FLOODED footpaths and overflowing gutters after heavy rains like we had last week in Point Nepean Road, Rosebud, are bad for business. Traders on the usually busy strip have been hit hard – prompting them to urge Mornington Peninsula Shire Council to fix the drains so that the excess water can escape. Jetty Pizza and Baro Mediterranean Restaurant proprietors Amer and Bahaa Jamal Eddine have circulated a petition calling on the council to ensure a quick fix – especially at the intersection of Jetty Road and Point Nepean Road. “We business owners are urging the council to fix this drainage…
Author: Stephen Taylor
A COMMUNITY meeting at Sorrento this weekend will try to find out what’s happening at the scaffold surrounded Continental Hotel. Nepean Conservation Group president Dr Ursula de Jong will give a brief history of the hotel before discussion centres on the stalled renovations, looks at the current works progress and queries the 1875 building’s future. The venue is the Sorrento Community Centre, 11.30am-1pm, Sunday 30 June. Speakers will include Mornington Peninsula shire planning director David Bergin, the hotel’s developer Julian Gerner, Nepean MP Chris Brayne and a representative from the National Trust. There will be opportunity for questions and answers…
DAY trippers using nets and buckets are reportedly over-fishing moulting spider crabs in the shallows at Blairgowrie. So many of the large crabs – particularly vulnerable when shedding their old shells – are being taken that some locals fear their numbers are bound to plummet. The plunder echoes that of pipis at Venus Bay, where day trippers flout the one-bucket-a-family rule as they scour the sand at low tide for the shellfish – alarming locals and environmentalists. Up to 100,000 spider crabs make their annual migration into Port Phillip on the first full moon of winter (Monday 17 June this…
FIRE has destroyed a section of the Hillview Stadium at Rosebud Secondary College, Eastbourne Road, Rosebud. Six CFA crews fought the blaze which gutted the stadium’s office area, 12.30pm, Thursday 20 June. The basketball courts were unharmed. Rosebud CFA station officer Paula Treacy said the cause of the blaze was “still under investigation”. She said the remainder of the Colorbond steel building was “still standing and looked to be repairable”. The CFA crews contained the fire – which is opposite the Rosebud CFA – in about 15 minutes. Fire investigators and police attended. Pictures: Yanni
KEEPING Mornington’s hotels, cafes, bars and restaurants compliant with the latest rules and regulations governing gaming and liquor sales is the aim of a visit by regulators next week. Staff from the state’s liquor regulator – the Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation – will target the town’s licensed premises on Monday 24 June. Their aim will not be to check for breaches and issue fines but to educate licensees and help them to remain compliant. VCGLR manager education programs Veronica Goluza said the VCGLR’s Street Talk program aimed to keep licensees and their staff up to date with…
A VIOLENT explosion rocked the night calm in Mornington demolishing a backyard bungalow and injuring a female visitor, midnight, Saturday 8 June. The blast blew out the walls and brought down the ceiling of the pre-fab behind a house in Bungower Road, leaving the young woman with an eye injury, burns and deafness. One wall fell against the side of the house shattering a window near where a four-year-old boy was sleeping. A drawn blind may have prevented him being showered with glass. The occupants of the house helped the young woman out of the ruins and she was later…
FISHERMEN on the rocks at Mt Martha who “saw something odd” out at sea sent their drone to hover over a man in distress and pinpoint his position to rescuers. The fishermen called 000 and the Police Air Wing was able to spot the man about one kilometre off Hearn Road, 4.30pm, Friday 7 June. Volunteer Marine Rescue skipper Tim Warner said they received a call from the chopper to rescue the man, 49, who had been thrown out of his 14-foot tinny after “hitting an object” in the water. The incident was made more dangerous because the tinny with…
AN uneasy truce was in place over the Tyabb Airfield dispute last week in the lead-up to a meeting between the Mornington Peninsula Shire CEO John Baker and Peninsula Aero Club president Jack Vevers. The meeting, scheduled for yesterday (Monday 17 June), comes after the warring parties sought common ground in their row over missing or non-existent permits and contentious flying hours. The mayor Cr David Gill said on Friday that there could be issues such as workers’ compensation insurance if businesses were operating at the airfield without permits. The aero club was stunned when the council issued a stop-work…
