TRADE is down, visitor numbers are down and revenue is down. With this nightmare scenario now a stark reality, Mornington Chamber of Commerce is pleading with all levels of government, financial institutions and landlords to “treat business tenants compassionately and urgently with respect to the current financial hardships caused by COVID-19”. It also wants government, financial institutions and local councils to freeze their landlords’ mortgages and municipal rates to help their tenants keep small business operating. Describing itself as the “key voice and advocate for local businesses” on the Mornington strip, the chamber wrote: “Main Street has been one of…
Author: Stephen Taylor
THE Dromana Foreshore Reserve Caravan Park closed earlier than normal for the year last week following state government directives aimed at limiting the COVID-19 pandemic. The management committee acting on advice from the [state’s] chief health officer closed the park on Wednesday 25 March saying it regretted the inconvenience adding that “the welfare of campers, our staff and our contractors must be paramount”. The closure came three days after Mornington Peninsula Shire closed its foreshore camping grounds at McCrae, Rosebud Rye and Sorrento, sending campers packing just weeks before the Easter holidays. The 47-site caravan park at Dromana runs from…
BLIND golfer Jeff Ellis got some handy tips on lining up his shot from caddy Esther McArdle at the Victorian Blind Golf Open. Both are members of Rosebud Country Club where the event has been played over the past 30 years. Ellis, captain of Blind Golf Victoria, was one of the players at the inaugural event, while McArdle is the club’s volunteer coordinator. The top blind golfers from around Australia competed in the 36-hole stableford event in mid-March, followed by the ISPS Handa Australian Blind Golf 36-hole stroke tournament, 29-30 March. They included Mark Eschbank, winner of the 2019 ISPS…
A SIX-MONTH extension to the lease will allow Centrelink and Medicare offices in Mornington will remain open in their present form. The offices at 332 Main Street had been slated to close on 27 March and replaced with a private, part-time agency to run over 15 hours three days a week. (“Centrelink shutdown” The News 11/2/20). The new agency was expected to “complement” existing services run out of Rosebud, Hastings and Frankston offices. In a welcome turnaround, Flinders MP and health minister Greg Hunt said the lease extension would create certainty for Mornington Peninsula residents “through both the health and…
A STUDY of the wreck of a small Australian-built ship off Rye has helped Flinders University maritime archaeology students reveal more of the history of early timber vessels in Victoria. The students from South Australia partnered with Heritage Victoria and the community-based Maritime Archaeology Association of Victoria to investigate the wreck of the Barbara sunk near the pier in 1853. The ship was built along the Tamar River in Tasmania by Joseph Hind in 1841 and operated as a lime trader in Port Phillip. The making of lime and its shipment to Melbourne for brickmaking was one of the southern…
CUSTOMERS flocked to Hastings Centrelink in High Street on Monday (23 March) after the MyGov website crashed and they could not access services online. This meant many had to be there in person to apply for reference numbers for coronavirus payments after losing their jobs. Safe distancing rules seemed to apply. “MyGov is currently unavailable,” a message on the government site said, blaming a cyber attack (where hackers flood a website with users so that the site becomes overloaded, similar to problems on census night). “We’re experiencing unprecedented demand for the service right now. We’re working on expanding capacity for…
A COUNCILLOR is waiting to “see what response comes back from the community” before again considering a move to have foreshore toilet blocks opened to all beach users – not just campers and beach box owners. Cr Hugh Fraser was speaking after fellow Mornington Peninsula councillors at their 25 February meeting knocked back his push to have all 26 toilet blocks open daily. Claims by officers that this would cost the shire an extra $750,000 a year may have swayed their votes. “That was a ridiculous sum of money and it certainly frightened the other councillors,” Cr Fraser said. “We…
MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire has moved the Tuesday 24 March community council meeting from Peninsula Community Theatre in Mornington to the Council Chambers at Rosebud. The mayor Cr Sam Hearn said: “A live online stream that gives real time access to the meeting will be established and the community is being encouraged to access the meeting this way, and not to attend in person. “This is one of a number of measures we are putting in place to protect our community in an effort to slow the spread of coronavirus.” Cr Hearn said he also encouraged people to check on the…
A WOOLWORTH’S staff member was stabbed in the car park outside a Rosebud West supermarket while collecting trolleys, 1pm, Tuesday 17 March. Police said the 37-year-old was stabbed in the lower body by a Rosebud man, 25, who was arrested in nearby Sixth Avenue a short time later. The man was taken in custody at Rosebud police station where he was expected to be charged later in the day. Customers said they saw the victim lying on the ground covered with a sheet or similar. He was taken by Air Ambulance to The Alfred with non-life-threatening injuries. Police cordoned off…
A RECORD crowd of 9500 plane enthusiasts helped make this year’s Tyabb Air Show the best ever, Peninsula Aero Club president Jack Vevers said. The 21st show, which saw 65 aircraft take to the skies Sunday 8 March, was the culmination of an “almighty effort” by club committee members to overcome last year’s uncertainty and doubt during the spat with Mornington Peninsula Shire Council that the event would get off the ground. “This show was put together in only seven months as opposed to the usual 14 months,” Mr Vevers said. “It was a great success and we’ve had lots…
