THE state government’s ban on single use plastic bags – and commitments by the big supermarkets to phase them out over the next few months – has highlighted the merit of alternatives, such as the free Boomerang Bags. Rosebud Boomerang Bags was launched at the La Casa Nostra deli in July by Gwen Giudici, who picked up the idea from Shelle Hepburn, who had been sewing Boomerang Bags in Sorrento with the help of volunteers and school children. Since then, another three Boomerang Bags communities have been established: Somers, Red Hill and Western Port, with more in the pipeline. Ms…
Author: Stephen Taylor
YOUNG motorbike riders have a safe, supervised area in which to ride – right in the shadows of BlueScope’s Western Port steelworks. And the sense of fun is catching on, with membership of the Mornington Peninsula Motorcycle Club doubling over the past 12 months. “One of the most important aims of the club is to teach young people how to ride safely and responsibly,” club secretary Carl Agar said. “We won’t let anyone ride who isn’t a club member, and to be a member you must know and follow the rules.” The club’s 1200 financial members are mostly families, with…
LONG-time Portsea visitor Tony Clemenger warns that immediate action is needed to protect Portsea front beach near the Portsea camp, which began as the Lord Mayor’s Camp for Country Children in 1946. “If the waves are not stopped within the next 12 months the erosion on the cliff will cause their beach to close and all the trees will have to be removed before they fall over,” he said. Mr Clemenger has been holidaying at his parent’s house for the past 54 years. “It’s where my soul lives,” he said. “We need to stop the waves and slow the water…
AFTER “acrimonious debate” Mornington Peninsula Shire last week knocked back a request for Cr Simon Brooks to attend the 23rd Conference of the Parties UN conference at Bonn in November from his study allowance. But the first-term councillor will still be going to Germany – and as the shire’s official delegate – but will pay his own way. Cr Brooks said the importance of the conference to a carbon-neutral peninsula meant the trip was worth the expense. “My election platform was based on policies of environmental sustainability as well as planning,” he said. “As a 40-year-old local I have a…
MOONLIT Sanctuary Wildlife Conservation Park director Michael Johnson sees no problem with 61,000 international visitors coming to the Mornington Peninsula each year. He says Rye Community Group Alliance president Mechelle Cheers “shouldn’t be worried … rather, she should focus on the estimated 4.2 million day-trippers from Melbourne that visit annually”. The Pearcedale tourism operator said it was visitors from Melbourne causing traffic jams, not those from overseas. Ms Cheers is concerned about the impact of mass tourism on the peninsula – especially its effects on vegetation, animals and people (“Tourism can have downside”, The News, 10/10/17). “It is time the…
POLICE investigating a series of wilful and obscene exposures occurring since 2013 in Frankston and surrounding areas have released a picture of the suspect’s work car in the hope he may be identified. The offences, which have been occurring sporadically, took place in Rosebud in March 2013, Frankston in May 2013, Rosebud West and Tootgarook in July 2013, Frankston in May 2016, and Rosebud, Rye and Tootgarook in November 2016. The latest incident was in Frankston last month. Detective Senior Constable Carin Wood, of Frankston police, said that, on each occasion, the suspect exposes himself to women before offering them…
POLICE are being assisted by CFA and SES crews at the scene of an accident in which a 60-year-old woman drove her car into a house in Steedman Dr, Mornington, Tuesday 10 October. The car crossed the front yard, and partially entered a front room, badly damaging the pillar of the garage. Acting Sergeant Steve Giuliani, of Mornington police, said the woman suffered non-life threatening injuries in the incident at 3.20pm. The woman, who is believed to be from Mornington, was taken to hospital by ambulance. SES and engineers were stablising the front of the house. Nobody was at home…
A HASTINGS man died after a violent struggle at a house in Frankston while high on a cocktail of drugs, the state coroner has ruled in a finding released late last month. Judge Sara Hinchey said Adam Slomczewski, 44, died from cardiac arrhythmia in the setting of the struggle, as well as neck compression and amphetamine use, at a house he was robbing in Cassia Grove, Frankston in December 2015 (“Intruder killed chasing woman”, The Times 14/12/2015). She said Mr Slomczewski had a lengthy criminal history and spent considerable time in prison for various crimes, including theft, robbery, burglary, attempted…
