PELICANS always seem to attract attention. They waddle along beaches, gracefully paddle in the water and fly overhead following the thermals. But while they appear to be common, especially when looking for scraps around piers and jetties, pelican numbers are declining.The Westernport Pelican Study Group reports that just two of a previously known 10 Victorian breeding sites remain.A breeding site on French Island “went extinct” in 2001, according to the group, and pelican numbers in Western Port have been declining ever since.Study group members look for and photograph banded pelicans and have also appealed for members of the public to…
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A MORNINGTON Peninsula diver has made a remarkable underwater discovery that is sending ripples of excitement through the marine world.Emily May, of Tootgarook, had a recent encounter with a rare frilled pygmy octopus (Octopus superciliossuss) on Portsea West Reef, and was able to capture some video and photos of her amazing find. Her footage has been confirmed as the first taken of this species in the wild and only the second viewing in the wild. All other footage was taken at the aquarium at Queenscliff Discovery Centre in the late 1990s. May said this was confirmed by Dr Julian Finn…
YOUNG environmental warriors from Rye Primary School and St Joseph’s Primary, Sorrento had the opportunity to learn about biodiversity and environmental protection under the tutelage of Mornington Peninsula ecologist Gidja Walker OAM. More than 60 children across three sessions attended the walk and talk about the formation of the bay, and the geology of the area and how that influenced vegetation that grows there.The Rye school’s principal Lachlan Featherstone said it had been inspiring to see the children listen intensely to what Walker was saying and ask pertinent questions. “They have certainly learnt a lot from this session”, he said.…
RSPCA Victoria inspectors will join pet owners at the Mornington Peninsula Million Paws Walk in Hastings on Sunday 26 May.Last year, 808 walkers and 518 dogs took part in the peninsula walk, raising more than $24,200 to help the RSPCA end cruelty to animals.Each year the organisation investigates more than 3000 animal cruelty reports across the south east region, with 508 animals being seized or surrendered to inspectors. Peninsula-based senior inspector Maree Crabtree said there would be several inspectors on the walk available to speak to residents and answer questions. “If you are wanting to know what a day in…
MORNINGTON Peninsula Koala Conservation Group volunteers dug into the season’s tree planting program on Friday (3 May).The tree planting day in Balnarring also marked Wild Koala Day with animal enthusiasts and conservationists from around the world raising awareness of the pressures on koala habitat and health.The volunteer peninsula koala group is dedicated to increasing the tree canopy on the peninsula and protecting koalas and other wildlife. First published in the Mornington News – 7th May 2024
SOUTHERN Peninsula Community Support centre director Jeremy Maxwell was last week visited by Rosebud police officers Sergeant Daniel Patton and Senior Constable Melissa Daly who wanted to hear about the centre’s work in supporting low income families and individuals.The support centre is one of three on the Mornington Peninsula dedicated to supporting people in need in a warm and non judgmental environment. The trained and experienced staff at the Rosebud based centre can help people in financial hardship with food vouchers, financial aid, pantry staples, fresh food bags, transport, medical needs and advice.To donate or support the centre call 5986…
Mornington will be the starting point for a Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride on Sunday 19 May, an annual international charity event celebrating classic and vintage styles motorcycles and the dapper gentlefolk that ride them. The ride is a visual spectacle as finely dressed men and women from the Mornington Peninsula ride their classic machinery from Mornington to St Andrews to raise awareness and money for prostate cancer research and men’s health, all under the auspices of the Movember Foundation.Riders are encouraged to wear “classic” clothes, and bikes are a mix of classic cruisers, modern classics, sidecars, old-school choppers and more. “Given…
IT’S okay not to be okay will hold a free mental health workshop on Saturday 4 May 1.30pm-4.30pm at The Bays Hospital, Mornington in the ground floor rooms of Dr Ford and Dr Fiske.The workshop is designed to help parents of newborn babies.Bookings: bodybumpfitness@gmail.com, instagram.com/twobaystherapy or call 0438 647 649. First published in the Mornington News – 30th April 2024
MOVES are being made to protect one of Somerville’s few remaining historic treasures, Seaton Carew House, from development.Hastings MP Paul Mercurio has been urged to join the community push to retain the privately-owned house for community use.Seaton Carew House was built in 1905. Someville resident Phillip Ross said the 0.58 (1.42 acres) of land “could be developed into a wonderful park and the house could have endless uses for the community”. The property, at 10 Graf Road, is for sale for $1,795,000, and is described as being “ripe for renovation” to bring back its original glory, or for subdivision. The…
By Captain Diana Jennings FROM the Mornington Peninsula to the shores of Gallipoli, Able Seaman Musician Laura Campbell, right, will represent the ADF at the 2024 Anzac Day dawn service at Anzac Cove, Turkey.“Growing up I usually made Anzac biscuits and attended the services at school,” she said. “I remember trying to imagine what the war would have looked and felt like while the bugle call was played.”The bugle call will certainly hit closer to home this year, as she stands on hallowed ground to perform and represent a nation as part of the Royal Australian Navy Band at Anzac…
