THE state government is still undecided about a temporary fence being built at The Pillars cliff jumping site despite a plea by Mornington Peninsula Shire Council for its help in controlling summer hordes. Port Phillip regional director Kelly Crosthwaite said on Friday the Department of Environment Land Water and Planning was “currently reviewing the information provided by council [on] construction of a temporary fence and will continue to work closely with council to resolve this matter”. Her comment followed a public meeting at the shire’s Mornington office Thursday 1 November which discussed the council’s inability to properly manage parking issues,…
Author: Stephen Taylor
A HUGE multi-national supermarket outside the existing commercial zone in Mornington would “destroy the prominent entry gateway to [Mornington]”. The warning comes from Mornington Peninsula Shire Council as it ramps up its criticism of the proposed Kaufland super store on the corner of Nepean Highway and Oakbank Road. The council has been sidelined by Planning Minister Richard Wynne who has appointed an advisory committee to assess the planning application. The mayor Cr Bryan Payne said having the proposed store on the edge of green wedge-zoned land would lead to “vacant shops down Main Street”. He said peninsula residents might eventually…
A WATERLOGGED kangaroo rescued by two policemen in rough seas off Safety Beach on Saturday afternoon was happily “hopping around” at a cosy refuge on Monday, a carer said. Animalia wildlife rescue group president Michelle Thomas said she collected the distressed male roo from the Rosebud police station lock up later that evening, Saturday 27 October, and took him to a specialised kangaroo shelter for some much-needed TLC. The roo’s bayside rescue, by Rosebud police Sergeant Chris Russo and Senior Sergeant Kirby Tonkin, who stripped off and waded into the waves, made TV news bulletins on Saturday night. Ms Thomas…
A COLOURFUL hardback described by ABC gardening guru Peter Cundall as “the ultimate book on tomatoes, brimming with information based on experience” is about to be launched in Hastings. Tomato: know, sow, grow, feast by Somers author Penny Woodward specifically celebrates Australian heirloom tomatoes which she describes as “colourful gems full to bursting with juicy deliciousness and enjoying a renaissance in Australia today”. The book aims to lead experienced and aspiring gardeners through the practice of organic heirloom tomato growing and explores the history of heirloom tomato varieties in Australia. Summing up, Cundall added: “The book covers everything anyone ever…
THE state government is handing the German supermarket chain Kaufland an “unfair advantage over local shops by going around local government planning processes”, a rival operator has claimed. Co-owner of Mt Martha SUPA IGA for 30 years Rod Allen – who is president of the MGA Independent Retailers – said the retail giant had “completely bypassed six local councils and communities and had taken its proposal to re-zone land direct to the state government by lobbying planning minister Richard Wynne”. The MGA is a national retailer association whose 2700 members include independent supermarkets and stand-alone liquor stores across Australia. Mr…
THOUSANDS of Poppy Appeal volunteers all around Victoria – including from Mornington RSL sub-branch – will begin selling the iconic red poppies soon with all proceeds going to support needy current and former service men and women. RSL Victoria is hoping to raise $3 million in this year’s appeal, with 2018 marking 100 years since the guns fell silent on the Western Front ending what became known as the Great War. Poppies were among the first plants to bloom in the war-ravaged fields of France and Belgium and, since 1921, they have been used to remember those who fell during…
THE threatened felling of a large pine tree at the rear of a Rosebud property has neighbours fearing for the plight of an active magpie nest. Kerry-Anne Ledwidge, of The Broadway, who lives next door to the property, says the tree is slated for removal to make way for houses – a common occurrence in the developing suburb. Australian Wildlife Protection Council secretary Eve Kelly said while regulations required a permit from the Mornington Peninsula Shire to remove vegetation, the protection of wildlife was covered by the Wildlife and Cruelty to Animals acts. “I would like to know how these…
