THE Arthurs Seat Challenge is an annual 6.7 kilometre fun run and walk from Rosebud to the top of Arthurs Seat. The event, which finishes at Seawinds Gardens, is held to promote and raise money for the Fit to Drive program provided free to students in schools on the Mornington Peninsula and in Frankston. Fit to Drive focuses on personal safety, responsibility, and strategies to make young people safer on the road. The program aims to reduce road trauma by changing attitudes and behaviours of young drivers and passengers. BlueScope Western Port has supported the program since it began in…
Author: MP News Group
A BUSLOAD of 18-25-year-old students from the Centre for Multicultural Youth visited Main Ridge on a brisk morning last week excited at the prospect of planting trees – and perhaps seeing their first kangaroo. The event was run by Ucan2 multicultural youth worker Sarah Williams and Mornington Peninsula Shire land care facilitator Jacqui Salter. Ucan2 supports young, newly arrived refugees and migrants. Ali escaped persecution and arrived in Australia in 2015. He saw the trip to the peninsula as “our best excursion ever … I felt like we were a family going on a trip to nature – all the…
FOR more than 60 years the peninsula group of the Uncle Bobs Club has raised money for the Royal Children’s Hospital. The group’s main event has been the 29 kilometre Good Friday wheelbarrow push from Sorrento to Safety Beach. This year a highlight was the presentation of a plaque to club stalwart Clem Kleinig who, at 84, participated in his 50th consecutive year on the barrow. This achievement was featured in a recent edition of the Uncle Bobs Club magazine. In 1956 Clem Kleinig moved from South Australia to Crib Point after marrying local girl, Val Lake whose mother was…
AN off-duty paramedic who stopped to pick up takeaway after finishing her shift was allegedly slashed across the chest with a box cutter in a random attack at Rosebud, Friday night 13 July. Detective Senior Sergeant Alan Paxton, of Mornington Peninsula CIU, said the woman, 46, was “putting the kids in the car” outside a shop in Point Nepean Road, Rosebud, when a man allegedly rode up on a bicycle, grabbed her from behind and assaulted her, 6.30pm. He then rode away. “It all happened very quickly,” Detective Paxton said. The woman was taken to Frankston Hospital where she received…
MORE than $1.5 million will be spent over the next five months on making Main Street, Mornington, safer. The state government’s safer cyclists and pedestrians fund is paying for the program which follows 29 accidents in the area between 2012 and 2016 – with 11 involving pedestrians and four involving cyclists. Ten of the crashes were regarded as serious. The Mornington activity centre and foreshore area is a hub for business, retail, tourism and education. Mornington Peninsula Shire says that along with VicRoads it will aim to improve the area to “help pedestrians move around safely and address the crash…
By Barry Morris CHILDREN are concerned about climate change and the impact it will have on their lives, says author, illustrator and artist Terry Denton. Denton, a celebrity in the world of children’s literature, lives in Mornington and has a block of land at Mt Martha backing on to Balcombe Estuary reserves. He spends much his time on talking tours and listening to children in Australia and New Zealand. The curly mop-haired artist, who works in tandem with author Andy Griffiths on the treehouse series of books as well as writing his own books, has agreed to be patron of…
SCAMMERS falsely claiming to be NBN Co representatives have been asking for personal information and financial details under the pretence of switching internet services to the national broadband network. NBN Co says scammers have been taking advantage of customers, including retirement village residents. “It is important to be aware that NBN Co will never make unsolicited calls or door knock to sell broadband services,” NBN Co chief security officer Darren Kane said. “NBN Co may make calls to individuals registered on our medical alarm or fire and lift registers but will never request payment or bank account details during these…
A DOCTOR could be forgiven for prescribing patients a dose of jazz music to help them get back in the swing and beat the winter blues. During a consultation, she could break into scat singing to show them how to breathe properly or check their vocal cords, not to be confused with chords. Or she could sing a gentle bossa nova to transport them from chilly Victoria to a sun-drenched beach in Latin America. “It will never happen,” laughs Dr Lizzy Gascoigne, a popular doctor at Mt Martha Village Medical Centre, who’s also an accomplished jazz singer. In the surgery,…
POLICE are advising mainly elderly residents that they should be wary of mobile phone apps claiming to be “duress alarms” which charge them money to call 000 on their behalf. They say some “duress alarm” apps claim to link clients to a 24/7 call centre with a “live” connection to police and emergency services. However, no app has a direct – or “live” – connection to Victoria Police or emergency services, police say. The monitoring of duress alarms requires a security licence, the use of a certified monitoring centre and the approval of Victoria Police. “In an emergency always call…
POLICE are looking for a man who allegedly took a bottle of scotch off the shelf at a Hastings liquor store and hid it under his jumper. Police said the man walked into the drive-through bottle shop in Frankston-Flinders Road, 7.50pm, Tuesday 19 June, and spoke with security staff. After talking further with staff he left the store without paying for the bottle. The man is described as being Caucasian, average build, pot belly, with light-coloured curly hair. He was wearing a black, grey and white striped hoody. Sergeant Cameron Scott, of police media, urges anyone who recognises the man…
