WHEN the skies close over and turn grey, Portsea resident Brian Douglas nervously looks upwards and begins to prepare for what’s to come. A soak pit on Mornington Peninsula Shire Council land behind his Franklin Road property has been defective for years, resulting in the flooding of his yard, even in moderate rain. “It has been an ongoing saga that we have tried to resolve through the shire’s systems, but we have quite literally got nowhere,” Douglas said. He first contacted the shire about the flooding pit four years ago but heard nothing back. He persevered, and about 18 months…
Browsing: Mornington Peninsula
KEEN observers of changes to the environment, especially near the homes and where they are regularly taken for walks, five-year-old groodle Olive seemed particularly aware of Christmas lights. These decorative lights in Rollings Close, Rosebud created just the right atmosphere to take the weight off for a bit and appreciate the ambience. The next notable stop, of course, will be Christmas Day, when, in the past, Olive’s “family” has included her in the festive celebrations. Picture: Yanni First published in the Southern Peninsula News – 19 December 2023
MOUNT Eliza, Peninsula Bridge Club members Peter and Suzanne Schuster took their seat at the table for an historic bridge game at Victoria’s Government House, in Kings Domain, Melbourne. The grand ballroom’s transformation into a card house for 160 players and guests was the first time the Ballroom, with a length surpassing the ballroom at Buckingham Palace, had been set up for bridge. “This wonderful game of bridge in the ballroom event aimed to celebrate Victoria’s bridge community and to showcase Victoria’s contribution to the game worldwide,” event organiser Laura Ginnan said. The strategy-based card game is recognised as a…
MORNINGTON Peninsula boxers Caitlin Parker and Tyla McDonald represent the changing face of the once-male-dominated sport and have already made sporting history. Parker and McDonald recently qualified for the Paris Olympics by winning gold in their weight divisions at the Pacific Games in the Solomon Islands, making it the first time that two female boxers from the same gym have qualified for one particular Olympics. Parker, 26, from Dromana, is also the first female to qualify for two Olympics in boxing, having already competed in Tokyo as well as two Commonwealth games. She has a record of athletic accomplishment, including…
THE founding member of the Peninsula Writers’ Club, president Andrea Rowe, is stepping aside to pursue her own writing goals and let someone else lead the organisation. Rowe reflected on the club’s successes and its future at its annual general meeting, where members discussed the joys of writing, the club’s future and the supportive and nurturing space it has provided to emerging and published authors of all ages. It’s no exaggeration to say that the writers’ club has changed lives. The ability to put down thoughts, experiences and yearnings in print has been a lifeline for writers, especially during the…
THE newly formed small boat team, part of the Water Police Squad, will be on the water over summer. To deal with some of the state’s most complex marine emergencies, the team will use a mix of smaller and more maneuverable vessels including jet skis and inflatable rescue boats, both inland and along the coast. Water Police Squad and small boat team Acting Sergeant Kristina Clappison says jet skis and inflatable rescue boats are able to go where bigger vessels can’t, meaning police can get to people more swiftly when seconds matter. The newly formed team will make it easier…
DRIVERS of vehicles without trailers have been photographed ignoring parking restrictions at Schnapper Point, Mornington. As well as being watched by other visitors, the drivers risk being booked by Mornington Peninsula Shire officers who have stepped up patrols since this month’s introduction of paid parking. Schnapper Point, near the pier at Flinders and Sunnyside Beach, Mount Eliza are the three sites chosen to test the shire’s paid parking trial over summer. One Mornington resident contacted The News to say there were “plenty” of empty car parking spaces, but many drivers were choosing to park in the boat and trailer area.…
Police will prepare a report for the Coroner following the death of a man Portsea on Sunday, 17 December. Emergency services were called to reports of two snorkellers in trouble in waters off Portsea about 8.10pm. One man, who is yet to be formally identified, died at the scene. The second snorkeller was taken to hospital for observation. The exact circumstances surrounding the incident are yet to be determined but the death is not being treated as suspicious. Victoria Police News – Sunday 17 December 2023
