DESPITE hours of meetings, speaking with residents, writing reports and to-ing and fro-ing with government departments, Mornington Peninsula Shire Council is almost back to square one with its management of The Pillars. The council last week moved to adopt its draft long term management plan for the contentious cliff jumping site at Mt Martha and asked the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning for more support to help manage the area. The council will now concentrate on making it safe for visitors to The Pillars; controlling traffic and parking; and running an “education and enforcement campaign”. In 2016, the…
Author: Stephen Taylor
FRANKSTON is the third worst electorate for rough sleeping of all of the state’s 88 electorates, as well as the eighth worst for people living in rooming houses. The Nepean region – from Rye to Portsea – is the fifth worst regional electorate for “severe crowding” out of all 33 regional electorates. Severe crowding is defined by the Australian Bureau of Statistics as a house where at least four extra bedrooms would be needed to accommodate the occupants. Many have multiple families living under one roof, or multiple adults and children sharing sleeping areas. Mornington is the 29th worst regional electorate for rough…
WHILE it’s more common to see CFA volunteers fighting fires in the bush, their Coast Guard counterparts are also around to keep boaties safe when there’s smoke on the water. This year, the Coast Guard volunteers are celebrating 10 years of protecting bays and waterways on the water, and by supporting their CFA land-based firefighting counterparts. The Coast Guard in Victoria began in 1961, with volunteers having the choice of training in marine firefighting for the past decade. Most flotillas are now also CFA brigades, with volunteers trained and prepared to battle all water-based incidents. Volunteers complete a marine firefighting…
SOUTH East Water crews were busy last week trying to repair a broken pipe which sent raw sewage cascading down the Earimil Steps escarpment into Earimil Creek. Mt Eliza resident Des Berry said he found a waterfall (“or should that be effluent fall”) of raw sewage on his regular beach walk Wednesday morning, 12 September, which flowed to the beach. “The dirty brown and very smelly discharge emanated from a broken sewage main at the top of the cliff near the Earimil lookout,” he said. “At the north end of Ranelagh beach [the] South East Water pumping station receives the…
THE owner of a motor launch washed ashore at Fisherman’s beach, Mornington, on Friday hired an excavator to dig a channel so that another boat could drag it into deep water. The master of the 11.8 metre steel boat told Parks Victoria he expected to have it re-floated “on the next high tide”. Parks Victoria acting manager moorings and port services Stuart Wardrop said he was working with the man to get the unnamed boat back into the water “as soon as practical, given the clear weather conditions”. Mr Wardrop said the home-made boat had been anchored off Mornington pier…
FIFTY-SIX active and engaged groups on the Mornington Peninsula are waiting anxiously to see the results of the Pick My Project “competition” being run by the state government. The Victorian-first community grants program is offering at least $1 million to clubs, groups and associations as well as a range of independent bright ideas from people working for their communities. They are all vying with one another to win public online support – or votes – for projects ranging from lighting at football ovals, paths for the disabled, club extensions to music afternoons, yoga and suicide prevention. Voting closed Monday 17…
WHILE most young people on the Mornington Peninsula have the benefits of living within strong family structures supported by positive role models and a sound education improving their job prospects – many do not. That’s why the innovative Passport to my Future program is so important. The YMCA Peninsula Youth Service initiative is designed to give young people “a helping hand” to seek work placement and employment opportunities. It provides employers with a better insight into the capabilities and achievements of young people keen to enter the workforce. Rosebud Hotel is an enthusiastic founding supporter of the “Passport to My…
SEAWEED and litter build-up on Tassels Cove beach at Martha Cove is irritating one user who thinks the council should make a bigger splash in its clean-up efforts. Ken May said the Marine Drive beach, between Mt Martha cliff and the entrance to the marina, was “neglected” by the council: “I and others who use the beach for many years have been disappointed with the lack of any significant plan and upkeep,” he said. “Perhaps a more appropriate name would be Mornington Peninsula Dirty Beach.” Mr May said in April he decided that, as the condition had got so bad,…
A DESIRE to give something back to the community after she retired prompted occupational therapist Pamela Farrington to start the Mt Martha creative group Painting with Parkinson’s. Now, however, she realises the benefits run both ways: “All the members are my friends and I value them so much that I am the one who feels blessed.” Ms Farrington has been running PWP for eight years “to give people with Parkinson’s a fun, creative outlet with others who are dealing with various symptoms of the neurological disease”. “We start off with simple, seated exercise which has been found to stimulate neural…
RECREATIONAL and educational activities for people of varying abilities, held Wednesdays at the Civic Reserve Recreation Centre, Mornington, are popular. The Fit N Fun program allows up to 40 participants to enjoy being with their friends and connecting with the community. Participants develop confidence to participate in sporting and physical activity programs, increase their skills, and are advised on healthy eating and personal relationships. They enjoy the challenge of shooting a goal – as well as having fun, interacting and physical activity. The program follows on from the success of the All Abilities day in December when Belgravia Leisure and…
