SOCCER FRANKSTON Pines’ immediate future is on the line with the local club scrambling to avoid being booted out of State League by Football Victoria. That’s the bleak prospect facing the men from Monterey if they can’t pay a large percentage of a five-figure debt owed to FV by the end of this month. Last week the state federation announced that many clubs “failed to meet their financial obligations in 2023, resulting in a historic level of debt … nearing $2 million.” It then delivered the bombshell news that “clubs unable or unwilling to meet their financial obligations will be…
Browsing: Mornington Peninsula
CRICKET PROVINCIAL A MASSIVE century by Harley Peace-Stirling has secured an important win for Pines. Sorrento set Pines a target of 113 to score to win. Pines looked shaky batting on day one, and finished up at 5/51 at stumps. Pines looked much more comfortable on day two. On the back of a brilliant knock of 109 not out by Peace-Stirling, they easily surpassed their target. Some excellent bowling saw Long Island get a win over Old Peninsula last Saturday. Long Island were in a good position coming into day two – they scored 261 runs on day one. A…
EARLY on Sunday morning last while putting a prisoner into the cell at the watch-house, on a charge of drunkenness, Senior–Constable Culhane and Constable Graham were wounded, the result of revolver shots. From details to hand, it appears that the two officers mentioned had arrested a man named Hannah, a former policeman, lately stationed at Brighton, on a charge of drunkenness, and while locking him up a shot rang out. Constable Graham fell to the ground. Senior-Constable Culhane, who was turning out the light, rushed to the assistance of his fellow officer, when another shot was fired, striking the senior…
No environmental benefit in brown coal to hydrogen It is pleasing to see that the state government may be finally coming to its sense with regard to the shipping hydrogen to Japan (“MPs under pressure over hydrogen” The News 14/11/23). While shipping the clean fuel hydrogen to Japan seemed like a sensible idea, it was always flawed because of the way the hydrogen was to be made. Had the hydrogen been produce through the electrolysis of water powered by renewable energy then the idea had merit. However, the method chosen, converting brown coal to hydrogen was always flawed for the…
RYE residents and visitors can now enjoy a new public artwork: Ngalamba: to stop and wait a while. Produced by artists David Wood, of Bent Metal, Daniel van de Wiel, of It Stands Out and Shanai Kellett, of Maloga Art, the wall sculpture represents the story of Bunurong’s five seasons. The commission came about after Rye Community Alliance reached out to the Mornington Peninsula Shire Council, in consultation with Binturong elders. Both schematic and organic, the sculpture celebrates the local Bunurong people’s connection to country. Inspired by the life cycle of the leptospermum laevigatum – the coastal tea tree, an…
ZETA Newbound, who recently celebrated her 100th birthday, lives independently, drives her manual car, attends events and participates in discussions regarding current topics. The president of Flinders Probus Club, Rose White, said the club had organised a surprise This is your Life Power Point presentation and a birthday lunch for Newbound following a monthly meeting at Flinders Yacht Club. “Eighty-five of us kept the secret and Zeta was amazed,” White said. The presentation traced Newbound’s life from her 7 October birth 1923 in Lewisham, England, where Australian parents were working. Her mother Meta was a professional violinist and her father,…
THE Rosebud-based four-part Southern Peninsula Choir is evolving and expanding its repertoire under the guidance of musical director Serena Carmel, who took over after the retirement to Germany last year of Antony Ransome. Under her direction the choir conducted a workshop in October as part of the Mornpen Positive Ageing Festival. The choir has a biennial scholarship that aims to promote interest in classical choral singing for young people on the Mornington Peninsula.. Winner of this year’s scholarship program was Ava De Vries, 14, who also won the encouragement award two years ago. Singing teacher Cheryl McDonald began teaching De Vries…
A CREDIT card inside a wallet stolen from motor vehicle at Safety Beach overnight on Saturday 30 September was used the following day at Woolworths, Mornington. The card was used to buy items worth $923.70 and police have released an image of a man (above) who may be able to assist with their inquiries. Anyone with information in urged to contact either the Mornington Peninsula CIU on 5978 1400, Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report at crimestoppersvic.com.au First published in the Mornington News – 21 November 2023
POLICE numbers will still be bolstered on the Mornington Peninsula for up to four weeks during schoolies celebrations, despite crowds expected to be down this year. But with public drunkenness no longer being a criminal offence in Victoria and police now having to arrange safe options for drunken revellers, could be plenty to keep them busy. Superintendent Fiona Bock, above right, said all indications were that the peninsula would not be the top choice for school leavers this year, with many headed interstate or overseas. “But we will still have a strong police presence because our aim is to allow…