TOOTGAROOK musician and raconteur Kevin Vis has lived a colourful life, travelling the world seeking adventure and meaning, and creating music wherever he goes. A bit of a jack-of-all trades, New Zealand-born Vis has worked in the fitness industry and been a landscaper and boat skipper, and even played fictional Australian character Keith Elliot in the Swedish soap opera Friends and Enemies. There were many distractions and deviations before Vis found his way to the Mornington Peninsula in 2001, including playing in bands in Europe and rubbing shoulders with the glitterati of the international music world, but on his own…
STAFF, councillors and community members of Mornington Peninsula Shire will be “proudly marching” in next February’s Midsumma Pride March in along Fitzroy Street, St Kilda. This prediction is contained in a shire news release that states “Mornington Peninsula Shire” will march alongside “the Frankston Mornington Peninsula LGBTIQA+ Collaborative” and invites “all local LGBTIQA+ community members and allies to march with us on the day”. As part of its ongoing support for LGBTIQA+ community members the shire is offering free tickets and bus transport to the march. Tina McGuffie, the shire’s senior advisor – media communications and advocacy, told The News…
A 12-month project on the Mornington Peninsula to improve end of life care in residential aged care centres could set a new standard for the treatment of people with life-limiting illnesses. The government financed Community Palliative Care in Aged Care Project is being administered by Peninsula Home Hospice in Mornington. The not-for-profit organisation provides specialist palliative care to people in their home, whether that be residential aged care or the family home. Its team of medical and support professionals focuses on optimising quality of life for people diagnosed with a palliative illness. The project follows on from the Royal Commission…
SUMMER has arrived, with Country Fire Authority already declaring total fire bans in some areas and the Mornington Peninsula’s fire danger rating period starting on Monday 18 December and ending 1 May 2024. The CFA has also reminded Victorians to consider their pets and livestock when making bushfire survival plans. Chief Officer Jason Heffernan said bushfire relocation kits for pets should be kept within easy reach during high-risk bushfire days. “It can take longer than you think to move your pets, so make sure you can transport them efficiently and have towels and woollen blankets on hand to protect them,”…
Peta Murphy: fondly remembered … as an exceptional role model I am writing to express our sincere condolences concerning the tragic passing of Dunkley MP Peta Murphy. She was much loved and deeply admired by all the members of The Southern Women’s Action Network (SWAN). Peta was a woman of great integrity, strong convictions, kindness and compassion. Like so many others who met her, we truly appreciated Peta’s warm and engaging personality, her willingness to listen and delightful sense of humour. Most especially we admired her determination to advocate for justice, particularly in support of those who were marginalised. Peta’s…
CALLS for more parking spaces for parents of children at Osborne Primary School in Mount Martha have been rejected, with Mornington Peninsula Shire Council calling for parents to “obey the rules”. A recent concentration by council parking officers around the school has parents seeing red, after 19 were fined in one day for illegal parking and other traffic violations. Connor Foster said it was “unfair” of the council to target parents, with some drivers fined more than once, at around $219 a fine. “Our main interest is the safety of our children,” he said. Foster says there needs to be…
ROADS around Rye and Tootgarook are about to get a safety upgrade as part of a program to target dangerous intersections. Seven intersections will be upgraded with compact roundabouts, speed cushions or raised intersections, courtesy of the federal government’s Black Spot program. Black Spot projects target road locations where crashes are occurring or are at risk of occurring. The intersections to receive compact roundabouts are Field Street and Shirlow Avenue, Hygeia Street and Bimble Street, Ozone Street and Bimble Street and Government Road and Waratah Street. Speed cushions will be installed at Field and Marshall streets and Alma and Plain…
