PAST Peninsula Surfriders Club champions Calum Nicholson and Mikey Barber set the performance bars high at the Peninsula Surfriders second aggregate competition on Saturday 26 May. A breaching Southern Wright whale signified the start of the competition which returned to Gunnamatta’s first carpark, as Cal Nicolson took a narrow lead over his competitors early in the senior men’s division. His competitors weren’t able to reel him in, but the back-to-back heats took their toll on Nicholson in the Open final as he settled for fourth. An energised Mikey Barber took out first place, while Sean McDevitt and Lachy McDonald filled…
Author: MP News Group
THIS weekend will see the sixth year of the Mornington Winter Music Festival, held both in venues and outdoors along sections of Main Street. Treat yourself to some of the ticketed or free awesome events from Friday 8th to Monday 10th June. Main Street Mornington is renowned for it’s great choice of dinning venues and during the festival, National and local bands will descend on Mornington to deliver superb entertainment which goes hand in hand with delicious food and wine! With 15 venues and over 35 acts there is something for everyone, and that doesn’t include the weekend lineup of…
EIGHT fire trucks and 20 firefighters fought a fire at a house under construction in Mt Martha, 1.30pm, Thursday 31 May. The two- storey timber house in Park Road was well alight when crews from Mt Martha, Mornington, Dromana, Moorooduc and Bayswater brigades arrived. It took firefighters half an hour to bring the fire under control but some remained on the scene until about 6pm to ensure spot fires did not flare up again. Mornington Senior Station Officer Simon Mildren said the fire extended from ground level up into the roof. He said the cause was being investigated. First published…
MORNINGTON Peninsula fungi-foragers are being advised to watch out for poisonous mushrooms springing up after recent rains. Lisa Gray, of Somerville, said she found “loads” of deadly death cap mushrooms in her backyard last week – not long after her pet dog died of a heart attack. “It may be related,” she said on social media. Victoria’s Chief Health Officer Professor Charles Guest said foragers risked picking up poisonous varieties which may appear similar to edible varieties. The warning comes as winter rains encourage the growth of fungi in the still-warm earth. Two of the most dangerous varieties are death…
POLICE have warned residents about scammers pretending to be from a government agency, including police. They said the scammers’ aim was to scare victims into parting with their money or personal information, threatening them with fines, taking them to court – even deportation. Those contacted unexpectedly and threatened by someone who says they’re from a government agency or trusted business, should always consider the possibility that it may be a scam – then stop and check if it’s for real, the police said. For more tips and information about these scams, where to get help or to report a scam,…
THE Hastings-based Dolphin Research Institute has a grand plan to improve and maintain the health of Port Phillip and Western Port bays. This week the DRI launches its “i sea, i care communities” project which, according to the institute’s executive director Jeff Weir “invites the five million of us living around the bays to commit to simple actions that will help to protect our marine treasures”. “If we can get only a fraction of us always picking up after our dog, reducing what we allow to drip, drop or blow into streets which is then flushed into the bay, then…
A FORUM held at Rosebud last week to discuss traffic noise and its effect on residents living near the Mornington Peninsula Freeway “went very well”. Organiser Wayne Ashley said there was a “full house” at the Rosebud Country Club, Wednesday 30 May. “We had a very good question time and a lot of ideas and issues to pursue,” Mr Ashley said. “Letters have been sent to the state health minister identifying the ongoing health issues emanating from increased traffic, pollution and noise causing health issues, anxiety, depression and dementia.” Mr Ashley said residents of Dromana, Rosebud, McCrae and Safety Beach…