FOUR of the five board members of the Seawinds Community Hub have resigned in what is being described as a “turbulent” period for the centre which opened in 2012. This follows the lodging of a petition with Mornington Peninsula Shire Council signed by 78 volunteers, staff, and members of community groups unhappy with events leading up to the departure of former CEO Martin Cowling. The petitioners said they were “concerned with the current board and the perceived discrepancies between what the board wants and what the volunteers, employees and community groups of the Seawinds Community Hub want for the operations…
A CRIB Point woman whose now-adult son was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) at age seven has written a book about her experiences. “We had many years of behavioural issues that left me wondering what I was doing wrong as a parent,” Elsie Bourke said. “I was often told he was ‘just naughty’, but knew in my heart that this wasn’t true and there had to be an underlying issue. “With the diagnosis, I made it my mission to find out all I could about ADHD and began to keep my own notebook of what worked and what…
“SUPERNATURAL encounters” being held at Crib Point may not suit the faint-hearted. “Evenings of spiritual connection, magic, crystals and music” being run by professional medium Shirley Sienna Coventry allow her to “utilise her mediumistic self to communicate and bridge the worlds of living and those in the spirit world”. The Crib Point resident says her “highly accurate and intuitive psychic abilities” enable her to help people connect with their spirit guides, discover their higher selves and explore past life experiences. The spiritual world is a familiar place for Ms Coventry, who says she was born into a family which was…
BALNARRING residents describe an aged care home planned for their street as “an invasion”. Janet Eyles, who hosted a residents’ meeting last week, said they believed the building of an Arcare 75-bed aged care home in Brooksby Square was “quite unsuitable for our street as it is a quiet residential area”. She said she and her husband Phil had door-knocked the 30 homes in the street and found all residents “overwhelmingly disapproved” of the proposal. “One question that came up was why the main entrance was in Brooksby Square? The main entrance should be in Balnarring Road,” she said. Plans…
RETIRING Mornington police senior sergeant Neil Aubert well remembers perhaps the most dangerous incident in his 46-year career. In 1989, the then senior constable was among nine Cheltenham police sent to evict a group of Hells Angels from the Southside Six hotel in Moorabbin when a brawl erupted and he was stabbed in the stomach. “A rock ‘n roll band was playing to about 1000 people and we went in to remove a group of Hells Angels after reports they had glassed a bouncer,” Mr Aubert said. “We confronted them at their tables and asked them to leave. The next…
A MT MARTHA man who collided with another car at a busy beach-side intersection blames a VicRoads’ line marker for causing it. Maurie Forbes was preparing to turn right from Bay Road into the Esplanade when he clipped the rear of a car approaching from his left as it turned right into Bay Road. He says an incorrectly sited right-turn arrow on the main road directed the car into the wrong lane and forced the driver to over-correct as she turned into Bay Road. Mr Forbes said he saw the car approaching from some distance away but thought he had…
DYSTONIA sufferer Dave Smith has made good on his promise to raise money on the Brain Foundation-Dystonia Walk earlier this month. He and daughters Ebony and Lisa, right, competed in the Melbourne Half Marathon walking the 21.1km to achieve his goal. Mr Smith’s struggle with the condition and efforts to get into shape generated a positive message (“Walk aims to shake off debilitating disorder” The News 10/9/18). “We started at 8am with all of the other competitors but it wasn’t long before we were walking by ourselves up St Kilda Road as the other competitors were running at a good…
STRICT regulations governing the safety of seals on bay beaches have prompted the Department of Environment, Lands, Water and Planning to warn members of the public not to get too close. Senior wildlife officer Abby Smith said as summer approached some seals swam ashore after the breeding season. “In Victoria, it is common to see Australian fur seals resting onshore. They are beautiful creatures and can look very placid when lying on a beach,” Ms Smith said. “Despite their relaxed appearance, they are still wild animals. They will defend themselves if approached and can deliver a nasty bite. “We’re really…