NEARLY $4 million is being spent on making Hastings commercial centre “a more vibrant, attractive and usable space for pedestrians and traders”. The project include streetscape works along High Street between Queen Street and Marine Parade, five laneway upgrades, as well replacing a toilet and constructing a car park in King Street. The state government is providing $1.9 million through its growing suburbs fund and $1.9 million is coming from Mornington Peninsula Shire. The mayor Cr Bryan Payne said the project was the most significant infrastructure investment in Hastings over the past 10 years. “This is a major revitalisation of…
THE Mornington Peninsula Astronomical Society is bringing its digital images of the universe to the walls of the historic Coolart Homestead, Somers. The display of members’ photos will feature a selection of all aspects of astrophotography including wide field shots of the Milky Way, eclipses, comets, views of the sun through solar filters, shots of the moon and planets, nebulae and galaxies seen through telescopes and auroras. Also on display will be various items of astronomical paraphernalia. Science in the Park will be held on Sunday 12 August as part of Science Week and astronomical society members will be on…
The annual rose pruning event is the most important event on the Mornington Botanical Rose Gardens calendar. Not only is it necessary for the on-going care of the rose bushes, it is a social event for the many volunteers who give their time and energy to the garden. This year the event is planned for Saturday 14th and Sunday 15th July from 8.30am to 4.30pm each day. The Victorian Rose Society supports this event and provides FREE rose pruning demonstrations for the public. These will be scheduled for 11am and 2pm Saturday and 11am on Sunday. The demonstrations proved to…
A TRUCK driver was lucky to escape injury when his tipper rolled down a slope and into a Mornington house, Thursday 5 July. Sergeant David Collins, of Somerville Highway Patrol, said the 47-year-old driver of Cranbourne, was loading a skip bin in Flame Tree Grove when the front wheels lifted and the truck slid forward, crashing into the front of the two-storey house and causing extensive damage, 1pm. The shocked owner was reportedly home at the time. No one was injured in the incident. A heavy haulage tow truck was called in to pull the truck free. A Mornington Peninsula…
AN elderly Mornington Peninsula resident was tricked into having a tree cut down by travelling conmen – and even driven to the bank to withdraw $2500 to pay them before they started work. Police said residents should beware of the conmen who knock on doors offering services, particularly to elderly residents. The tree-lopping incident was reported by the victim’s son-in-law as the victim suffers from dementia. Police said the conmen knocked on doors of homes and small businesses offering to do jobs, such as driveway resurfacing, painting, roof repairs and carpet cleaning on the cheap. Police urge residents not to…
A MAN who stole a purse containing credit and bank cards from a car parked overnight in Mt Martha, Tuesday and Wednesday 5 and 6 June, used them to buy five items at shops along Nepean Highway from Dromana to Rosebud. Anyone knowing the man or his whereabouts is asked to call Senior Constable Matt Caddy at the Southern Metro Crime Team 9767 7440, Crime Stoppers 1800 333 000 or Rosebud police 5986 0444. First published in the Southern Peninsula News – 10 July 2018
ROSEBUD police were called to check on a kangaroo that had been hit by a car on Old Cape Schanck Road, Rosebud, Monday morning 2 July. The kangaroo had a broken leg and other injuries and could not be saved. Fortunately, Acting Sergeant Stephen Drew checked the kangaroo further and found a little joey in its pouch. It was taken back to Rosebud police station and cared for until collected by Wildlife Victoria. It is said to be doing “very well”. “It was an unfortunate accident that something good came out of,” Sergeant Drew said. “Drivers should be aware of…
TWO committee members of the Australian Red Cross Sorrento/Portsea/Rye Unit have received medals in recognition their 22 years of service. Fay Bennett died before she could be presented with a badge recognising her help with catering and as events coordinator and booking officer. She has been working in Red Cross in Dromana opp shop for 18 years and running Red Cross street cake stalls. Along with the other medal recipient, Judy Medley, Ms Bennett is seen as a member who has been of great value to the Australian Red Cross Sorrento/Portsea/Rye Unit. Member Marilyn Cunnington said “similar to many service…
SOLAR panels have been installed at 19 buildings operated by Mornington Peninsula Shire, with a further 27 to go. By 2020, there will be 2440 solar panels on shire buildings. Dubbed “the rooftop solar PV rollout”, the next two months will see solar panels installed at the shire’s Rosebud offices (99.73 kW), Hastings library (50.4 kW) and Civic Reserve Recreation Centre, Mornington (99.73 kW). When completed, the program’s panels will generate 707 kW, estimated to annually shave $132,000 of the shire’s power bills and reducing its carbon footprint by three per cent. The mayor Cr Bryan Payne said the use…
DROMANA Primary School pupils have responded to repeated graffiti attacks at the McCulloch Street freeway underpass by decorating the concrete themselves. Working in conjunction with Mornington Peninsula Shire and VicRoads the pupils’ works have helped bring life and vibrancy to the area. The artworks have been developed through workshops with Jill Anderson from the shire’s arts and culture team and prep pupils who created indigenous animal oil crayon drawings. Their Grade 6 buddies recorded the preppies’ stories to accompany the works. A total of 12 artworks will be installed and an eBook with all the artworks and stories will be…