HASTINGS not-for-profit Kindred Clubhouse has launched a new project to increase mental health awareness and care in the community, while raising money for peer support and homelessness.Kindred Clubhouse offers a free peer support model in the Frankston and Mornington Peninsula areas for people wanting to improve or maintain their mental health through friendships and purpose.Its new project, the Welcome Project, is giving the community a chance to get involved by decorating a sign and entering it in the clubhouse competition.Signs can be collected from Wednesdays to Fridays at 29 Marine Parade, Hastings between 10am and 3pm for donations of $5…
FLINDERS CFA is recruiting new members. The brigade, which started in 1945 as the South East Bushfire Brigade in an old shed in Flinders Park, was incorporated in the Country Fire Authority in 1945, moving to Barker Street in 1981, where a new fire station was built in 2017.Flinders is one of the CFA’s 1222 brigades and has 23 members including five women. The brigade trains or meets three times a month and responds to about 30 calls a year, mostly during the December to March bushfire season. It also attends major fires throughout Victoria and interstate.For more details about…
THE camping area with a difference is being expanded at Point Nepean National Park. The campground, with its pre-pitched “discovery tents” has been popular since opening early last year, with more than 2000 people staying overnight. Thirteen more tent platforms are now being built within the historic Quarantine Station precinct, creating a “woodland” camping area among the park’s moonah trees.Parks Victoria says it worked with Bunurong Land Council Aboriginal Corporation, Heritage Victoria and Mornington Peninsula Shire Council to pass the relevant cultural heritage and environmental assessments for approvals to complete the works. The project is part of a $6.4 million…
SOMERS landscape designer Ellen Freeman has won two awards at this year’s Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show with Eclipse, her entry in the Challenger Achievable Gardens section.Eclipse won a gold medal and the specialist award, Best Use of Plant Life. One side of Freeman’s creation comprises silver and blue toned plants while the other side has purple, red, and black plants. The two sides are separated by a white limestone path and circle. Textures also add contrast between the two halves of the garden, with more matte plants on the lighter half and shiny leaves opposite. Plants chosen by…
A MEMORIAL garden space at the former Bembridge Golf Course, Somerville is having a “sunflower spectacle” to promote its green credentials and honour a friend.The concept of paying for a plant or tree to be planted in honour of a loved one, with ashes treated and made environmentally safe, is relatively new to Australia. But the owners of Mornington Green, Luke Roberts and Rob Amro, say the uptake has been great since opening in 2022.The green wedge zoned land was a market garden before becoming a golf course in 1995. Roberts said the idea for memorial gardens came to him…
THE creative director of the Share Sustainability Agency has won third place in the Melbourne international flowering garden show border garden design competition.Josie Jones, of Rye, said that stepping into the realm of the competition was “a complete leap of love”.The Mornington Peninsula clean-up hero, who daily picks up litter from the beach and heads rubbish awareness programs, drew on her love of the rare weedy seadragon and gardening to create a garden bed that impressed judges.“As someone who has quietly nurtured a passion for gardening my entire life, the joy and humility I feel in securing a place on…
MOUNT Martha resident Peter Scott has always kept himself in reasonably good shape with regular physical exertion, so when he suffered a stroke at 62 it forced him to reevaluate what “healthy’ really is.“I was in a pretty high pressure corporate job and led a busy life, but I was a good weight and was fit. In fact, I had just a week or so earlier completed a half marathon, but that’s what tricked me,” he said. What Scott didn’t know was that he had high blood pressure, which is one of the risk factors of stroke regardless of how…
TWO young men from the Mornington Peninsula have made a spectacular entrance into the electric vehicle market, armed with nothing but a bright idea, a modest amount of savings and a lot of faith.Twenty-four-year olds Toby Batters-Holding and Daniel Henry, who became friends while students at Western Port Secondary College, have launched a mobile EV charging business that has attracted interest from media around the country.Before taking their idea to the market, Henry, an electrician, and Batters-Holding, a boiler maker, spent 12 months learning about the EV industry. Although they did not own EVs themselves, they knew enough to see…
THE Dolphin Research Institute last week celebrated 33 years of its achievements and efforts to “improve outcomes for dolphins, whales, and our precious marine environment”.Executive director Jeff Weir said the picture chosen to mark the institute’s one third of a century “shows something you don’t see every day — a dolphin riding on the head of a humpback whale”. The picture was taken in 2020 when the same humpback had spent a week feeding off Phillip Island, the first time such an event had been recorded.“Our role in capturing knowledge and filling these knowledge gaps is integral to our work…
RSPCA Victoria is inviting exhibitors to connect with hundreds of passionate pet owners at this year’s Million Paws Walk at Hastings. The Mornington Peninsula is home to one of the RSPCA’s main dog walking events, which provides the opportunity for businesses to make contact with dog and pet lovers, while raising money to end cruelty to animals.Event and community fundraising manager Kate Kasby said this year’s event was a special milestone. “We’re very excited for this year because it marks the 30th anniversary of Million Paws Walk and we are planning an amazing day out for all pet lovers,” Kasby…
