installed at a Dromana electricity substation. The rapid earth fault current limiter is expected to be ready in time for summer. This is the third device to be installed in the United Energy network area. The first system was used to lessen the risk of bushfires at Frankston South as part of a 2009 trial and the second was installed at Mornington in November. The devices have so far automatically activated more than 530 times on the Mornington Peninsula, which is one of…
RATEPAYERS can get rid of green waste for free at Mornington Peninsula Shire’s no charge green waste event, 25, 26 and 27 October. The event is for Mornington Peninsula Shire residents or ratepayers only, with green waste to be dropped off only from residential vehicles and trailers. No commercial vehicles or commercial green waste will be accepted. Proof of residency is required, such as driver’s licence with current address or a current rates notice. Green waste includes all types of garden waste and untreated timber. Expect delays at the resource recovery centres, particularly at the beginning and end of each…
A MORNINGTON girl, 15, has been charged with intentionally causing injury, affray and unlawful assault at Mornington beach, Tuesday 8 October. The girl is alleged to have assaulted a 15-year-old Mt Martha girl on the foreshore near The Esplanade and Schnapper Point Drive about 6pm. Police said the victim received cuts and bruises. The girls are know each other. Vision of the assault was posted on to social media. The Mornington girl has been bailed to appear at a children’s court at a later date. First published in the Mornington News – 15 October 2019
By Patricia MacLeod IT’S easy to let the grass grow under your feet, but Mt Martha residents are being encouraged to nip weed infestations in the bud. Environmental groups BERG MM and Sunshine Reserve Conservation and Fireguard Group recently held the annual Weedbusters stall at the Mt Martha shops to provide information on the damage caused by and offer advice on combating infestations. BERG MM volunteer Sue Betheras said it was an opportunity to raise awareness of weeds “growing furiously at this time of year”. “People stop to look at the display of common weeds and ask questions. Volunteers give…
MORE than 850 artworks, including landscapes and seascapes by Hans Fickler and Gary Laird, will be on show and on sale at the 48th annual Mornington Art Show. Art show judge Regina Hona will also exhibit some of her work. Works coming from throughout Australia as well as the Mornington Peninsula will include photography, glassware by Bobby Easton and wind sculptures by Rudi Jass. Held by Mornington Rotary Club, the art show will run for 10 days from the opening night on Thursday 16 January to Australia Day, Sunday 26 January. “We aim to maintain the tradition of presenting a…
THREE of the contestants from this year’s Australian Ninja Warriors contest have now swung their training towards scaling Arthurs Seat. Charlie Robbins, who won the grand final of the latest Channel 9 series, and fellow “warriors” Zak Stolz and Troy Cullen have been named as ambassadors for this year’s Arthurs Seat Challenge. All three coach gymnastics in Rosebud and are training at The Compound at Tuerong as part of their preparations for the next Ninja series. “With the roads being such a dangerous place, we need to help improve knowledge and attitudes, especially with phones,” Robbins said when asked about…
TEN enthusiastic volunteers got together to clean up sections of the Esplanade, Mt Martha, after the Around the Bay in a Day ride, Sunday 6 October. Over two-and-a-half hours between Ellerina and Bradford roads the group ran out of bags in collecting 362 cans, 155 plastic bottles, 419 glass bottles and 936 CDs weighing 246kg. The volunteers included Cathy Mitchell, Sarah Joyce, Amy Westnedge, Andy Quin, Jessica Schubert-Hoban, Andrew Sparkinson, Gary Robertson, Cathy Norman, Simon Hodgson and environmentalist Josie Jones. “We encouraged the riders along The Esplanade and they thanked us as we scrambled through 280 metres of roadside,” Ms…
A 45-year-old woman was detected drink driving in Hastings last night (8 October) following a single vehicle crash. A member of the public alerted police after the car crashed into a ditch near the corner of Hodgins and Henderson’s Roads about 9.30pm. On police arrival the driver returned a positive preliminary breath test and was taken to Hastings Police Station. At the police station it is alleged the Hastings woman returned an evidentiary breath test of .333. Her vehicle was immediately impounded and she will be charged on summons with various traffic related offences. Victoria Police News – 9 October…
BUSINESSES and the community will come together at this year’s Balnarring Sustainability Fair to present workshops, stalls and activities aimed at securing a more sustainable future. The 4-7pm, Saturday 12 October event will be headlined by Josie Jones, whose active commitment to protecting Port Phillip by reducing waste earned her this year’s Mornington Peninsula Shire Citizen of the Year award. A series of workshops will include the team from Talking Hens, Merricks, discussing the best ways of keeping backyard chickens, while bee enthusiast Nick Harrison will discuss making homemade beeswax candles. The Balnarring Primary School fundraiser will open with a…
