CLEAN Up Australia Day is on Sunday 4 March. Last year 42 clean-up sites were registered across the Mornington Peninsula and about 40 cubic metres of waste was collected. Those wanting to join in this year can register a site or join a clean-up site online. Each registered site will be provided with a Clean Up Australia Day Kit, including registration papers, posters, bags, one sharp container, warning sign and litter report. Volunteers will need to provide their own gloves as well as sunscreen, suitable clothing and footwear. Schools and businesses can get involved in Business Clean Up Australia Day…
Author: MP News Group
By Brodie Cowburn HASTINGS filmmaker Karen McPherson has won two awards at the Peninsula Film Festival held in Rosebud and Queenscliff from February 9-11. McPherson brought home Best Cinematography and third prize overall for her short film, The Hamster King. The film features her son Harry, who spent many mornings at Balnarring and Somers beaches during filming. Karen’s depiction of these picturesque locations led to her winning Best Cinematography. “Creating a film like this was only possible because we live just a few minutes away from these beautiful beaches. Harry didn’t have to miss any school and we could keep going…
THE RSPCA will reduce prices for adoptions of animals as part of a “clear the shelter” program from Friday to Sunday. Visitors to the Peninsula Animal shelter, 1030 Robinsons Road, Pearcedale, will be charged a $29 adoption fee for dogs, cats, guinea pigs and rabbits. “This promotion is all about finding homes for the animals in our care, and providing an incentive to those looking for a new pet to consider adoption,” RSPCA Victoria CEO Dr Liz Walker said. “We monitor adoption promotions carefully and have found that the price someone pays to acquire an animal has no impact on…
REMEMBER the joy of flying your first kite? The anticipation as it lifted into the air? The spark of magic as you discovered you could actually play with the wind? Well, you can experience it all again at one of Australia’s premier kite events: The Rosebud Kite Festival. On Sunday 11th March, both the young and the young at heart will come together to celebrate the art of kite flying. Visitors can make and fly their own kite courtesy of local outfit; Kites 4 Kids. And alongside the novice kite flying arena, will be the latest designs and displays from…
Saturday, 10th March, the Red Hill Showgrounds come alive with the festivities of one the State’s most popular agricultural shows. Entries for most categories close this week so visit our website and enter online: www.redhillshow.com.au/forms Aside from the remarkable array of animals including Clydesdales, cattle, sheep, alpacas, poultry, miniature goats, working dogs and more, the 2nd Red Hill Cider Show will be hosted by local published foodie Richard Cornish and offering tastings of the award-winning ciders. This year, we are thrilled to have the Australian Mountainboarders back with demos and free workshops. The Fly Dogs will astound you with their…
MARK Saturday March 17 in your diary under “food, wine and boogie” as one of the country’s favourite boutique festivals The Peninsula Picnic presented by Melbourne MINI Garage, returns to Mornington Racecourse for its fourth year. Celebrating one of Australia’s great Food & Wine Regions and seamlessly blending a foodie festival with cellar door tastings, a farmers’ market and the sweet sounds of some of Australia’s best songwriters, The Peninsula Picnic is a food, wine and music lovers’ dream. With a line-up headlined by John Butler Trio, and pop-ups from award winning restaurants and winemakers from across the region, the…
Compiled by Brodie Cowburn A DISTRESSING fatality occurred in Melbourne on Thursday last when a lad named Arthur Albert Verney 14 years, son of Mr and Mrs Verney of Frankston was killed. Shortly after 4 p.m. a salesman employed at Shanks and Co’s ware- house, 351 Flinders Lane, noticed that the goods lift was some distance below the ground floor. Closer inspection revealed that a boy had been crushed between the lift and the wall. Constable Froher was called and the boy was extricated and taken to the Melbourne Hospital. On arrival there he was found to be dead. The…