SORRENTO Sea Scouts leader Lynette Hipwell awarded an Order of Australia Medal (OAM) in last week’s Queen’s Birthday Honours says she was “just having lots of fun”. Sorrento Sea Scouts Group Leader David Burgess said the award paid tribute to Ms Hipwell’s “services to youth through scouts”. “It is a fitting recognition of Lynette’s commitment to the youth of the Mornington Peninsula and the scouting movement throughout Victoria,” he said. “She has been a leader at Sorrento Sea Scouts for over 35 years, a member of the Scout 4×4 team and the Scout sailing team. “Her tireless commitment to the…
TINY homes – or small, functional houses – are being assessed to provide affordable housing for the thousands of homeless and rough sleepers on the Mornington Peninsula. The homes, which could be set in small villages, are seen as ideal crisis accommodation, particularly for the 135 Capel Caravan Park residents soon to be seeking a roof over their heads after their planned eviction later this year. The tiny homes could be trucked onto small parcels of land in semi-rural locations or unused public land, such as disused road reserves. So great is their capacity to offer a practical solution to…
UP to 15 small businesses may be owed as much as $70,000 in the wake of this year’s Western Port Festival, held at Hastings in February. The largest creditor, Simon Sokolich, of Red Hill Water Carriers, says he is $20,000 out of pocket after erecting and filling 1.5 kilometres of water barriers the night before the festival held over the 22-24 February weekend. He says he provided a similar, but smaller, service to the festival the previous year and was paid. Mr Sokolich said he had been assured before this year’s festival that he “would be paid upon completion of…
THE future operation of the Tyabb airfield is up in the air following a stop work order issued by Mornington Peninsula Shire Council. The shock directive, sent on Monday 3 June, came after the shire was unable to find permits subsequent to 1965 when the 50-year-old club was given the right to operate. Tyabb Aero Club president Jack Vevers said on Friday the shire’s director of planning [David Bergin] “has obviously made a horrible mistake that has put well over 100 jobs at immediate risk”. “We look forward to the council’s CEO [John Baker] resolving this matter as soon as…
ARTIFICIAL reefs could be placed in the bay off the Quarantine Station at Point Nepean and off Rye or Blairgowrie under a strategy to boost fishing stocks. The Point Nepean reef would be ideal for yellowtail kingfish and the Rye or Blairgowrie reef would suit anglers targeting species such as slimy mackerel and yellow tail scad – the perfect live bait for yellow tail kingfish. Nepean MP Chris Brayne joined forces with Futurefish Foundation director David Kramer last week to workshop ideas for the reefs to enhance recreational fishing. Their plans include working alongside marine scientists and bay managers in…
BURGLARS cut through a wire fence and into a Hastings car yard, 4.30am Monday (3 June), before stealing more than $100,000 in vehicles and computer equipment. The incident was one of a series of aggravated burglaries on both sides of the Mornington Peninsula over the weekend. Possibly the same offenders were involved in the raids. Two Mitsubishi Triton dual-cab utes, Toyota Hi-Lux, Ford Ranger and a Nissan Dualis SUV were among five vehicles stolen from West Bay Car Sales, of Marine Parade. The haul also included the yard’s key safe, laptop and a mobile phone, totalling about $105,000. It has…
PLANS to create a Hinterland Environmental Water Scheme (HEWS) to drought and bushfire-proof the Mornington Peninsula are a step closer with a pledge by returned Flinders MP Greg Hunt to commit $300,000 to the design of a business case. The scheme proposes re-processing and using the average of 350 million litres of Class A water discharged each day from the South Eastern Outfall pipeline near Gunnamatta. Original proponent of the scheme, Russell Joseph, said the water had been treated as “fit for purpose” for basic agricultural irrigation but was “largely a wasted resource”. He said a 2017-18 Melbourne Water annual…