A GROUP of walkers who finished up with a barbecue at Safety Beach on the Labour Day weekend were aiming to raise awareness of a rare autoimmune liver disease known as primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC). The trek took them from Rosebud to Portsea on Saturday 7 March before driving back to Rosebud for the night. On the Sunday they walked from Rosebud to Safety Beach with a detour up to The Eagle chairlift. The barbecue was held at the Safety Beach home of Travis Pearce, 34, to thank the many PSC Support Australia committee members who attended. Mr Pearce said…
SUPPORTERS of the historic Continental Hotel fear it will sink into its massive foundations before a new buyer can be found. The Sorrento hotel back on the market without the spruiking of Continental Development director Julian Gerner and is described as in a “clean” financial state with all previous contractual encumbrances removed. This clears the way for a legitimate buyer with deep pockets and the wherewithal to bring the 1875 limestone icon back to its former glory – something Mr Gerner has been unable to do. Colliers Real Estate is seeking expressions of interest after five years of on-again, off-again…
A MAN was airlifted to The Alfred hospital with serious injuries after crashing his car over an embankment off Mornington-Tyabb Road today (Friday 13 March, 2020). The 37-year-old Somerville man driving a black Ford ute reportedly collided with another car at the intersection of Nepean Highway and Tanti Avenue, Mornington, just before midday. He then allegedly drove off erratically before doing burn-outs in the Coles car park on Mornington-Tyabb Road before driving over a concrete divider and crashing into a garden bed. Senior Constable Stuart Anderson, of Somerville Highway Patrol, was awaiting word on the man’s injuries late Friday. He…
A TODDLER died after being struck by a taxi at Tootgarook, Thursday 12 March. Police and emergency services rushed to Wilkinson Street just after 1.40pm. They were told two women and two children got out of the taxi and it is believed one of the children was struck as the taxi moved away. The boy was treated by emergency services but died at the scene. The taxi stopped and the male driver was assisting police with their inquiries. Major Collision Investigation unit detectives arrived soon afterwards. Anyone who witnessed the crash or who may have dash-cam footage is urged to…
THE Save Westernport group has described as “appalling” the clearing of several hectares of native bushland at the proposed site of the AGL floating storage and regasification unit at Crib Point jetty. Contractors hired by the Port of Hastings Development Authority used a bulldozer and backhoe for the works, Tuesday 18 February. “Our followers and supporters are deeply concerned that this valuable and protected vegetation appears to have been cleared without notice and without necessary permits,” Save Westernport secretary Julia Stockigt said. “Such clearing on the border of the internationally significant Ramsar wetlands is appalling.” Save Westernport members complained to…
A MOUNT Martha woman living and volunteering in Cambodia over the past year will represent the Australian Youth Voice at the UN Commission on the Status of Women in New York. Then, after returning from New York, she will head to Austria to complete an internship with the Australian Embassy and Australian Permanent Mission to the United Nations in Vienna. The New York conference, originally to be held this month (March), was last week postponed until July because of the caronavirus outbreak. Travel has become a constant factor in the life of Hannah Callow, who wants to use her Global…
DISCOVERY of an Aboriginal shell midden put a stop to South East Water works at Sorrento late last month. Works crews uncovered the midden, right, while installing a pressure sewer system for a residential customer, Thursday 27 February. “Our crews stopped work in accordance with our cultural heritage protection protocols as soon as they found the midden,” Liveable Water Solutions general manager Charlie Littlefair said. “We’re organising for an archaeologist to do a full assessment of the site and we’re working with Bunurong Land Council Aboriginal Corporation to seek the relevant permit to continue the pressure sewer installation, and avoid…
SIX young people alleged to have run down and killed 10 kangaroos and destroyed $20,000 of wire fencing at a Flinders property are due to face Dromana Magistrates’ Court on 9 April. The wild spree in late March last year allegedly involved five men and a woman aged 20-22 from Mount Martha, Rosebud, Hastings and Cranbourne. Sergeant Brendan Leihy, of Rosebud police, said the group had been charged with criminal damage, aggravated cruelty to animals and wilful trespass. Police will allege the six offenders – two in each of three four-wheel-drives – unlawfully drove onto the Meakins Road property and…
SHOPS will be allowed to accept overnight deliveries of essential items as Mornington Peninsula Shire ramps up efforts to tackle the effects of the coronavirus. CEO John Baker said the shire was determined to “work with the retail sector to ensure supply by providing temporary exemptions from current planning permit conditions and local laws restrictions”. The 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) had by Friday afternoon spread to 90 countries and territories, including China. Of the 98,370 confirmed cases, 80,667 were in mainland China, 105 in Hong Kong, and 10 in Macau. Of the 3383 recorded deaths, 3043 were in China, 148…
A PUBLIC rally is being held to keep the existing Centrelink and Medicare offices in Mornington. The rally will start outside the Centrelink offices, 332 Main Street, at 2pm Wednesday 18 March. The public show of support is the latest salvo in the fight to retain the busy offices which are slated to close 30 March and replaced by a part-time agency over 15 hours a week. Among those scheduled to attend are Mornington Peninsula Shire mayor Cr Sam Hearn, fellow councillors and Dunkley MP Peta Murphy. Anger at the forced closure is growing with a petition at the Mornington…