Frankston & Mornington Peninsula Divisional Response Unit officers, assisted by the Critical Incident Response Team and Clandestine Laboratory Squad arrested three men and allegedly located drugs, weapons and a firearm yesterday (Tues 29 May). The three men were arrested in a Rosebud car park, on Point Nepean Road about 10.15am. Shortly afterwards a search warrant was executed at the Dromana home of one of the men. During the search of the house police allegedly located quantities of ice, cocaine and prescription medications, a loaded shotgun, ammunition, daggers, machetes and a taser. A 45-year-old Dromana man has been remanded to appear…
A CAR was set alight in Flinders and destroyed, Saturday night 26 May. Detective Senior Sergeant Alan Paxton, of Mornington Peninsula CIU, said the 2004 Mercedes coupe was driven into a barrier near the car park at the southern end of King Street, 10.50pm. A man was seen lighting the fire using some sort of accelerant and then calmly walking away. The car was totally destroyed. No description of the man is available and it had not been established yesterday (Monday 28 May) if the car was stolen as the owners are believed to be away. Anyone with information is…
A GIRL’S 18th birthday party at Hastings Community Hall, Saturday night 26 May, was ruined by a wild brawl among guests. Police used capsicum spray to disperse the brawlers after a fight broke out in the toilets and spread into the main hall where 150 guests were assembled. It then spilled outside, 10.30pm. Detective Senior Sergeant Alan Paxton, of Mornington Peninsula CIU, said the front door and some windows in the hall, in High Street, were damaged in the brawl involving “numerous youths” swinging punches and wrestling on the floor. Later reports said police car windows were smashed and the…
BASKETBALL DIVISION One was full of nail-biters in week nine of the Big V, with every game from the Bayside clubs resulting in one-point victories. Chelsea Gulls notched up two of those wins as they clutched one-point victories over Geelong Supercats (88-87) and Whittlesea Pacers (96-97). The Gulls survived an overtime scare at home to pip the Supercats, with Corey Standerfer’s (15pts, 11rbs, 11ast) free throw proving pivotal in the side’s success. Matt Brasser (22pts) and Mitch Riggs (22pts) also delivered for the Gulls, while the visitors managed 16 points out of Lewis Varley. The Gulls backed it up on…
THE Queen’s Birthday weekend will see the sixth year of the Mornington Winter Music Festival, held both in venues and outdoors along sections of Main Street. Treat yourself to some of the ticketed or free awesome events from Friday 8th to Monday 10th June. Main Street Mornington is renowned for it’s great choice of dinning venues and during the festival, National and local bands will descend on Mornington to deliver superb entertainment which goes hand in hand with delicious food and wine! Saturday June 9th, Main Street will come alive with 6 FREE street Music Zones from DOC Mornington up…
A SURVEY of baby snapper in Port Phillip has recorded the highest count in 26 years, surpassing previous peaks in 2001 and 2004. Victorian Fisheries Authority boss Travis Dowling said the baby snapper boom would herald an “unprecedented influx” of small snapper in 2022 and bigger snapper – over 40cm – in 2025. “Our fisheries scientists have never seen baby snapper numbers as good as this in all the years they have been conducting the surveys,” Mr Dowling said. “Port Phillip is the most important spawning area for snapper in central and western Victoria so this is very good news…
A BAG of jewellery found at the bus stop outside Balcombe Grammar, Mt Martha, in February, has Rosebud police baffled. The jewellery includes rings, a watch, a pair of earrings and a gold coloured wedding band inscribed with a message of love, a name and date. No one has come forward to claim it. Property officer Tony Paterson said the items may have been inadvertently left behind at the bus stop by an elderly person, or may have been stolen in small lots and dropped there by mistake. He said anyone who had lost jewellery or had some stolen around…
OPERATION Nemesis, run by Somerville Highway Patrol members at various Mornington Peninsula hot spots on Friday and Saturday nights, uses several patrol cars to detect drug-affected drivers. Police focus on specific locations and times which they believe provides the best chance of success. On the weekend of 18-21 May police breath tested 61drivers and found one driver over the limit and one who refused to be breath-tested. Of the 22 drivers given preliminary oral fluid tests for drugs, nine were positive and one refused to be tested. Three drivers were found to be unlicensed, suspended or disqualified from driving and…