A BONEO car collector is prepared to go to the Supreme Court after being told by planning authorities that he cannot keep more than 10 cars at his property. Victor Hycenko, of Old Cape Schanck Road, has accused Mornington Peninsula Shire of waging a “personal vendetta” against him and using delaying tactics to prevent him erecting a large shed to store the cars, as well as a horse arena, bed and breakfast accommodation, a dam, landscaping and an olive grove. The cars are now scattered around his 11.8 hectare property or in shipping containers which he says he trucked in…
THE state government says spring will be the time it takes over running boat launching ramps on the Mornington Peninsula. The Better Boating Fund was given $47.2 million in the recent state budget to “work with local councils and land managers to abolish boat ramp parking and launching fees, upgrade boating infrastructure and boost safety across the state”. The Premier Daniel Andrews announced the launching ramp takeover plan on Channel 31’s “Talking Fishing” in the lead-up to last November’s state election. Since then, Future Fish Foundation director David Kramer has slammed the shire as “incompetent at managing the boat ramps”,…
TAILS were wagging and tongues lolling at a special fundraiser in Mornington last week. Social dog walking group Colliewobbles Rescue and Rehoming Australia held a sausage sizzle outside sponsor Best Friends at Peninsula Homemaker Centre, Saturday 18 May. And, for a bit of fun on polling day, they put their preferred candidate forward for election. The social walking group, which began in 2014, aims to socialise and rehabilitate neglected and abused dogs rescued from non-compliant breeding kennels. The breed-specific group focuses on rough collies, smooth collies and Shetland sheepdogs. Founder Philip Cassap said the club’s 400 members – from the…
PENINSULA Health wants to hear from the public about the proposed rebuilding of Rosebud Hospital. This comes as chief executive Felicity Topp investigates the suitability of the current site “in meeting the health needs of the Mornington Peninsula community over the next 15 years”. The hospital’s new masterplan was presented to about 150 residents, business owners, GPs and community representatives at two public forums on the Rosebud foreshore last month. As part of the masterplan a feasibility study is investigating rebuilding the hospital on the existing site. “It is vital we continue to offer health services for the local community…
DROPS in property prices and the number being sold on the Mornington Peninsula are being blamed on changes to lending rules in the wake of the banking royal commission. Real estate agents see the price falls as the result of tightening of housing loan credit as banks impose greater scrutiny on loan applicants’ financial situations and spending patterns, as well as gauging their ability to repay loans based on a 7.25 per cent interest rate – not the average advertised rate of 3.8-4.5 per cent. Last week it was suggested this rate could drop to 5.5-6.5 per cent if two…
ANYTIME Fitness centres at Mornington, Rosebud and Hastings will take part in a 24 hour Treadmill Challenge on Saturday 25 May to raise awareness of the issues surrounding suicide. At the Mornington centre Christopher Ali will attempt to complete the whole 24 hours himself on a single treadmill. Last year Anytime Fitness centres raised $390,000 and this year they aim to raise $600,000. The challenge comes after the gyms teamed up with Suicide Prevention Australia to reduce the devastating impacts of suicide, which claims about 3000 lives each year. Register for the 24-hour Treadmill Challenge at treadasone.gofundraise.com.au Anytime Fitness centres are…
BIRD droppings on the footpath under Main Street, Mornington’s trees is a daily problem for shoppers and traders – one which won’t fly away anytime soon. Despite regular cleaning by the Mornington Peninsula Shire and traders, the nightly roosting of starlings and Indian minahs and their telltale souvenirs can make window shopping dangerous for pedestrians. “I’ve seen two people slip over,” Grand Hotel general manager Cameron Price said. About 18 months ago he installed $4000 spotlights under trees outside the hotel’s sportsman’s bar area to deter the birds. “As soon as someone breaks a hip something will be done about…