MORNINGTON Yacht Club played host to about 130 yachts, mostly sailed by children, in a huge weekend of events on Mornington harbour, Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 February. As well as the traditional Schnapper Point Regatta, the club hosted the first Victorian Junior Carnival – a fun event for children graduating from their learn-to-sail programs. The young sailors enjoyed a sail down the coast to Mills Beach, starting off under the “Bridge of Doom”, then more games in the shallows off Mother’s beach. At the same time, the older children, joined by other sailors with disabilities, competed in the regatta.…
A CAFE at Benton Square shopping centre has been fined almost $10,000 after a Fair Work Ombudsman’s audit found junior staff had been underpaid. Degani Bakery Cafe has agreed to back-pay staff $9375, apologise to them, and display notices at the cafe detailing the breaches on its website. The underpayments came to light during a self-initiated compliance audit of 14 Degani Australia franchised cafes. The Ombudsman found that 15 staff, including waiters, cooks and four juniors at the Mornington cafe, had been underpaid from September to November, 2016. The audit found the company paid $18-$21 hourly rates to its casual…
AN audit of marine life under Rye pier on Saturday 10 February aimed at charting the area’s sea life in a scientific format. Marine biologist Fam Charko and 12 regular Rye divers spent about two hours conducting what they believe is the first audit of species around the reefs and pier. Those marine animals found will be identified and catalogued and used as baseline data. More audits are planned, including a night dive as more species come out at night. The audit aims to help protect the myriad plants, animals and fish threatened by dredging works or the building of…
By Michael Leeworthy IT was a once in a life time encounter: a face to face meeting with a wedge-tailed eagle on a bushwalk in the Arthurs Seat State Park that left me gob smacked. Sighting dolphins while walking along the beach is becoming commonplace. Many times I have been surprised by up to five, appearing from under my kayak out on Port Phillip. I have been on the bay’s waters most of my life and don’t believe I’ve ever sighted so many dolphins as in recent times. On 10 June, a humpback whale and her calf spotted in the…
WHILE it remains off the agenda before, during and after council meetings, alcohol can again be served at special events held by Mornington Peninsula Shire. The mayor, Cr Bryan Payne has been given the power to authorise the serving of alcohol on council premises at occasions like the annual council meeting (when new mayors are elected) and the councillors’ Christmas party. “No alcohol is to be provided before, during or after council meetings or briefings on council premises,” an amendment to the Councillor Expenses Reimbursement, Resources and Facilities Policy adopted by council on 12 December 2017 states. “Alcohol may be…
UPDATE: Missing child Zahkaya Wooster has been found. ___________ Police are appealing for public assistance to help locate missing 10-year-old Zahkaya Wooster. The Hastings girl was last seen in the Frankston CBD last night about 9.35pm. Police and her family are concerned for her welfare due to her age. Zahkaya is known to frequent public transport areas between Frankston and Hastings. The missing girl is described as being about 150cm tall with a slim build, brown hair and blue eyes. When last seen she was wearing black leggings, beige t-shirt and black sports shoes. Police have released an image of…
BAXTER will celebrate its centenary on Sunday 6 May and, to mark the occasion, Baxter Residents and Traders Progress Action Committee will hold a shindig at Baxter Primary School on Sunday 18 March. All proceeds will go to the school. The event will honour the renaming of Mornington Junction, Baxter’s Flat, as Baxter after Captain Benjamin Baxter the original settler. “The residents’ and traders’ committee, parents group and school council, as well as residents and businesses, are working hard to ensure this will be a great day for all,” BRATPAC secretary Gail Forbes said. A mural being painted by Melbourne Murals on the front of the Telstra Baxter Exchange on Baxter-Tooradin Road…
A WHITE Renault van which ran into the rear of the car in front on Bungower Rd, Mornington last week, caused a nose-to-tail “concertina” collision which damaged six cars. Leading Senior Constable Greg Wolfe, of Somerville Highway Patrol, said the van driver, 48, of Donvale, was later charged with failing to stay a sufficient distance behind the vehicle in front, 8.50am, Wednesday 7 February. He received a $238 fine and lost one demerit point. The accident occurred between Derril Rd and Moorooduc Highway. Five of the cars were described as being extensively damaged and one with minor damage. Two drivers…