PENINSULA Aero Club last week opened a more advanced helipad which will support airborne emergency services on the peninsula. The design caters for larger and more sophisticated helicopters which require safer, more dedicated facilities. It will supply fuel to water bombing aircraft as well as the Police Air Wing and others. “We have seen aircraft become more fuel critical during fire fights over the past few years and this new facility will provide a much needed resource,” club vice-president Jack Vevers said. “The total cost of the infrastructure is around $400,000, with Mornington Peninsula Shire contributing $100,000 from its emergency…
VICROADS has called a halt to the wholesale clearing of vegetation on the Mornington Peninsula Freeway, between Mt Martha and Rosebud, following a storm of protest by wildlife carers and residents. Reports of dozens of displaced animals, including ringtail possums dropping babies from nests, echidnas and blue tongue lizards being trampled by the authority’s “forestry machine” – and even being mulched alive – caused outcry last week. Community concerns, voiced loudly on social media and radio, pointed to the loss of habitat, “cruel” treatment of wildlife, lack of planning and consultation, loss of amenity to the area, increased noise and…
PICKING up 27 kilograms of rubbish from Dromana beach was either a good thing or a bad thing, depending on how you look at it. Good because that’s 27kg less rubbish than there was before, but bad because it shouldn’t have been there in the first place. Organiser of Beach Patrol Safety Beach/Dromana Gary Robertson thanked the 42 volunteers who turned up on a chilly Friday 29 September with their gloves and litter bags to collect rubbish at the beach and foreshore. Much of the rubbish consisted of small pieces of plastic and cigarette butts. “What a great first-up day…
“DISAPPOINTED and concerned” is how Mornington Peninsula mayor Cr Bev Colomb feels about state Planning Minister Richard Wynne’s refusal to place interim planning controls over large-scale developments. The move has also angered Liberal Mornington MP David Morris who has warned the government’s stance will see the peninsula become “just an extension of the urban sprawl”. The shire wants a design and development (DDO) planning overlay to “combat” changes made by the state government to general residential zone (GRZ) provisions which allow construction of buildings up to three storeys – or 11 metres – in height. “The DDO would have protected…
DOCTORS will be encouraged to participate in a “learning module” to help them identify and diagnose Buruli ulcer in patients on the Mornington Peninsula. The module is being developed by experts from the Department of Health and Human Services and a public health laboratory in conjunction with the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners and infectious diseases experts. “Providing GPs with this knowledge will ensure early diagnosis can be made and the most effective antibiotic treatments provided to reduce the need for surgery and skin grafts if the condition develops,” department spokesman Tim C said. “Whole genome sequencing is also…
RYE Community Group Alliance president Mechelle Cheers is worried about the impact of tourism on the Mornington Peninsula’s animals, vegetation and people. “This is a conversation that needs to be had – especially for the protection of the southern end of the peninsula. Please don’t misunderstand what I am saying as anti-tourism or development – it’s not.” The fears held by Ms Cheers coincided with a news release from Flinders MP Greg Hunt welcoming a rise in the number of international visitors to the peninsula and the growth in spending by residents and visitors. The data used by Mr Hunt…
A man was found with multiple stab wounds and facial fractures on the grounds of St Thomas More Primary School, Mt Eliza, Thursday 5 October. Tradies working on the Canadian Bay Rd site found the man, 52, on the oval and called emergency services early morning. He was later airlifted to the Royal Melbourne Hospital with wounds to his lower abdomen, right leg and hand, as well as several facial injuries. They were described as non-life threatening. Sergeant Dennis Ramsay, of Mornington police, said the circumstances were unclear, but that the incident “may have happened elsewhere and he was later…