MT MARTHA artist Eric Shepherd has been commissioned to do a painting of a WWI battlefield for an “exhibition of premium art by the best Victorian artists”. His oil on canvas work Battle of the Somme will feature in the Holt Armistice 100 year art exhibition at Narre Warren Mechanics Institute Hall in October. The exhibition will be attended by ambassadors or representatives of the embassies of the countries involved in the conflict. Afterwards the artists’ works will travel around the major cities in Australia. Mr Shepherd, 83, said he put a lot of effort into researching details behind his…
A SECTION of Defence Road in Point Nepean National Park will be closed for the next nine weeks. Parks Victoria says the roadworks are part of the state government’s $3.7 million “commitment towards activating the Point Nepean master plan”. However, the announcement by Parks Victoria has not gone unnoticed by Mornington Peninsula Shire councillor Hugh Fraser who says the money being used to pay for the road is not “new money”. “The $3.7 million announced by the minister at the quarantine station Point Nepean on 21 January this year with a great fanfare as if it were new state government…
THE $1.5 million 270 metre long Dorothy Houghton Walk was officially opened earlier this month. The path, above, was paid for by Mornington Peninsula Shire and provides access between Camerons Bight Beach and Sullivan Bay. In 1980, as Flinders shire president, Dorothy Houghton was instrumental in the state government buying land along the Sorrento foreshore, including Sullivan Bay, the Eastern and Western Sisters and part of Camerons Bight. “Mrs Houghton worked hard to protect public land along the Sorrento foreshore,” Mornington Peninsula Shire mayor Cr Bryan Payne said. “This [path] is a welcoming tribute to her legacy and will be…
A NEW solar and battery system at Sorrento Community Centre will lower electricity bills, act as a renewable energy education centre for visitors and redirect power back to the grid during days of peak demand. The system, supplied through the Community Grid Project and the state government’s New Energy Jobs Fund, features 7kW solar panels on the roof coupled with a 6kW Fronius solar inverter and 14kWhr Tesla Powerwall 2 battery. The project is the result of a partnership between United Energy, Mornington Peninsula Shire and GreenSync to will deliver a safe and reliable power supply to the southern peninsula…
AN attempt to break a Guinness World Record for the most people stargazing across multiple venues will be held this week at The Briars Astronomy Centre, Mt Martha. Mornington Peninsula Astronomical Society will host the event which aims to have the most people ever stargazing at the moon through a telescope or binoculars for a 10-minute period, tomorrow night (23 May). The world record of 7960 people at 37 locations was set in 2015 by the Australian National University. Society members say they are “aiming to set a record so large that it will be nearly impossible to break again”.…
MOOROODUC farmer David Sims believes eagles killed a new-born calf overnight at his Derril Road property, Thursday 17 May. He said he saw the eagles on the carcase as he drove into the paddock next morning looking for its mother and watched as they flew off into trees when he approached. He said flesh had been torn from the calf’s mouth and ear. Mr Sims, who runs 30 cattle on his 32 hectare property, said it appeared the calf had been born alive and then been killed because the thin tissue on its feet had worn after it had walked…
PEOPLE can show appreciation this month for State Emergency Services volunteers who help out during road rescues and storms. Wednesday 23 May is Wear Orange Wednesday (WOW) Day, a nationwide day for Australians to dress in orange to thank SES crews for their assistance in fraught times. SES volunteers across Victoria responded to more than 31,000 requests for help last year, putting in 302,623 hours collectively to respond to emergencies. VICSES operations chief officer Tim Wiebusch said WOW Day “is an important day of appreciation for our volunteers who selflessly dedicate their time and skills to helping their communities during…