SORRENTO’S landmark Stringers Store is being readied for its next century. The two-storey limestone building, which changed hands in March, has always been a merchant’s store of some description, with new owners the Saba family very much involved in the vision and changes recently adopted. “We stock all the essentials for holidaymakers, with a delicatessen and bottle shop alongside the supermarket,” manager Cosmo McIntyre said. “A cafe serves light meals and coffee for weary day-trippers to refuel after a long drive or the walk up from the beach.” Stringers Store was established in 1896 as a classic part of Sorrento’s…
WHEN Dave Smith crosses the finish line in the Dystonia Walk next month he will have his two daughters beside him and friends and supporters out in front to welcome him home. The Dystonia sufferer is training hard to compete in the 21.1km Melbourne Half Marathon, Sunday 14 October, to raise awareness for sufferers of the disease which has ravaged his body for the past three years. “Having run the full marathon in 1983 from Frankston to the Arts Centre in Melbourne I knew this would become my next goal,” he said. After being diagnosed in March 2015 and undergoing…
THE state government has postponed building a rock wall at Portsea beach aimed at further preventing sand erosion, and will instead start repairing the existing sandbag seawall using its current design. This follows a bid by Mornington Peninsula Shire to overturn a decision by the Department of Environment, Land, Water, and Planning to build the rock wall which mayor Cr Bryan Payne slammed as “the final environmental nail in the coffin [which would] permanently destroy the beach”. (See “Restore our beach: council demands” The News 4/9/18). Energy, Environment and Climate Change Minister Lily D’Ambrosio last week ordered the repair of…
IN what seems like a win for animal rights devotees, Mornington Peninsula shire will open the animal shelter and pound for extended hours on Saturdays and Sundays – without requiring those wanting to visit to adopt a pet to make an appointment beforehand. Previously the pound, at 130 Watt Road, Mornington, was only open without an appointment 10am-1pm Saturdays as part of a six-month trial. The limited times rankled some prospective adopters who felt the shire’s “red tape” regulations were making the process too restrictive. Also, under previous arrangements, those intending to visit had to apply online, await an official…
TWO peninsula community volunteers were honoured for their selfless efforts at last week’s Delys Sargeant Age-Friendly Awards. John Drysdale, a Somerville Community House and Peninsula North Men’s Shed committee member, was named Elder of the Year, while RPPFM’s Dennis Gist was named Senior Achiever of the Year. Mornington Peninsula mayor Cr Bryan Payne presented the awards at the Mt Eliza Community Centre, Tuesday 28 August. They honour the men’s “significant contributions to the community and the Mornington Peninsula by a person 50-plus years of age”. Other awards were made to individuals, clubs, services or businesses that contribute to building a…
DESPITE “struggling with this terrible carpark situation for years” there’s light at the end of the tunnel for the community of St Mark’s Balnarring – particularly if Liberal candidate for Nepean, Russell Joseph, has his way. He’s promised $60,000 to seal the gravel carpark if the Liberals Nationals win the state election in November. “After attending the opening of the community centre last year, it was brought to my attention that the carpark was a necessary piece of infrastructure to ensure the church can make the best connection possible to those in the community who have come to rely on…
IN a few weeks an elderly Hastings man will forego the comforts of home for a long spell behind the wheel to raise money for drought-affected farmers. Len Brennan, a former professional driver, will set off in early October in his reliable and much-travelled Toyota Hilux ute on a 9000 kilometre journey taking in some of Australia’s toughest bush roads and rutted tracks. The self-described “poor man’s philanthropist” – 82 – will head to Adelaide, then Darwin, then across to Brisbane and back down to Melbourne in his fundraising adventure to, hopefully, raise $20,000 for a cause that’s close to…
THE fickle and unrewarding nature of the Mornington Peninsula singles scene has inspired three local women to form their own dating site. “We were tired of swiping left, right or otherwise and being sent unsolicited nude pics!” Peninsula Singles co-founder Abby Barling said. “We went looking for something different but couldn’t find anything here on the peninsula, so we’ve created it ourselves!” The single mums are kicking off the season with a Spring Fling singles mixer, Wednesday 19 September, at Gods Kitchen in Mornington. They say taking a stand against the dubious goings-on of online dating had been rewarding with…
MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire CEO Carl Cowie has quit the top job. Lured from private industry in November 2014 the almost-$400,000 man issued an email to the shire’s 900-odd staff on Thursday 30 August telling them of his decision. Although required to give three months’ notice it is expected he and the council will negotiate a payout enabling him to leave early to take up a position as CEO of the Shire of Nillumbik. The mayor Cr Bryan Payne said “on behalf of the council and the community, I thank Carl for his major contribution [to] the Mornington Peninsula Shire Council…
RECORD low rainfall in parts of the state is forcing the Country Fire Authority to consider bringing forward the start of its bushfire season. The CFA last week warned property owners to prepare for an “extreme summer of fires”. For the first time, fire restrictions will be introduced in some parts of the state as early as this month. Mornington Fire Station officer-in-charge Mick Hembrow said the shire had experienced a “drier than normal winter and autumn before that”. He said property owners should watch the weather closely and “burn now – don’t wait too long [as] the environment might…