PATTERSON Lakes resident Steven Taylor is appealing for witnesses after alleging he and his wife were assaulted by a Fisheries Victoria officer when they returned to the Olivers Hill, Frankston boat ramp on Friday 22 September. Mr Taylor said the “entirely unexpected” alleged assault occurred after they returned from a boat ride to Mornington. The alleged assault with fists, baton and capsicum spray left him with broken front teeth and facial and bodily bruising, while his wife received severe facial bruising after being “stomped on three times”. Acting Senior Sergeant Patrick Hayes, of Frankston police, said later: “I can confirm…
SYDNEY-based artist Tom Polo spent some time researching the Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery’s collection before painting his impressions on the wall in the gallery’s foyer. His 13 metre painting includes works from the gallery’s collection and will be on display until 26 November, along with an exhibition of portraits from the gallery’s collection and the 2017 National Photographic Portrait Prize from the National Portrait Gallery. Polo says his work is as much about the process as it is the “finished” result. “I think it will ask questions about how our understanding of an artwork changes when we are privy to…
ONE extended Mornington Peninsula “pride” was awaiting the grand final siren with more than a little trepidation on Saturday. Five generations of the one family, led by great-great grandmother Molly Flaherty, had gathered at the Elm Mount Martha Valley aged care home, Safety Beach, in the lead-up to a longed-for Tiger triumph. Matriarch Mrs Flaherty, 100, can trace her clan’s Tiger allegiance back to 1933 when her older brother, Bob Gislingham, played a single VFL game for Richmond. That was enough: Mrs Flaherty drummed a sense of Tiger loyalty into her children and they into theirs – making the weekend’s…
NEPEAN Liberal candidate Russell Joseph wants the state government to “drop the politics” and work with the federal government on research to eradicate the Buruli ulcer. Cases of the devastating condition, described by a sufferer as “rampant” on the Mornington Peninsula, rose from 47 in 2014 to 159 so far this year. Last week, Tyabb girl Ella Crofts, 13, recalled her excruciating experience after being diagnosed with the ulcer in her knee in April – and called on the federal government to fund research into the debilitating condition. (“Funds flow for ulcer study” The News 26/9/17). The article mistakenly reported…
MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire Council has taken a hard line against two property developers whose projects do “not enhance, protect or respond to the valued character of the peninsula and our historic Sorrento”. The mayor Cr Bev Colomb was speaking after a planning services committee meeting on Monday 18 September refused a planning application for a three storey building at 141-147 Ocean Beach Rd, Sorrento. The mixed-use development proposed building two shops, 14 apartments and basement car park, and as well as the demolition of a building with a heritage overlay. Earlier, the council had also knocked back a bid for…
THE proposed widening of the sealed section of the north-south runway at Tyabb airfield from 10 metres to 18 metres would improve safety, according to the Tyabb Airfield Precinct Plan now on public display. But Peninsula Aero Club has been quick to point out that the extra width would not be a green light for its use by larger aircraft. Club president Peter Bernardi said the widening would cost the club up to $500,000 and would be completed “hopefully” by year’s end. The precinct plan, by Kneebush Planning and Arcadis, is nearing the end of its six-week public display period…
A GROUP of Western Port residents took their concerns over potential power outages in the hectic summer period to Hastings MP Neale Burgess last week. “We put to him our personal concerns about the effect of power outages which we anticipate this summer with the closure of the Hazelwood power station,” Hastings resident Fran Henke said. “While outages will affect businesses big and small, we wanted him to understand what could happen to people dependent on electricity for their survival and wellbeing.” Ms Henke said Mr Burgess had promised to raise concerns about power outages in parliament “as soon as…
TYABB girl Ella Crofts has been praised by federal Health Minister and Flinders MP Greg Hunt as a “very brave and courageous young lady”. Mr Hunt’s comments were made while promising $2.4 million following the 13 year old’s campaign for research into the Buruli (or Bairnsdale) flesh-eating ulcer from which she suffers. The disease has been described as being rampant on the Mornington Peninsula where incidences have more than doubled in the past year. There has been a 300 per cent increase in the number of cases in Victoria in the past five years. In the past two years, the…