ROSEBUD locals and visitors alike finally have the chance to take part in parkrun, taking advantage of the glorious location with a five km run or walk along the beach. Launching in Rosebud on Saturday February 17, parkrun is part of Medibank Free + Active, an ongoing program that aims to tackle physical inactivity and promote community connection, with the goal to help 1.5 million Aussies get active in mind, body and community. Under the program, Medibank will launch hundreds of free, community-based events and wellness initiatives, in partnership with organisations who share the Free + Active vision. Rosebud has…
Compiled by Brodie Cowburn A STORM of great violence, for which no precedent can be found in the history of Melbourne, swept over portion of the suburban area late on Saturday afternoon. In comparison it was comparable with the tempest which caused so much havoc in Queensland a few days previously. Two lives were lost, and twelve people were Injured. At Brighton a boy was decapitated by a descending sheet of iron from the roof of a wrecked building. At Point Ormond a boat, in which three men were fishing, was capsised. and one of the occupants was drowned. The…
RUPERT Norman Debney was a gunner in the 4th Battalion, 2nd brigade, of the Royal Australian Field Artillery, who retired to his parent’s holiday house at Dromana after World War I. A diary of his experiences while fighting in France in 1917 will be displayed at Mornington library as part of the Writing the War: Personal Stories from WWI exhibition, 17 February-31 March 2018. The exhibition will feature diaries, letters, artefacts and photographs taken from the State Library of Victoria’s archive. Seven personal stories from this collection have been selected for the touring exhibition. Mornington Peninsula Shire has invited the…
THE family of murdered Hastings jeweller Dermot O’Toole have expressed disappointment at the vandalism of the walk named in his honour. O’Toole Walk is decorated with a mural, carved leprechaun, clover plaques, and a bench dedicated to the Hastings resident and trader who was murdered in his High Street store in July 2013. The mural has been defaced in recent days, and a plaque ripped from the wall. “The recent vandalism of O’Toole Walk is extremely disrespectful not just to our family, but to the whole community and to all those that volunteered their time to create this walkway,” Trent…
VANDALS are defacing billboards promoting a charity event run by Peninsula Aero Club. “Our air show benefits a number of charities across the peninsula,” club president Jack Vevers said online. “This year we have nominated Riding for the Disabled as our key beneficiary, and damaging the signs takes money out of their pockets. This makes this whole episode even more shameful.” He said the club was urging people to keep an eye out for vandals to “help us stop this damage.” The club’s air show War and Peace is on Sunday 11 March. First published in the Western Port News…
A $5000 donation by steel company BlueScope to the Hasting Yacht Club will go towards buying polo shirts for volunteers in the Sailability program. The program supports those who normally would not be able to sail or enjoy the pleasures of sailing. Club Sailability officer Kevin Baensch said the volunteers needed to be easily identified. One, John Browning, pictured, travels from St Andrews to assist at every Sailability session. He is now sporting the new polo with the BlueScope logo. “Another immediate requirement is for VHF radios to link up the rescue boats and the training yacht,” Mr Baensch said.…
Compiled by Brodie Cowburn IN consequence of numerous complaints regarding youths armed with pea rifles, shooting indiscriminately at windows, railway signals and stock, Const. Ryan proceeded, on Monday evening, to Carrum Downs and Seaford. In the vicinity of a swamp near Seaford on which a number of wild ducks were swimming, the const. found four youths. One had a shot gun and each of the others had a pea rifle. As the lads were all under 18 years of age the const. seized the rifles and the culprits will appear at Frankston Court on 11th inst. on a charge of…