THE Mornington Peninsula is playing a big part in Victoria’s tourism boom. Visitors – mainly from Melbourne and other parts of the country – spent 4.8 million nights on the peninsula last year, up 20 per cent on the previous year. Mornington Peninsula Regional Tourism Board chair Tracey Cooper said the figures reflected an increase in day and overnight trips, especially in the autumn and spring shoulder seasons over the past five years. The benefits were enhanced by the dispersal of visitors to second and third-tier attractions across the peninsula, which helped to spread the tourist dollar several ways. The…
A DEFENCE investigation has found “no evidence of any unacceptable exposure or risk” to residents living near HMAS Cerberus or workers at the base from the historic use of firefighting foams. The all-clear extends to those eating fish caught at nearby Hanns Inlet, on-base workers doing non-surface soil works and trainees or visitors through direct exposure to soil at the base. However, traces of the chemicals were found where the PFAS foam was used and stored, such as the fire ground and station, ornamental lake, sullage pit, irrigated sports fields and former sewage treatment plant. Also within the base but…
THE architects behind the $80 million redevelopment of Sorrento’s renaissance-inspired Continental Hotel say they want to recreate the charms of the “marvellous Melbourne” boom period of when it was built. Six Degrees Architects will aim to complete the public bar and bistro, fine-dining restaurant and champagne bar in September 2019. This will be followed one year later by a “world-class” hotel, wellness centre, cafe and wine bar, day spa and gym, events and function rooms. The National Trust-listed Ocean Beach Road hotel, built in 1875 by the “Father of Sorrento”, comedian, actor, entrepreneur and politician George Coppin, is said to…
MELBOURNE’S Spring Racing Carnival means more to Lorraine Reeves than thundering hooves and two dollar place bets. The Mt Martha fashion designer is gearing up for her first Fashions on the Field contest at Flemington on Melbourne Cup Day after being named as a top 10 finalist in the Emerging Designer Award category. Ms Reeves says she wanted to be a designer since she was a teenager but didn’t have the opportunity to study fashion when she finished school. “However, I have been a dressmaker my whole life and, even without formal study and being mostly self-taught, I have made…
MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire is seeking expressions of interest to turn a former tip into a solar energy plant. The proposed plant at 119 Truemans Road, Capel Sound would use banks of solar panels to generate electricity to be bought by the shire, or sold back to the grid and used to power thousands of homes in surrounding suburbs. The winning tenderer would build, own and run the plant for 25 years, with possible options for a longer term. However, the capital-free solar generation and battery farm EoI campaign, which closed Monday 8 October, may have unintentionally excluded the company which…
A THREE-DAY walk to “touch base” with every police station on the Mornington Peninsula is Superintendent Adrian White’s way of getting an important message across to his staff. He wants to encourage police to reflect on and, hopefully, initiate discussions with support groups or seek help to prevent their suffering ongoing mental illness or harm. Superintendent White was planning to cover the 100 kilometres over three days – Friday 12 October to Sunday 14 October – from Carrum Downs police station to Sorrento police station to raise awareness of mental health issues that he says are “increasing among our current…
MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire will spend $1.74 million over the next six months preparing the site for the $43.5 million Rosebud Aquatic Centre. The council chose one of six tenders for preliminary works on the Besgrove Street site. Infrastructure project manager Elliott Reid said the work included constructing a 380-space car park, exposed aggregate footpaths, pram ramps, concrete kerb and channel, vegetation removal, line marking, signs, electrical connections, lighting and landscaping. Drainage works include a “water sensitive urban design”. The council has supported a “fast-tracked approach” to finish the aquatic centre by September 2020. Public support for the 50-metre pool was…