SUPPOSED “contradictions” in the Hastings Foreshore Precinct Plan were highlighted in the Tuesday 12 September Talking Fishing show on Channel 31. Much of the show was dedicated to discussing concerns about the scope and depth of the plan, such as the lack of community input into the month-long public survey which attracted only 27 respondents willing to discuss their likes and dislikes about the foreshore, what they did there, pressing issues, conflicts between users and possible improvements. The show, hosted by Future Fish Foundation director David Kramer, also criticised the design of the proposed boat ramp parking area, saying it…
WHILE men aged over 85 have one of the highest suicide rates in Australia they are often overlooked in the fight against suicide. This lack of attention and help is due to “ageism” and a lack of community support, according to Mornington-based Mentis Assist. The organisation which provides opportunities for people living with mental illness based its conclusion on the results of a 2014 statistics study. “Life events commonly associated with elderly suicide include the death of a loved one, physical and mental illness, cognitive impairment, unmanageable pain, fear of dying, loneliness and major changes in roles, such as retirement,”…
A SURVEY aimed at gaining a greater understanding of the caravan park and residential villages’ population on the Mornington Peninsula found that 63 per cent are aged over 70, most are single women, and nearly 90 per cent rely on the age pension as their main source of income. The survey was compiled by the Peninsula Residential Parks and Villages Group and focus groups convened in April and August. Responses were received by 164 of the 600 residents at four core parks: Peninsula Parklands, Hastings, which has 220 permanent residents; Mornington Gardens, Mornington, (also 220); Dromana Holiday Village (80); and…
A CORONER’S report into the deaths of an elderly Rosebud couple late last year has described the tragic circumstances as a “common theme”. Judge Sara Hinchey was commenting on the death of Nancy May Budge who died in an apparent murder-suicide pact with her husband, Roy, in the driveway of their Adams Av property, 4.30pm, Thursday 3 November. Both were in their mid-80s. “It is well understood that people who have lived a full, productive and loving life, but who experience an irreversible deterioration in their physical health, can develop a determination to end their own lives, often in circumstances…
PADUA College will appeal to the Victorian and Civil Administration Tribunal against Mornington Peninsula Shire’s decision to refuse a planning permit for a car park in Oakbank Rd, Mornington. The case will be heard in late January. The council refused the school’s application on the grounds it would reduce agricultural land; limit agricultural activities on adjoining land; be incompatible with agricultural activities in a green wedge zone; and is at odds with the peninsula’s planning scheme. The council believes the school has not demonstrated how its proposal would relate to sustainable land management under the Environmental Significance Overlay. Padua College…
THE cost of cleaning up illegally dumped rubbish at the Arthurs Seat State Park and Langwarrin Flora and Fauna Reserve is taking away money that could go to both parks’ upkeep, according to Parks Victoria. Parks Victoria ranger Luke Ashford said weekly dumps of household and green waste, building material, old furniture and timber offcuts, had to be cleaned up by two rangers over an average two hours each week costing $36,000 a year. “That’s money that’s not going back into parks where it should be going,” he said. Parks Victoria spokeswoman Sally Nowlan said the cost of clearing the…
MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire is backing a community group’s push to improve public transport on the peninsula. This follows the thwarted presentation of the Peninsula Residential Parks & Villages Group’s 1574-signature petition to state Parliament urging a “complete bus service review on the peninsula”. Despite the petition being rejected because it was “not in the correct form” the group was last week meeting at Mornington library to plan their strategy for another attempt (“Transport petition fails” The News 5/9/17). “We are in the process of getting another petition online as well as in print because a lot of elderly people can’t…