A HOON driver allegedly doing late-night burnouts in Rye last week later blew over the legal blood alcohol limit and had his car impounded for 30 days at a cost of $1010. Rosebud police saw the man’s white Holden ute as they turned the corner into Johnson Avenue, 11.50pm, Saturday 8 June. They said the driver parked and started walking away before being stopped for the breath test: he blew 0.171 per cent. Leading Senior Constable Natalie Dean said the man’s P1 licence was suspended and he will be charged on summons with drink driving and traffic-related offences. First published…
Author: MP News Group
A YOUNG speedster nabbed at 160kph in a 100kph zone at Dromana has had his car impounded for 30 days at a cost of $1280. The 18-year-old Capel Sound P1 licence-holder is also expected to be charged on summons with driving at a dangerous speed and exceeding the speed limit. A major collision investigation unit officer on his way home intercepted the man’s white Mazda ute on Mornington Peninsula Freeway, 8.20pm, Sunday 9 June. Leading Senior Constable Natalie Dean said impounding the car was part of Operation Regal, a four-day high visibility road policing operation over the Queen’s birthday long…
THREE men who allegedly bashed an older man walking near Bittern railway tracks are being sought by Hastings police. Senior Constable Lauren Coster said the men were skylarking on the tracks in a white Nissan Patrol when it became stuck near Moreton Crescent, midday, Thursday 30 May. As they tried to winch the vehicle free the older man approached and commented and an argument started. One of the younger men allegedly punched him to the head, knocking him down and causing pain, lacerations and swelling to his face. The alleged attacker is described as having fair skin, 183cm tall, stocky…
A HASTINGS man has been charged in relation to the theft of five cars from a Marine Parade, Hastings, car yard, Monday 3 June. He appeared at Frankston Magistrates’ Court last week charged with burglary, theft of motor vehicles, shop theft, handling stolen goods and possessing the proceeds of crime and was remanded in custody to appear at the same court at a later date. The man, 31, was arrested at a Spring Street house along with two others: a woman, 25, and a man, 30, who were charged and bailed in relation to outstanding warrants unrelated to the car…
THE Australian Electoral Commission officially named Peta Murphy as the new member for Dunkley on 4 June. Ms Murphy was officially declared a member of the Australian Parliament at midday, ending the single term of outgoing MP Chris Crewther. Ms Murphy thanked the AEC and her supporters on social media. “Thank you to the AEC, who make sure that the best system of democracy in the world works smoothly. The final result was 52.6 per cent to 47.4 per cent, with a margin of just over 5000 votes. This means we achieved a swing to Labor well in excess of…
POLICE are treating as suspicious a fire which destroyed a two-storey house at Safety Beach, early Monday 3 June. The Balmoral Avenue house, above, was engulfed by fire when CFA crews from Dromana, Rosebud and Mt Martha arrived, 1.15am. Minor fire damage was caused to neighbouring houses. The house was supposedly unoccupied leading police to suspect that squatters may have been responsible. First published in the Southern Peninsula News – 11 June 2019
TRAIN commuters misusing pedestrian crossings, and cyclists riding on pedestrian walkways at level crossings, face fines during a joint two-week Victoria Police and Public Transport Victoria campaign targeting pedestrians engaging in unsafe behaviour at level crossings. Statistics show more than 200 near misses a year occur when train drivers are forced to brake unexpectedly or take other actions to avoid trespassers on the lines. Police have urged members of the public to ensure they stay safe around train stations and level crossings, and don’t engage in dangerous behaviour. First published in the Southern Peninsula News – 11 June 2019
RAW sewage escaping into the foyer forced Mornington Police Station to close last week. Passers-by said toilet paper and excrement were flowing out from under the doors and the odour from unsanitary water on the footpath was “very strong”, 4.30pm, Monday 3 June. Workers in the side street near the old cells pumped out blocked pipes and even a Frankston SES crew turned up to lend a hand. Officer-in-charge Senior Sergeant Paul Edwards said the problem was caused by heavy rain and a blocked pipe – for the second time in a decade. He said sewage flowing downhill in pipes…
AFTER 60 years of service – and donating more than $4 million – members of the Southern Peninsula Community Fund (SPCF) have good reason to celebrate. Volunteer David Wills said Rosebud Rotary Club established the fund in 1959 to support families, elderly and cancer patients. In 1971 the fund expanded its operations to become the first meals on wheels service on the Mornington Peninsula. In 1975 it bought a shop and launched the Rye Opportunity Shop at 2141 Point Nepean Road, which has been a mainstay of financial support for those needing help in the community. In 1997, when the…
By Fred Wild EWART Melbourne Brindle saw his first Rolls Royce Silver Ghost on Dromana Esplanade on a summer afternoon in 1912 — a sighting that led the eight-year-old to a career that would make him America’s most celebrated illustrator of the famous cars. On May 17 the Twenty Silver Ghosts gallery in the Rolls Royce Foundation’s museum in Mechanicsburg, Philadelphia, US had its official opening. The purpose built gallery features 26 of Brindle’s original paintings the basis for the 1971 book, “Twenty Silver Ghosts”. The paintings detail some of the most famous pre-World War I cars. The gallery houses…