POLICE are seeking to identify a woman, pictured, after a deception incident at Rosebud on Saturday 13 January. At about 1am a woman entered a Point Nepean Road service station and bought items using a stolen credit card. She is Caucasian in appearance, in her late teens to early 20s, and was wearing a white dressing gown. Anyone with information is urged to call Crime Stoppers 1800 333 000 or report confidentially online at crimestoppersvic.com.au First published in the Southern Peninsula News – 22 May 2018
By Hugh Fraser* TIMOR-Leste – the most democratic state in the south east Asia region – voted decisively at the 12 May parliamentary elections for majority government ending, 10 months of budget paralysis after last year’s inconclusive result. Together with Friends of Lospalos chair Xaioli Ma and former Mornington Peninsula Shire councillor Tim Rodgers, we had the privilege – which can be withdrawn at any time – to observe the election process as “Observadors Internasional” at the invitation of the Timor-Leste government. The observers were supported by 17 teams “in the field” from the Australian Embassy in Dili. We were…
POLICE have been alarmed by serious injury collisions involving cyclists around the Mornington Peninsula and Frankston. While cycling is usually regarded as a healthy pursuit, they are among groups classified as “vulnerable road users” because of their lack of protection on the road. Leading Senior Constable Greg Wolfe, of Mornington Peninsula Traffic operations, based at Somerville, said five incidents over the past two months included: A cyclist riding into the back of a car parked in Point Nepean Road, Sorrento, and suffering serious facial injuries. A 90-year-old pedestrian walking out in front of a cyclist on Point Nepean Road, Rosebud,…
Major Collision Investigation Unit detectives are investigating a fatal collision following a pursuit in Mt Eliza on 14 April. Police attempted to intercept a silver Commodore sedan alleged to have been involved in serious offences. The vehicle failed to stop on Nepean Highway near Mount Eliza Way about 8.20pm. A short pursuit was initiated. At the time of the incident a civilian vehicle and a police car collided on Nepean Highway near Humphries Road. Four occupants of the vehicle were taken to hospital and the police officer was not injured. One of the occupants of the vehicle, a 79-year-old Mt…
BASKETBALL SOUTHERN Peninsula Sharks state championship women’s side continue to show that they deserve their spot in the highest division as they slotted their fifth victory for their season on the road against McKinnon Cougars in round seven of the Big V. The Sharks’ young squad shot at a 47 per cent clip to defeat the Cougars (58-82) away from home, with Jaz Shelley (26 pts) and Peyton Little (23 pts) again delivering solid performances. While the Cougars took a six point lead out of the first break, the Sharks quickly turned the game around in the second quarter to…
THIS year’s Mornington Winter Music Festival celebrating Jazz, Blues, Soul and more hosts some of our music industries iconic and upcoming female performers. Deborah Conway has been an eminent contributor to Australian music for over 30 years. Conway was named a Living Legend twice by the Rolling Stone Magazine. “It is a challenge to find any musical work Conway has been involved with that isn’t simply magnificent” wrote Sydney Morning Herald. With hits such as ‘Man overboard’, ‘It’s only the beginning’ and ‘Release Me’ just to name a few, Deborah and musical collaborator Willy Zygier will put on a show…
AUSTRALIAN musical theatre star Philip Gould and award winning singer/actress Michelle Fitzmaurice team up again to sing and dance their way through 22 hits of the man they called the Chairman of the Board…Frank Sinatra. The fascinating life story of Frank Sinatra will be told through skilfully written narration and all of this in front of the backdrop of wonderful stills of Frank’s life on the big screen. Classic Sinatra hits including My Way, Three Coins in a Fountain, Fly Me to the Moon, High Hopes will be performed. The show will also contain many hits from the women in…
HUMOUROUS insights into religion and life in an English village are coming to Rosebud in a stage adaptation of the Vicar of Dibley television series. “I am a huge fan of Dawn French and the cast of the TV series,” director Keith Gledhill says when expressing his delight at being asked to take charge of the Southern Peninsula Players’ production. A fan of the series, Gledhill chose to bring three episodes to the stage: “Arrival”, “Dibley Live” and “Autumn”. The TV scripts have been amended to suit live stage performances. “The Vicar of Dibley is a magnificent example of British…