THE creative results from attending courses at Hastings U3A were on show at the “university’s” Community Art and Craft Show. Held in the Hastings Community Hall over two days, the show gave members of the public a chance to find out more about the activities and courses run by Hastings U3A (university of the third age). The name U3A derives from the number three signifying a lifetime of three segments: childhood independence; employment, parental responsibility; and the third age of being over 45 and retired or semi-retired. The not-for-profit organisation provide opportunities for its members to share knowledge and skills.…
TEMPORARY replacement portable toilets at Capel Sound Foreshore Reserve are “horrendous” and don’t compensate campers and visitors for the loss of the old concrete block, a resident says. Chris Major, who complained about the closure of the rundown 1950s block last year, says the “port-a-loos” are an inadequate replacement. “We’ve been waiting since January for a new toilet block and now with the summer onslaught approaching it looks like we’ll have to go through it all again,” she said. “Hundreds of people won’t use them and just go and pee in the bushes.” Ms Major said dance and yoga clubs…
By Barry Morris IN keeping with a worrying Australia-wide trend, loneliness is seeping across the Mornington Peninsula, fuelled by the growing number of elderly people living on their own. It is probably a greater problem on the peninsula because it has a higher-than-average proportion of older people when compared with other Victorian regions. The peninsula also has more single or lone-person households. The Mornington-based social awareness group Peninsula Voice, says the peninsula is undergoing an epidemic of loneliness. While recognising the work of such organisations as Beyond Blue, Black Dog Institute and the Men’s Shed Association, Peninsula Voice is organising…
A MAN in his 30s was taken to Frankston Hospital with back injuries on Saturday afternoon (5 October) after his paraglider spiralled and then crashed into the ground at Flinders. It is understood the man was holidaying in Australia from the Unites States and was making one of his first flights in this country. Emergency crews took about two hours to rescue the man from bushes at the base of a cliff near Flinders pier. The man reportedly took off from the car park above the pier before crashing at about 2.30pm. First published in the Southern Peninsula News -…
RESTRICTIONS are being eased this month to allow owners of small properties to burn off for fire prevention purposes. Open air burning is allowed 9am-4pm, Fridays and Saturdays, on land less than 1500 square metres, provided that no more than one cubic metre of vegetation is burnt at any one time; that the fire is not within 10 metres of any neighbouring dwelling, and that general fire safety provisions are followed at all times. The easing of restrictions on land less than 1500 square metres aims to assist owners of smaller properties reduce fine fuel in the lead up to…
ALTHOUGH there are a couple of months to go, finishing touches are being made to some of the 800 toys being readied for Christmas by Woodworkers of the Southern Peninsula. Each year the woodworkers hand the toys over for charities to bring joy to needy children. As well as working towards their toy quota, the woodworkers have this year moved from makeshift tin sheds in Besgrove Street, Rosebud to a purpose-built workshop at the Vern Wright Reserve, Elizabeth Avenue, Tootgarook. The move made way for work to start on the Rosebud Aquatic Centre and created “an interesting and wonderful year”…
TIM Freedman has been talking about impending new songs for years. Now he is putting it in writing that he will perform some new material in his solo tour this October and November 2019, and that he is prepared to be run out of town if he doesn’t deliver. “Hopefully the new songs aren’t too successful though, otherwise I’ll earn too much to retain my franking credits. Unfortunately, like every one else in the world, I just had to express myself.” Freedman is best known as the front-man and songwriter of Australian band ‘The Whitlams’ – an Australian Recording Industry…
PERMITS have been issued for the Peninsula Aero Club’s 2020 air show to be held in March. The mayor Cr David Gill said Mornington Peninsula Shire Council was “always committed to seeing the air show proceed”. “It is a great event for the peninsula, providing significant charitable donations for the local community and a showcase for aero enthusiasts,” he said. The issuing of permits shows a thaw in relations between the club and the council after the club moved to cancel the event. (“Club abandons air show” The News 13/8/2019). At the time, PAC president Jack Vevers said he had…
MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire says survey results “show the community believes [the council’s] overall performance, customer service and waste management are all positive”. The annual community satisfaction survey, independently conducted by telephone across shire households in February and March for the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, measures community perception on the performance of Victorian councils across a range of measures. While a minimum of 400 interviews were conducted in 63 municipalities for the survey, the results for each council have not been published for the public by DELWP. The mayor Cr David Gill said results for the peninsula show…
AN incentive program at Mornington Park Primary School in which students earn points towards owning a new – restored – bike is both insightful and productive. The Wheeling It Forward program run by physical education and sport coordinator Tim Fitzpatrick encourages the students to “do the right thing” and, in this way, earn points from a teacher towards reaching the magical 100 points target. They are then able to choose a bike rebirthed and repaired by New Peninsula Mt Martha Men’s Shed members as their reward. The students build up points, called tokens, for good behaviour, such as displaying school…
POLICE are searching for a man who left a service station without paying for petrol, around 1.30pm 26 August. The man filled up a white VR/VS Holden commodore with stolen plates with about $64 worth of fuel. The man then left the Baxter petrol station without attempting to pay. An image (above) has been released of a man police wish to speak to. Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential crime report at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au First published in the Mornington News – 1 October 2019
THE Mt Martha branch of the Bendigo bank is the drop-off point for plastic bread tags which are part of the Bread Tags for Wheelchairs campaign. Created in South Africa in 2006, Bread Tags for Wheelchairs sells used bread tags to plastic companies and uses the proceeds to buy wheelchairs for disadvantaged South Africans with disabilities. The plastic company then recycles the tags into seedling trays and doorknobs. The volunteer run organisation collects 500kg of bread tags each month in South Africa, contributing to two to three wheelchairs. Retired nurse Mary Honeybun started the program after realising how important it…
A Mt Eliza Man has been fined $500 after he pleaded guilty to keeping an illegal and high-risk invasive snake. The 20-year-old, who exchanged a PlayStation for a milk snake on Facebook last year, was fined without conviction at Frankston Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday 17 September. The maximum penalty for importing, keeping or selling a controlled pest animal in Victoria is $39,652. “We are very concerned when we get a call about an exotic species being found in Victoria because of the enormous potential to threaten our native species and agriculture,” chief conservation regulator, Kate Gavens said. “Our investigators received…
IF there is anything a golden retriever likes more than a swim it’s food. And when your owner decides to sit on a bench during Mornington’s Wednesday street market you can be sure there’s food involved. Last Wednesday was the first week of the school holidays and the sun was shining as shoppers roamed Main Street during the regular market. But while stallholders and their customers strived to provide and buy such things as food, art items and clothing, few would have known it was the market’s 40th anniversary. The longest running street market in Victoria began on Wednesday 26…
A LIMESTONE cottage in Ocean Beach Road, Sorrento, and cargo shed have jointly won the Creative Reuse of a Heritage Place category in this year’s Mornington Peninsula Heritage Awards. The 1905 limestone cottage Carmel was originally run as a boarding house by two women and is now used as a reception area for holiday accommodation at the rear of the building. Women are running the venture these days, too – Philippa Chalkitis and Allison Manning – which is continuing the tradition in both senses. The cottage has two rooms for community use and sits in front of extensive accommodation areas…
RECREATIONAL divers are being urged to join a citizen science dragon hunt. The call to join in the research is not associated with any mythical creature, but the weedy seadragon. Although the weedy seadragon is the state’s marine emblem, little is known about how many of them reside in Port Phillip. “Weedy seadragon numbers in some locations in Australia have declined, however the population in our own backyard, Port Phillip Bay, has rarely been studied and we do not know if they are suffering the same fate” Victorian National Parks Association (VNPA) ReefWatch coordinator Kade Mills said. “The first step…
THE Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) is repairing the sandbag seawall at Portsea front beach. Sandbags were installed at the beach in 2010 to try to prevent further erosion. The pre-summer repair work will not affect pedestrian access to the pier except when trucks are using the pier access lane. “The sandbag wall was established in 2010 and has since helped protect the Portsea foreshore against the impacts of storm surges, waves, tides and wind,” DELWP Port Phillip regional director Stephen Chapple said. “The outer layer of the wall is in poor condition, as a result of…