PENINSULA Aero Club will submit a new application to Mornington Peninsula Shire Council in an attempt to have it lift the ban on flights during the controversial “holy hour”, 9.30-10.30am Sundays. Club president Jack Vevers said a knock-back would give the club the trigger to bypass the shire and seek a ruling from the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal. A previous application to the council’s planning services meeting to remove the one hour no-fly ban was withdrawn by the club alarmed at a shire officer’s recommendation to ban take-offs and landings from sunset on Saturdays to 9am Sundays in exchange…
NEW Sunnyside Road footpath and toilet facilities at Mt Eliza will allow easier beach access with better facilities for visitors from this week. YMCA Camp Manyung, along with Mornington Peninsula Shire Council, TAC and Sport and Recreation Victoria, opened the safe, all-weather path and upgraded toilet, Thursday 30 May. The developments were described by the YMCA as the “result of years of tireless efforts from locals, community groups and support from partnerships, [with] the $370,000 raised for the works … creating a safer, more inclusive beach and camping experience for locals and visitors”. The footpath runs from Camp Manyung to…
SCOOPING Best Play, Best Actor and Best Composer, Guru of Chai has gone on to sell out tours around the world – tours that have brought audiences to their feet pronouncing it “the best show”. Now it’s time for our Guru to bring his magic to Frankston Arts Centre’s stage. The contradictions of modern India with its iPhones and ancient gods come alive in this outrageously funny and heartbreakingly beautiful production. Our Guru, a poor chai-wallah, has his life changed forever when a young girl is abandoned at a busy railway station and brings the place to a standstill with…
SPEED is being blamed for a tragic collision at Mt Eliza last week in which a young couple ploughed into an approaching car – killing themselves and seriously injuring the other driver. Apprentice hairdresser Kalinda Nheu, 18, of Pearcedale, and Pauly Khaled, 22, of Heatherton, were driving north in a yellow ute when it ran across the median strip into the south-bound lanes and collided with an oncoming vehicle on Nepean Highway, near Mt Eliza Way, 11.15pm, Monday 27 May. The other driver was taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries. The pair were said to be car enthusiasts with…
A MAN allegedly reversed his ute into a parked car outside a hardware store on Frankston-Flinders Road, Hastings, last week. Police say the man drove off without making any attempt to contact the owner of the damaged vehicle, 9.55am, Saturday 25 May. Anyone with information is urged to contact Hastings police station 5970 7800 or Crime Stoppers 1800 333 000. First published in the Mornington News – 4 June 2019
A MT ELIZA man pulled over by police during an automated number plate recognition operation in Cranbourne Road, Frankston, last week, allegedly tested positive to methyl-amphetamine. The 41-year-old, who was already disqualified from driving due to a previous drug-driving offence, had his car impounded for 30 days at a cost of $1042. He will receive a summons to attend court at a later date. Sergeant Matthew Nott, of the state highway patrol said: “We make no apologies for taking people’s cars when they make the conscious decision to drive when they don’t have a licence. “This is not a game,…
By Hugh Fraser* THE devastation left behind when Indonesian forces finally withdrew from their 24-year occupation of Timor Leste was graphically described by Professor Clinton Fernandes at Mornington Peninsula Shire’s signature Library Week event: “Knowledge Integrity and Truth”. Prof Fernandes, from the University of New South Wales and the Australian Defence Academy, was at the shire’s Mornington offices to launch his new book on Australian foreign policy, “Island off the coast of Asia”. He and lawyer Bernard Collaery spoke about the agony and deprivations faced by the citizens of Timor-Leste both during and after their fight for freedom. Mr Collaery,…
MAKING prosthetic limbs and hands from plastic bottle tops sounds like an amazing project and is one which Eastbourne Primary School is enthusiastically supporting. Students have set themselves a goal of collecting one million tops which Seaford not-for-profit group Envision will use to make artificial limbs for children in developing countries. Principal Stephen Wilkinson is asking the community to get on board. “It’s easy to collect the plastic bottle caps with the numbers two or four inside,” he said. The impetus for the project came from Saun Teer at Envision. He visited the school to explain how the plastic tops…
A LAWYER previously employed by the Peninsula Community Legal Centre has been awarded for her efforts as a volunteer. Claire Williams was presented with the Kath Neilsen Award for outstanding contribution to the centre at the recent annual volunteer and supporters appreciation dinner. The award is named after Kath Neilsen, a founder and long-term supporter of the centre. It acknowledges a volunteer who has demonstrated a superior understanding of the centre’s values and the principals of social justice; along with a reliable and respectful approach to interactions with our clients. Ms Williams was employed by the centre for six years…
BURGLARS cut locks to gain entry to sheds before stealing equipment valued at $10,500 from a Somerville vegetable grower over the weekend. Pivato Vegetables, of Tyabb-Tooradin Road, Somerville, lost a HP laptop valued at $2000, unregistered trailer ($500), generator ($1000), Spitwater pressure cleaner ($7000) and Unimig welder ($1800) in the overnight raid, Friday 24 May. Detective Senior Sergeant Miro Majstorovic said the offenders reportedly spent some time inside the sheds before driving away. First published in the Western Port Times – 29 May 2019