AN elderly man suffering from what he describes as the “worst pain known to man, or the suicide headache” is pushing for the most effective – but most expensive – treatment to be added to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. Pensioner Albert Mew, 77, said he could vouch for the grim depiction of the ailment after suffering extreme pain for years. “I have now been diagnosed as a chronic sufferer which means hardly a day goes by when I don’t get one,” he said. “Most days it is three or four and sometimes as many as six. There is no cure…
MARTHA Cove residents upset over unfinished landscaping following the construction of houses on Helm Avenue have called on Mornington Peninsula Shire Council to clean up the mess. Their primary concerns centre on the height and slope of mounded soil at the eastern end of the street and unkempt vegetation. They say the mound can’t be properly maintained and is a fire risk, harbours snakes and is detrimental to the amenity of the neighbourhood. The residents say they are “seeking clarity” on how their concerns will be resolved. “There is uncertainty around how this landscape feature will be maintained with the…
THE state government is being urged to use the Mornington Peninsula as a testing ground for a program aimed at reducing the road to nil by 2050. The “horror year” which in 2019 saw 14 deaths on peninsula roads combined with its own Towards Zero policy has prompted the shire to volunteer the peninsula as a site for the state Safe System trial. The move came as the council ratified an “ambitious” submission by traffic and transport team leader Tom Haines-Sutherland to a parliamentary inquiry into the increase in Victoria’s road toll to 266. It also follows a reduction in…
THE Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) has chided Mornington Peninsula Shire Council for going over the top in its demands that Peninsula Aero Club satisfy stringent noise and master plan conditions just to move a shed beside a runway. The authority’s ruling, handed down Monday 17 February, centred around an amendment to a PAC permit to allow the maintenance shed to be moved from the north-east to the west side of the Tyabb airfield runway. VCAT member Christina Fong said the council was making a “deliberate attempt to impose conditions … and impose restraints on the lawful conduct” of…
AS the summer bushfires raged and roared, TV news reports and images of the devastation caused to the flora, fauna and, of course, the people, in hard-hit areas were etched into the minds and souls of everyone watching. Personal accounts about those losing their homes and even their lives in the crisis areas stirred within viewers a mixture of helplessness and, in many, a strong desire to help. Especially vulnerable were children bewildered by the experience of being swept into the drama and not knowing what’s going to happen next, some losing everything, many worried if their parents are OK,…
SAILORS from the Mornington Yacht Club have arguably had their most successful sailing season in the club’s 74-year history. They won two world championships, one national championship and placed second in another national title. The club gives credit for the successful campaigns to its training and development coaches. They worked hard to develop the young sailors’ skills before they were selected for advanced training. Three were then included in the Victorian Institute of Sport program and another six in the Victorian Pathway program. Sophie Jackson won the world RS Aero 5 Title at Black Rock Yacht Club and Rhett Gowans…
IT was a case of winning once, winning twice for Amelia Martin who claimed the Australian National Squash Title in mid-February. The result was even sweeter coming as it did against her sister-in-law Melissa Martin who she beat 11-7, 11-7, 11-7 at Carrara, on the Gold Coast. At 36, Martin is a veteran of the sport having first won the women’s title 15 years ago. “I was very surprised to win,” she said from Tonic Squash and Gym, the Dromana business she took over five years ago. “I’d been training hard and it all just came together.” Martin started playing…
ANTONY’S eyes said it all – they were alive, shining, animated. The cerebral palsy sufferer was thrilled at being able to get to the water’s edge at Sorrento in a wide-tyred disability chair. That something so simple could mean so much speaks volumes about the significance of the chairs and how beneficial it would be to have them readily available. However, red tape – often involving Mornington Peninsula Shire Council – is restricting the chairs’ availability because the insurance and public liability concerns. Four of the chairs sit under the Sorrento Sea Baths with baths’ owners James and Helene Gibson…
PENINSULA Aero Club members were in shock last week following the tragic deaths during a training flight of respected members Peter Phillips, 47, and Ido Segev, 30. The men died when their Beechcraft Travel Air collided with another plane over Mangalore airfield, 11.25am, Wednesday 19 February. Their plane had left Tyabb airfield at 10.55am and was descending over Mangalore at about 4000 feet when the other plane, a Piper Seminole with two people on board, was about three minutes into its ascent. Cloud banks may have prevented the pilots seeing each other before impact, with both planes plummeting to the…
FEEDBACK from angry neighbours will be considered in a Mornington Peninsula Shire Council review of a noisy music afternoon at The Briars. Mount Martha resident Ken Anderson was furious at being subjected to the “disgusting noise which overwhelmed a large part of Mount Martha in the Bay Road area all day” on Sunday 16 February. “I demand that [the shire] never again issue a permit for such an inappropriate event at The Briars,” he said. The event was: “The Mobile Disco – Carl Cox and Eric Powell will be digging into their record collections and playing some of their favourite…