EVIDENCE of a “spilled substance” – most likely diesel fuel – leaking out of a drain at Safety Beach has been traced as far upstream as Rainier Avenue, Dromana, but the source has not been identified at this stage, the EPA said last week. The oily mess, which has been polluting the sand and seawater for at least the past 12 months, is most noticeable near the intersection of Marine Parade and Point Nepean Road, opposite a service station. A second leak causes diesel odour to emanate from a smaller drain on the foreshore opposite another service station about one…
AS if Rosebud’s pre-polling booth wasn’t busy enough, early voters also had to contend with the centre median car park being closed for 36 hours last week. “There has already been one vehicle accident outside the booth [at 1175 Point Nepean Road] because of the traffic and it is very difficult for voters to cross the road at this point,” one early voter complained. “Questions need to be asked about why this work is being carried out at this difficult location at this important time.” South East Water told The News it closed the car park to carry out “long-planned…
PENINSULA Aero Club has withdrawn a request for Mornington Peninsula Shire to remove “church hour” restrictions on flights at Tyabb airfield. Instead, it will apply directly to the Victorian Civil Administrative Authority. The club’s application was to be considered at the council’s planning services meeting last night (Monday 20 May) but the aero club withdrew it citing concerns over the officers’ inclusion of a recommendation to also ban take-offs and landings from sunset on Saturday to 9am on Sunday. The withdrawal of the application has forced the shire to move its meeting from Hastings to Rosebud. The council had received…
CONFUSION remains over parking and launching fees at boat ramps on the Mornington Peninsula. A boat owner was fined $81 last week for supposedly not paying a launching fee at Rye, prompting the Futurefish Foundation to label the Mornington Peninsula Shire’s management of its boat ramps a “debacle”. The Premier Daniel Andrews announced on Channel 31’s “Talking Fishing” show last November that, if re-elected, the state government would run boat ramps on the peninsula, abolish fees, and establish a Better Boating Fund for boat ramp upgrades. Six months later the shire is still waiting to have its role clarified. “The…
STEFAN Borzecki has marinas in his blood. “All my life I have been designing them,” he said, citing his role in the “niche industry” of marina development, including those at Hervey Bay and Sanctuary Cove while working for former business high-flyer Christopher Skase in the 1980s. After being the original designer and developer for the Western Port Marina, Hastings he bought Yaringa marina at Somerville in 1985. He then poured all his energies into expanding and running it, driven by the idea of creating a complete boating community with associated businesses, restaurant, tourism and a conference centre. “My plan was…
BLAIRGOWRIE’S Helen Talbot says people shouldn’t put limits on their aspirations: “You can do anything if you really try,” she said last week. It’s an attitude which helped her do the “hardest thing I’ve ever done yet easily the most inspiring” – climb to the base camp of Mt Everest. Just home after three weeks trekking in Nepal, the 73-year-old is still on a high after the experience during which she was accompanied by her son, Brett, 46, and his daughter Claudine, 15. The keen walker trained daily doing 5-6 kilometre walks on Arthur’s Seat since January and at New…
ROSEBUD resident Dirk Jansen was pleased with the success of his Koala Day event in Boneo, Saturday 4 May. “We had a great day at the property in Kinwendy Road which is owned by Rob Nigro, a Southwest landcare member,” he said. “There were 18 of us and the mood overall was that the situation for koalas is dire.” (“Day to highlight plight of koalas” The News, 30/4/19). Mr Jansen said community engagement was “overwhelmingly positive”. “There is a lot of motivation and interest to address this situation,” he said. “What was unexpected was the great response from the community…
MORNINGTON MP David Morris has called on Public Transport Minister Melissa Horne to add an extra bus service from Frankston to the Mornington Peninsula. “There is an urgent need for an additional bus service from Frankston station to cater for the large number of students being left behind during the morning rush,” Mr Morris said. The issue came into focus last week when the mayor Cr David Gill admitted: “Our advocacy efforts and those of the community have not resulted in any significant upgrades to bus services on the peninsula.” (“Bus services get an F (for fail)” The News 8/5/19).…