A PUSH by a government department to have a rock wall built at the base of the Portsea cliff to halt erosion would be the “final environmental nail in the coffin and permanently destroy the beach”, the mayor Cr Bryan Payne said last week. He was speaking after hosting Victorian Greens leader Dr Samantha Ratnam and Greens Nepean candidate Paul Saunders on an inspection of what he called “the lost beach”, Tuesday 28 August, along with several Mornington Peninsula Shire councillors. A report commissioned by the council and released at the latest council meeting has strengthened the council’s resolve to…
A SERIES of radio plays being aired on RPP FM – the Voice of the Peninsula – will give listeners insight into happenings that helped shape and define their community. Produced by Heather Forbes-McKeon the plays recount historic and often tragic events that occurred on the peninsula over the past 220 years. Titled Time Capsules, and researched by playwright Steve Wheat, the 10 plays produced at the studios at Wilson Road, Mornington, run for 10-15 minutes. They are: 1803 The First Colony, 1852 The Ticonderoga, 1882 The Footy Team that Drowned, 1887 The Crashing of the Cheviot, 1939 The Burning…
IF running up 28 floors at Crown Metropol Hotel, Southbank, wearing 25kg of turnout gear and breathing apparatus makes you breathe uneasily, spare a thought for three very fit Mornington firefighters. Lieutenant Nick Keon and firefighters Sam Bunting and Travis Dixon are gearing up to represent their brigade in the fifth annual Melbourne Firefighter Stair Climb, Saturday 1 September. Bunting has been a firefighter at Mornington for eight years and is making his third climb, but for novices Dixon, who has been at Mornington for three years, and Keon for one, this first attempt is a leap into the unknown.…
SPEEDSTERS are “taking control” of a once-quiet Mornington street and making life hell for those living there, a resident says. Bill Julian, who has lived in the once-quiet area for 53 years, said Haig Street had been undermined by a perfect storm of circumstances making it busier, more congested and less safe – despite it being used by school children and the elderly on a daily basis. “It’s a hazard just waiting to happen,” he said. Mr Julian said pick-ups from a main entrance to Mornington Primary School in Vale Street meant parents parked along both sides of Haig Street…
MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire Council wants the state and federal governments to underwrite an infrastructure program to drought proof the shire and lift its firefighting capabilities. This follows calls for a “resilient” water supply made at the June Green Wedge Summit at Main Ridge. The shire and South East Water agreed to jointly investigate “the potential for sustainable water projects”, including rain water, urban run-off and artesian water and the 350 million litres of treated water pumped daily into the sea at Gunnamatta (“Water ‘saviour’ of green wedge” The News 2/7/18). Pipes from Melbourne Water’s Eastern Treatment Plant carrying the recycled…
KITTY Wood almost didn’t make it home to Somers last week after a large pine tree came crashing down just metres from her car’s front bumper. The alert woman, in her 80s, thanks her lucky stars that she saw the mature tree moving ominously in strong winds in Coolart Road, south of Hodgins Road, and braked hard while watching it fall heavily across the road. “It was beginning to come down when I saw it,” Ms Wood said, recounting the shock she felt when it landed a mere car’s length in front of her – and possible injury or worse.…
BLAIRGOWRIE Community Garden Group members are excited at being given the opportunity to develop an extensive vegetable garden at Stringer Road Reserve. The group – aligned with the Sorrento Community Centre – was last week granted a five-year lease on a section of the reserve by Mornington Peninsula Shire Council. The group had been in discussions with the shire over the past year to secure the site, in Melbourne Road. The council believes the area is underutilised and development of a community garden, on two unused tennis courts, will improve the area’s amenity, as well as offer recreational benefits to…
A FORMER policeman was last week presented with the Victoria Police Star at the Police Academy. The award recognises police killed or seriously injured in the line of duty. Senior Constable Peter Steele, of Rye, was on patrol with Sergeant Brian Stooke in Centre-Dandenong Road, Cheltenham, when they were shot by notorious gunman Pavel “Mad Max” Marinof, 12.15am, 9 June 1985. Stooke was hit four times, with the bullets severing his spinal cord and leaving him a paraplegic; Steele was hit in the shoulder with the bullet passing through his armpit. The shot caused him to drop his gun and…
PROVIDING crisis accommodation to young people unable to live at home in Rosebud and Frankston has been identified as a priority by Mornington Peninsula Shire Council. A campaign launched last week calls on the state government to provide two new crisis accommodation homes on the southern peninsula. The shire recently brought together industry experts in its campaign to advocate for safer access to emergency housing “where it’s needed most”. The resulting Youth2 campaign, in which the shire works with young people experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness, has come about through a partnership with community organisations and service providers across…
MELBOURNE’S rapid population growth and the popularity of the Mornington Peninsula as its “playground” is putting obvious and unwelcome pressure on its road network – particularly the southern peninsula freeway which daily struggles to cope with traffic. A report to last week’s Mornington Peninsula Shire Council meeting on alternative traffic plans – Southern Peninsula Freeway Reserve, sought leave to investigate other transport options and manage ways of implementing them. The shire’s traffic and road safety strategist Doug Bradbrook said the investigation to ease congestion on the southern peninsula “ranks as one of the most important transport challenges the … shire…