DEDICATED cyclist Graeme Rocke has a plan for a safe, easily accessible and environmentally responsible bike and foot path between the Peninsula Link Trail at Moorooduc with the Southern Peninsula Trail at Safety Beach. Mr Rocke, 61, of Mornington, wants a commitment from political candidates to finance the project, either before November’s state election or next year’s federal election. He says the path will make use of existing infrastructure where possible. A year will be needed for planning and two years for construction. A member of three cycling groups, Mr Rocke said he considered four potential routes “all having many…
MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire Council is increasing its pressure for recycled waste water from the Eastern Treatment Plant made available for firefighting and agriculture. With a state election on 24 November the shire wants the major political parties to take a bipartisan approach and agree to lay a pipeline to pump recycled water to Arthurs Seat from Dromana. The mayor Cr Bryan Payne said the water could be gravity fed to fire hydrants strategically placed on the main ridge and in coastal villages for “quick filling points for trucks in a fire emergency – instead of [existing] isolated tanks which may…
BUSHFIRES classed as “catastrophic in consequence and of extreme risk” are “almost certain” at some stage on the Mornington Peninsula – possibly this summer. Areas threatened by this nightmare scenario described in a fire management plan adopted by Mornington Peninsula Shire are the Arthurs Seat lookout and maze, parts of Blairgowrie near Pt Nepean Road and along the Stony Point and Frankston-Flinders roads to Stony Point. Other areas “almost certain” to burn with “major” consequences are the Joseph Harris Scout Camp in Hearn Road, Mt Martha, the high voltage transmission lines at Dromana and the Arthurs Seat communications towers. The…
THE running of the inaugural Hastings Gift with $8000 for the winners of the 120-metre men’s and women’s events will be the highlight of a sporting extravaganza to be held at the Thomas Barclay oval, Hastings, on Saturday 17 November. The main events are sponsored by AGL and other races in the 14-event program include the John Coleman Mile (1600m) Hastings open handicap at $1500 and several races offering $1000 in prize money: the Tucketts Tyrepower 120m Hastings masters handicap; Hastings 120m backmarkers invitational/mixed handicap; Hastings 300m open handicap; Malvolio 300m Hastings masters/women’s handicap; Hastings 800m open handicap, and Hastings…
A DIVER surveyed and repaired the well-worn slipway at Mornington Yacht Club last week to ensure it was capable of carrying heavy yachts. A relieved Commodore Bret Levenspiel said Thursday 27 September that the diver “did a hell of a lot of work” on the ageing timbers and supports before giving the slipway the ‘all clear’. Members were told earlier this month that the slipway pilings had deteriorated due to naval shipworm and that the crossheads and rails were “compromised”. Some of the clamps were loose and that acrow props used to secure the slipway during the last slipping day…
IT may have taken 50 years, but Rye grandmother Wendy Burgis has finally achieved her most treasured birthday wish: to jump out of a light plane. “It was great,” she said, recalling the daredevil jump onto the St Kilda foreshore recently. “I’ve wanted to do it for a long time and when my daughter Kate asked me what I wanted for my 80th birthday I told them.” Ms Burgis said her extended family watched from far below as she and a skydiving instructor leapt clear of the light plane at 15,000 feet and floated gently down. “Never could I say…
DIESEL generators have been brought onto the Mornington Peninsula to avoid power outages over summer. Outages can be expected up to five times each summer, usually when thousands of holiday-makers turn on their air-conditioners at around the same time. Network provider United Energy says the extra demand can lead to “more than double a normal day’s power use”. The 11 generators on private properties at Dromana, Boneo and Rye will back-up peninsula’s grid during peak demand. The generators will be on site for five years but are expected to be replaced with other “demand-management” options, such as batteries and solar…
MODERN and affordable homes for low-income families will be built on the site of a former college at Crib Point which was being demolished this week. Habit for Humanity is building “at least five” single detached homes on the 3300 square metre property formerly occupied by the Victorian Academy of Fine Arts, in Stony Point Road. The site has been abandoned for about seven years. “Having a safe and secure home is fundamentally linked to our well-being,” Habitat for Humanity Victoria’s executive director Philip Curtis said. He could not say how many homes would be built before town planning approvals…