THIS year’s Mornington Art Show, the 46th run by Mornington Rotary Club, is being called “one of the best ever”. More than 840 paintings were on show, including VCE student art work. The top award of best exhibit in any medium went to Casey Sealy’s painting “Winter moon Grafton”. The $50,000 raised by the club through the show will be spent on local and international humanitarian projects. Mornington Rotary has so far spent more than $600,000 raised from its art show on Mornington projects. “Despite the heat, the gala opening night was an enjoyable and friendly event attended by just…
MORNINGTON Peninsula Astronomical Society members and keen moon watchers gathered at The Briars Astronomy Centre in Mt Martha last Wednesday evening (31 January) to witness the total lunar eclipse on the second full moon of the month. At first, the mood was somewhat subdued as the cloud cover was heavy but at about 10pm the skies cleared revealing the beginning of the Penumbral Eclipse. Over the next four hours, the shadow of the earth gradually encroached between the moon and the sun, changing the colour of the moon to a blood red. Members of the astronomy club were kept busy…
MORNINGTON Peninsula residents are not affected yet by Visy Industries’ decision to end kerbside recyclable waste collections in some municipalities. The company’s action follows a Chinese ban on accepting waste from Australia. The shire’s acting executive manager infrastructure services Jessica Wingad said having contractor SKM as the shire’s recycler meant “we are not affected by Visy’s decision”. The reassurance comes alongside the resumption of regular fortnightly kerbside recycling. The shire collected recyclables weekly over January and resumed the fortnightly collection on 2 February. Recyclable materials include aluminium and steel cans and foil; plastics such as children’s toys, kitchen containers, cups…
THE state government has approved mandatory height limits for new buildings in Sorrento. This comes after Mornington Peninsula Shire last July moved to protect the “distinctive character” of the commercial centre – mainly along Ocean Beach Rd. A design and development overlay sets height limits of 11 metres in areas that allow three storeys and eight metres in areas allowing two storeys. Setback controls stipulate that a third storey must be set back so as not to be “visually prominent” from the opposite side of the street. The mayor Cr Bryan Payne thanked acting planning minister Lily D’Ambrosio for “seeing…
FOUR men were arrested for being drunk in Mornington on Friday and Saturday morning, 26-27 January. Sergeant Daniel Patten, of Mornington police, said one of the men had been in a fight, and that police had beer glasses thrown at them when they attempted to make the arrests in Main St just after midnight. The men, from Merricks, Safety Beach, Somers and Mornington, are aged 19-23. They each received $700 penalty notices. First published in the Mornington News – 6 February 2018
A search will recommence this morning for a man who went missing while swimming off London Bridge Road at Portsea. Surfers spotted the 23-year-old man, who appeared to be in trouble, about 5.30pm yesterday (4 February). Moments later, the Narre Warren man had disappeared from sight. A search was conducted by emergency services however they were unable to locate the man. The search has recommenced this morning with Police on the ground along with Search and Rescue Police, Water Police and the Police Air Wing as well as SES and Life Saving Victoria around the Portsea area. Source: Victoria Police…
Stunning Point Nepean National Park at Portsea will play host to the Mornington Peninsula Food+Wine Festival on 24 February 2018. For one beautiful summers day, the historic grounds of Portsea’s Point Nepean Park will be transformed into a giant outdoor lounge for a sensational day of food, wine and entertainment – the best part is, you’re invited! Having grown up on the Peninsula and lived in the area for most of his life, Tristan Clarke, of Nepean Events, is realising his vision for a festival celebrating all that the Peninsula is famous for. Having attended festivals all over the country,…
Peninsula Film Festival is FREE, in Rosebud at the Village Green on Saturday February 10, 2018 4pm-10.30pm. Bring a blanket, a few friends and come and see some of Australia’s best short films and they compete for a $30K prize pool. See www.peninsulafilmfestival.com.au for more details. Judging Panel includes Isabel Lucas, Michala Banas (above), Lachy Hulme and Leah Purcell. Mick Molloy will MC. First published in the Western Port News – 30 January 2018