GUNNAMATTA and Sorrento surf lifesaving clubs have been presented with Rescue medals by Surf Life Saving Australia for their members’ efforts in rescuing a father and his son. Everyday Lifesaver certificates were awarded to Liam Kiernan and David Lawson for their actions at the same incident, Gunnamatta club president David Stogdale said. The drama that the lifesavers were recognised for unfolded in the early evening after patrols had ended at Gunnamatta on Friday 6 January. The father went into the water after seeing his sons, two brothers, aged 16 and 20, get into difficulties. However, he too soon got into…
THE warm weather has returned and with it are the visitors who love the Mornington Peninsula’s beaches as much as its dolphins do. With only weeks to go until the influx of summer crowds, watercraft users and swimmers are being reminded that “dolphin distancing” is important to protect the marine mammals and allow everyone to enjoy the beach safely. Boats and paddle craft must stay at least 100 metres away from dolphins, jet skis must be at least 300 metres away, and swimmers and surfers must keep a distance of at least 30 metres. The Conservation Regulator, a state government…
RSPCA Victoria is looking for nearly 140 volunteers to join its network of op shops this summer. The organisation’s op shop volunteers are key to paying for the care required for arriving at RSPCA Victoria, many of which require veterinary treatment. “Volunteers are crucial to our work in animal welfare, and this includes the amazing volunteers in our op shops across Victoria,” Nadine Hutchins, RSPCA Victoria volunteer program manager, said. “Our op shop volunteers raise vital funds for RSPCA Victoria and the thousands of animals in our care every year, which is more important than ever right now. “We’re recruiting…
PARENTS have been warned to be alert after thumb tacks were found scattered around two children’s playgrounds in Somerville. Mornington Peninsula Shire Council is urging anyone who discovers vandalism of any sort to contact it after the thumb tacks, or drawing pins, were found at the playground Pembroke Drive, Somerville on Sunday 3 December. The council’s rapid response team went to the playground on Monday to clean up any remaining thumb tacks. Posts on social media reports also show a similar thing happened at Clairmont Close Reserve at around the same time, with thumb tacks left on equipment and playground…
IT seems that Mornington Peninsula Shire Council intends to permanently fly the “Intersex Progress Pride Flag” outside its offices. The latest version of the flag, officially recognised as the Intersex-Inclusive Progress Pride flag, was unveiled at the Smithsonian Institution, Washington, US, in June. The unveiling during LGBTQ+ Pride Month was said to demonstrate “the evolution of inclusivity in the design of Pride flags”. In its quarterly glossy publication Peninsula Wide, the shire says it believes “it is vital we overtly show our support for LGBTIQA+ community members”. Under the heading Respecting diversity, the shire states: “Our Community Vision makes it…
SAFETY Beach actor, singer and film producer Cindy Pritchard will be part of a Q&A following the screening of her new film, Christmess, at Rosebud Cinema at 7pm on 14 December. Pritchard is one of the producers of the Australian indie film, written and directed by Heath Davis. The film stars Steve le Marquand (2 Hands, Broke) Darren Gilshenan (Colin from Accounts) and Hannah Joy from indie band Middle Kids, while Pritchard also has a role. Le Marquand plays a once famous actor with an alcohol addiction who is fresh out of rehab and gets a gig performing as Santa…
PETA Murphy’s first speech as federal member for Dunkley quoted her literary hero, Pippi Longstocking. Pippi was being warned by her friend Annika to refrain from competing against “the world’s strongest man”. “Man, yes,” said Pippi. “But I am the world’s strongest girl, remember that!” The speech came just weeks after Murphy received a devastating cancer re-diagnosis. She was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2011, and again in 2019 around the time she was elected the first ever female member for Dunkley. Murphy carried Pippi Longstocking’s attitude with her during her four years in parliament. In spite of deteriorating…
MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire councillors were this week to again set to grapple with the concept of transparency and the release of information to the public. Part of the shire’s official “mission” is “keeping you up to date with what is happening across the shire in an open and direct way”, but last month councillors voted five to four against publishing summaries of their secret discussions, or briefings, with officers. Cr David Gill, who proposed the defeated motion, said while briefings were noted on agendas the details remained secret and it could be up to six months before they came back…
THE second annual Flinders Fringe Festival in February will be headlined by Sea Wolves Howl, a theatre piece based on a group of women who daily plunge into the sea at Mount Martha. Written and performed by Mornington Peninsula artist Carole Patullo with Jane Bayly, Melanie Beddie and Kelly Nash, the piece was commissioned by the festival. Direction and dramaturgy are by Melanie Beddie with music by John Thorn. The Mount Martha Sea Wolves, an intergenerational group of up to 60 Mornington Peninsula-based women and non-binary people, gather on the beach daily at dawn. As they hold hands and enter…
ATTEMPTING 50 kilometres a day for 50 days is a challenge that would make even the bravest of runners hesitate, but for Somerville man Connor Scott it was a mission with a purpose. Scott took on the challenge to raise money for Mornington charity Speak & Share because he backs what the charity does for young people. “I wanted to be able to help challenge the stigmas of mental illness and help this charity work on proactive responses,” he said. From 15 October to 3 December, no matter the weather or the pain level, Scott donned his running shoes and…
A CAMPAIGN to reduce single-use coffee cups on the Mornington Peninsula is gathering momentum, with some local cafes taking up the challenge and spreading the word. A first for Victoria, the peninsula’s Plastic Free Places campaign is launching a reuse revolution at Commonfolk Coffee and HomeGround in Mornington, culminating in BYO Cup Day on 8 and 9 December. The program is being paid for by Mornington Peninsula Shire Council and delivered by the Boomerang Alliance, which represents 55 allies across Australia to tackle waste and litter. Birte Moliere, the alliance’s Plastic Free Places facilitator, said the community was being invited…
A YOUNG male kangaroo has been saved from a tragic end after being trapped for three days on a Balnarring property and harassed by dogs. The kangaroo was relentlessly pursued by neighbouring dogs, leading to a painful encounter with a fence and visible injuries. A rescue team from Vets For Compassion was able to sedate the terrified animal, after it was seen hiding in a secluded corner of a paddock. VFC vet and founder Elaine Ong examined the kangaroo, whose injuries included scratches on his legs and a small patch of missing fur on his shoulder. Fortunately, there were no…
RESIDENTS of the recently named Koonya Grassy Bowl area in Blairgowrie want closer supervision of volunteers in environmental programs, after vegetation was mistakenly ripped out in front of homes. The work was carried out by volunteer members of the Blairgowrie Friends of Mornington Peninsula National Park group under a grants program to remove invasive weeds such polygala in the Koonya Grassy Bowl and restore native vegetation along Koonya beach (Helping at the grassy bowl, The News 14/11/23). Despite a spokesperson from Parks Victoria last week stating the work took place on public land to “protect and enhance the natural values”…
AN unlicensed labour hire company that provided workers to farms in Rosebud, Devon Meadows, Koo Wee Rup and Torquay has been issued a total penalty of $617,916 – the highest in Australian history for breaches of labour hire law. A L Star Express, of Keysborough, was found to have knowingly and repeatedly contravened the Labour Hire Licensing Act 2018 (Vic) when it supplied workers to four separate horticulture businesses, without holding a labour hire licence. The workers jobs included picking fruit and vegetables and other horticulture tasks. In its judgement, the Supreme Court of Victoria noted that the contraventions “must…
Emergency services are at the scene of a two-car collision in Red Hill. The vehicles collided on Arthurs Seat Road about 5pm. A male passenger in one of the vehicles has died at the scene, the male driver has been airlifted to hospital in a serious condition. The male driver and only occupant of the other car was taken to hospital as a precaution The exact cause of the crash is yet to be determined and investigations are ongoing. For the current provisional lives lost tally please see https://www.police.vic.gov.au/road-safety-0 Anyone who witnessed the incident or has information is urged to contact…