WHEN Mount Eliza mother Rachel Miller received the diagnosis six years ago that her then four-year-old son had Tourette Syndrome, she set about finding out as much as she could. Now, with her son, a 10-year-old at primary school, she is on a mission to ensure that all young people and adults with TS, and their families, are also aware of the support and help there is within the community.“It made such a difference to our family when we found out there was help and other families to talk to,” she said.Miller is currently raising money to help families attend…
DELIVERING a baby by caesarean section isn’t usually a hands-on experience for mothers, but that’s exactly what happened to one young mum in Mornington.Obstetrician Dr Natalie Elphinstone, who recently moved her private practice to The Bays in Mornington, completed the hospital’s first official maternal-assisted caesarean birth on Tuesday 12 March.In a maternal-assisted caesarean, the obstetrician partially lifts up the baby, allowing the mother to then lift the baby out of her own womb and onto her chest. “Many mothers feel somewhat removed from their birth experience with traditional caesarean sections. This new procedure enables mothers who want or need a…
POWERLINES in high fire danger areas on the Mornington Peninsula could be placed underground as part of a package of new “resilience measures” being tested and considered by electricity distributor United Energy. The distributor is looking at how it can make its network in Melbourne’s south-east and the peninsula stronger and more resilient in the face of increasingly frequent severe weather events.United Energy representatives last week met with community members in Red Hill to hear their views on the proposals and road test a range of scenarios as part of a five-year business plan, with a draft to be submitted…
THE Tiny Home Expo is coming to Mornington Peninsula, and Expo Organisers say the event is gathering more and more interest as people seek alternative solutions to a multitude of pressures from rental stress, the housing crisis, and also aged care alternatives, and options for young people wanting to save rental money.“Whilst initially the Tiny House Movement was in the realm of a alternative lifestyles, a greener solution and coming from the aspect of having less ’stuff’, in more recent years it has attracted a much wider audience in search of solutions to an array of issues, the most obvious…
THE Afghan Women’s Organisation Victoria held a retreat with a water safety message for a group of newly arrived Afghan women and girls at Saltbush, Balnarring Beach.The resilient women, having fled their homeland under challenging circumstances, found solace, connection and peace in the bushland and coastal environment at the retreat. For many, Saltbush marked their first encounter with a beach, offering an opportunity to explore the beauty of the coast and discover the tidal movement in Western Port that exposes rock pools on low tide.Group organiser and co-founder of the Afghan Women’s Organisation Victoria, Gulghotai Bezhan, said the retreat was…
A FREE legal information session covering two of the most common legal issues affecting older people – wills and power of attorney – will be held at Safety Beach on Wednesday 20 March.Co-hosted by the Respecting Seniors Network, Peninsula Community Legal Centre and the Mornington Peninsula Shire Council, the session will include guest speakers talking about the tips and traps of planning for decision making as people age. They will also talk about how to protect older people’s rights and assets, as well as how to ensure that a person’s wishes are respected at a time when they are at…
By Jane ByrneSANDY beaches, rugged cliffs and the twisting, somewhat haunting Moonah trees are natural features many imagine when they visualise the southern Mornington Peninsula, an area loved by holidaymakers and residents.Not only are coastal moonah woodland areas visually stunning, but they perform an important function. They help stabilise dune systems and prevent erosion caused by climate and sea level changes that threaten our coastal communities. Many of the moonah trees and adjacent vegetation communities are extremely old.With less than eight per cent of its original distribution remaining, coastal moonah woodlands are listed as a threatened community under the Flora…
SOUTH East Water’s annual community grants program is now open for groups to apply for up to $10,000 available for community projects.Now in its fifth year, the program has granted more than $320,000 to 66 community groups across Melbourne’s south-east. “Last year we were thrilled to support 16 community groups with a range of community and environmental projects, from emergency food relief and crisis essentials for children entering out-of-home care, to rainwater tanks and recycled water systems, and a cultural meeting place for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students,” South East Water managing director Lara Olsen said.Applications are now open…
MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire staff are likely to be exchanged with their counterparts from Roper Gulf Regional Shire in the Northern Territory under a partnership agreement being drawn up by the two municipalities.Arrangements for the Friendly Council Partnership date back to early 2023 and involved a visit to the remote shire by then mayor Cr Anthony Marsh and CEO John Baker.The partnership was formally agreed to by peninsula councillors on 31 October last year, some weeks after plans for a formal announcement were dropped following the “last minute” cancellation of a visit to the peninsula by the mayor and CEO of…
GRADE 5 students at Moorooduc Primary School are getting the opportunity to write, illustrate and publish their own book with the help of a published author. The students’ brief is to create and publish a children’s story that inspires others to make the world a better place. Mornington-based writer Jane Ting, author of the Zac’s Happy Planet children’s picture books, will help guide students through the creative writing process. “I want to give students an insight into the whole publishing process, so they have a real insight into children’s picture book publishing,” she said. “Their goal is to create a…