RETURNING to the Grand Hotel Mornington, soulful powerhouse sisters – Vika & Linda Bull. For 30 years, the glorious voices of Vika and Linda Bull have comprised one of the most distinctive, versatile and emotionally charged sounds on the Australian music landscape. Since their multi-platinum conquest of pop radio with the Black Sorrows in the late 1980s, the sisters have forged diverse pathways into soul, gospel, blues, country and the island music of their Tongan ancestry. By turns tender and powerful, their rich solo vocals and instinctive harmonies have spawned eight albums of their own, as well as illuminating studio…
TEN acrobats take us on a stirring journey of what it means to be human, and of how our bodies, our connections, and our aspirations all form part of who we are. Exploring the physical limits of their bodies as they are pushed to the extreme they question how much we can take as humans. How much weight can we carry? Who can we trust to support our load? They lead us to reflect on our lives, our loved ones, the burdens we carry and the physical and emotional strength it takes to overcome them. Created by Yaron Lifschitz, the…
MT ELIZA man Bill Robinson got a shock when he saw what he thought was a man’s body floating face down in the water off Sunnyside beach last week. The retired veterinary surgeon, 74, was on a regular training paddle with Mornington friend Tamsin Visick, Tuesday 26 June, when they came across the wetsuit-clad figure on the way back to Mt Eliza. After the initial shock, they realised the wetsuit did not contain a real person and attached a line to it. “It was hard work getting it back to shore and we appreciated the difficulty we would have had…
AN historic former children’s orthopaedic hospital in Mt Eliza owned by the state government is about to be put up for sale. The 3.2 hectare site at 33 Jacksons Road has been deemed “surplus to requirements” by the Department of Health and Human Services. It is not known how the site will be marketed or what sale price is expected. The department was contacted for comment. Built in the early 1930s, as the orthopaedic branch of the Children’s Hospital, it treated thousands of children with polio, tuberculosis, osteomyelitis and congenital deformities before discharging its last patient in 1971. The centre…
A MAN who handed over fake $50 notes at an outdoors store in Mornington may have handed over another fake note at a Berwick fast-food outlet. Senior Constable Jacinta Allen, of Mornington Peninsula CIU, said the serial numbers on the notes – CK14947940 – was the same used at both locations. She said on 26-27 May the man used two $50 notes to buy items at the BCF store in Mornington and then, on 29 May, placed a $5 order at a take away food outlet in Clyde Road, Berwick. The man paid for his order with a $50 note…
SPORTY types in Mornington can look forward to using a new athletics track and four soccer pitches at Civic Reserve, Mornington. The $6.25 million project had been made possible with a $3 million federal government community development grant, with the shire contributing $3.25 million. The council agreed at its meeting on Tuesday 26 June to accept a tender for the works. Construction is expected to begin in August and, hopefully, be completed by May next year. The improved facilities will better meet the needs of Mornington Athletics Club, Mornington Little Athletics Club and Mt Martha Soccer Club, the council says.…
PENINSULA Social Club volunteer Michael Hillier is a man on a mission: He wants to end “social isolation and loneliness” among mainly elderly and those with disabilities on the Mornington Peninsula. The social club – part of the not for profit community transport service Peninsula Transport Assist – arranges social and lunch get-togethers designed to get its mainly elderly clients out of their houses and mingling with others in social settings. “Our mission is that nobody should be without company if they want it,” said Mr Hillier, who has run social activities for older people and those with disabilities for…
AUSTRALIA’S best young sailors are gearing up to compete in a series of races off Blairgowrie Yacht Squadron. They will be among 24 teams in the Australian Schools Team Sailing Championships in which sailors race with their school mates in teams of seven (six on-water and one reserve) for what’s billed as the top prize in high school sailing. Teams consist of three helms and three crews from each school. Blairgowrie Yacht Squadron sailing manager Liam Edleston said the teams’ sailing, to be held 11-15 July, was a “great spectacle”. “[It] is a fantastic element of our sport,” he said.…
FLINDERS MP Greg Hunt has promised the federal government will chip in $5 million for the proposed Rosebud Aquatic Centre. “For the past 15 years I have been supportive of the genuine need for improved aquatic facilities in the southern part of the Mornington Peninsula and to see this project start to take shape is truly extraordinary,” Mr Hunt said. (Mr Hunt was once photographed marching with placard-bearing ratepayers demanding the pool be built on the foreshore at Rosebud. The plan was eventually abandoned for not conforming with state government regulations governing buildings on the foreshore.) “This is an incredible…
Falls Creek police are warning snow-goers to be prepared before heading to the slopes this weekend. It comes after emergency services were called to a car stuck in icy depths on Bogong High Plains Road about 10am this morning. Police were told the driver was on his way to Mt McKay at Falls Creek and had driven his Toyota SUV from bitumen onto the snow and past road closure signs. The car travelled about a kilometre along cross country trail before becoming bogged in the snow, with an over-snow groomer called out to recover it. Falls Creek Acting Sergeant Peter…