RESIDENTS are being invited to have their say on planning for the Mornington Peninsula’s future. The Neighbourhood Character Study, which will affect the whole shire, and the Western Port Coastal Villages Strategy, which will only affect Western Port towns, are both in their draft stages. The shire says the Neighbourhood Character Study is designed to retain the “unique values” of residential areas, capturing the key characteristics of each area. The Western Port Coastal Villages Strategy will provide policy and guidelines to manage development on public and private land to retain and enhance township character and address climate change impacts relating…
A “LOUD and clear” message from the recent waste forum has prompted Mornington Peninsula Shire Council to demand that the state government “introduce a container deposit scheme as soon as practical”. Speaking after the Tuesday 15 May council meeting, the mayor Cr David Gill said: “We heard loud and clear from passionate community groups that we need to take action in ensuring plastics and glass are recycled. “We fully support a container deposit scheme as part of the Municipal Association of Victoria’s rescue our recycling action plan. It is an important measure and will help bolster community education.” The shire…
MATTHEW Precht, 18, is dancing for joy after being awarded a year-long tuition scholarship in classical ballet at the Joffrey Ballet School in New York. The boy from Bittern has also been invited to attend Joffrey’s summer school. But while Matthew hopes to fly out on Sunday 9 June, he still has to raise $63,000 for housing, visa applications, food, commuting fares and daily living expenses. The former Padua student was awarded the scholarship at the Victorian Dance Festival in April where he qualified out of 140 applicants. His mother Annette Precht said they had received an invoice for the…
Two people have died and a third has been injured following a collision in Mount Eliza late last night. Investigators believe a vehicle was travelling north on the Nepean Highway when it collided with an oncoming vehicle about 11.15pm. The driver and passenger of the north bound vehicle died at the scene. The two are yet to be formally identified. The male driver of the other vehicle sustained non-life threatening injuries and has been transported to hospital for treatment. Investigators are appealing for anyone who witnessed the crash or with dash cam footage to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333…
MELBOURNE folk-pop duo Pierce Brothers have released their latest single Back End Roads, the first taste of new music that will be featured on their full-length debut album, Atlas Shoulders. Featuring drums reminiscent of Fleetwood Mac’s Dreams and a chorus embedded in the Australian folk realm, Back End Roads is destined to be an instant live set fan favourite. Talking about the single the brothers reminisced, “We wrote it about our favorite place on earth, Wilson’s Prom, and how it was when we grew up there. It’s a summer vibe tune plain and simple. About getting away from the grind…
MORNINGTON Peninsula detectives are investigating another theft from a bottle shop in Hastings. This follows a similar incident in which a man also stole alcohol from a liquor store (“Bottle shop theft” The News 22/5/19). In the latest incident a man entered the shop twice – Saturday 4 and Thursday 9 May. After distracting the attendant on both occasions, he selected several bottles of alcohol, hid them in his clothing, and left the store without paying. He was wearing a black hoodie with white writing on the sleeves, front and back. Anyone with information is asked to contact Senior Constable…
THREE aggravated burglaries in Mt Eliza on Saturday 18 May have detectives on the hunt for multiple offenders – or possibly the same one. Three sets of keys were stolen from a house in Attunga Way while family members were asleep, between midnight and 7am. Police were told the house’s front door had been left open. The offenders appeared to have searched through several cars for valuables before running off. A resident confronted a man who broke into his Jacksons Road home at 4.40am. The burglar entered the property through the backyard. Once inside, he stole two remote controls, a…
TWO brothers injured in an early-morning fracas in a Mornington car park earlier this month were arrested and interviewed by detectives last week. A 20-year-old Mt Martha man is expected to be charged on summons with a weapons offence while a 17-year-old from Mornington is expected to be charged on summons with criminal damage, assault and using a false document. A Lyndhurst man, 28, allegedly involved in the incident in the Centro car park on Saturday 4 May handed himself in to police next day and was interviewed and released. The two Mornington men were walking through the car park…
A MAN infected by measles twice attended family events at Mornington earlier this month. He visited the Mornington Hotel with family and friends, on the corner of Tanti Avenue, up until 2pm, Saturday 4 May, and again the next day around 10am, and many other places during his stay. The man, in his 30s, had previously arrived from Vietnam and was in Melbourne for almost two weeks on a sightseeing tour. It is believed he may have infected six people, including a baby. After flying out of Tullamarine he was put in isolation in a hospital in Vietnam. Symptoms of…
KEEPING warm over winter is a challenge for those less fortunate on the Mornington Peninsula so, to help them, leading Mt Eliza Primary School’s environmental team to collect 100 jackets and jumpers in its winter jacket drive. Each morning before school team members waited at the school gates to collect practical items during school drop-off. Students – with the help of the school’s parents and teachers’ association –promoted, collected and sorted items for the not-for-profit Mums Supporting Families in Need. “The school community rallied to make this cause a huge success and we thank our amazing families for their support,”…