SIXTY-five truckies were intercepted on Peninsula Link and around the Mornington Peninsula on Monday (13 November) and 58 driving offences recorded in a crackdown on heavy vehicle driver behaviour. Operation Hauler involved the Somerville Highway Patrol, Victoria Police heavy vehicle unit and the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator between Carrum Downs, Hastings and Rosebud and surrounding industrial estates. Senior Constable Travis Perkins from Mornington police said the peninsula had seen an increase in heavy vehicle collisions causing road trauma. This year has recorded the highest quarterly collisions involving collisions with heavy vehicles in the past five years. Already this year there…
MORNINGTON Community Support Centre has celebrated 40 years of service to the local community and paid tribute to its founders at a special event at the Main Street centre. Established as a citizen’s advice bureau, the centre evolved into the broader community-focussed Mornington Community Support Centre, providing practical and personal support for people in need. The centre’s scope ranges from a coffee and toast in the meeting room cafe to advice and help on financial matters, finding somewhere to live, or handing over groceries under its fresh food program. The inaugural centre manager, the late Helen Hendry OAM, was represented…
MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire Council is reminding residents they will not have to pay for parking at foreshore car parks during summer’s paid parking trial. Visitors to foreshore car parks at Schnapper Point, Mornington Sunnyside Beach, Mount Eliza and Flinders pier will have to pay for parking as part of a trail. If judged successful by the shire, permanent paid parking will be introduced at other foreshore car parks. The council has said the trial is an opportunity to more fairly distribute the cost of maintaining the sites, but residents will need to apply for an e-permit to ensure their vehicles…
THE Mount Martha property Creeting Lodge, designed in 1926 by Melbourne architect Marcus Martin, will open for the first time with Open Gardens Victoria on Saturday and Sunday 25 and 26 November. Named after a village in Suffolk, United Kingdom, the garden of Creeting Lodge was created in collaboration with the award-winning team at Myles Baldwin Design and blends European and Mediterranean plants. “As the gates open, you are greeted by a regal guard of towering golden cypress pines, standing tall and proud for over 150 years,” owner Paul Bonnici said. “Heritage meets botany in the most divine way, with…
TWO people, including MasterChef TV cameraman James Rose, were still missing (Monday) after a mid-air collision over Port Phillip between ex-military planes on Sunday off Mount Martha. The two-seater aircraft were reported to be conducting a formation flight over the bay when they collided. One plane plunged into the water while the second, also with two people on board, flew back to Essendon Airport. Family members of the two men in the missing aircraft waited at Mount Martha Life Saving Club Sunday night as a search and rescue mission continued about 11 kilometres offshore. It is believed the Viper S-211…
OVER the weekend of 3 and 4 November more than 40 walkers took to the streets and bushland trails of the Mornington Peninsula in a two-day White Ribbon walk that has so far raised more than $2500. The route of the inaugural walk went from Mount Eliza to Portsea and was supported by the Uniting churches of the Port Philip region and a Mornington Peninsula Shire flexi grant. Walkers covered 50 kilometres to make a stand against violence towards women. Organiser Peter Hough described the experience as “truly humbling”, as the walkers promoted their cause to residents and campers along…
MORE than 160 CFA called to the Crib Point refinery over the weekend to improve their firefighting skills ahead of a predicted “challenging summer”. The volunteers from more than 20 brigades across the Mornington Peninsula and Western Port worked through a vegetation fire simulation involving more than 30 vehicles and aircraft. “We’re getting ready for the fast-moving intense grassfires that will come as a result of the abundance of grass we are now seeing across the state,” Deputy Chief Officer South East Trevor Owen said. “The crews engaged in a range of activities, from grassfire techniques to operating bushland firefighting…
A MERGER between two drug and alcohol recovery services will combat drug and alcohol overdose deaths on the Mornington Peninsula, which are climbing back towards pre-pandemic levels. Windana drug and alcohol recovery service is merging with TaskForce Community Agency, a not-for-profit with a focus on drug and alcohol misuse, youth and family services, education and employment. Data released last Thursday (9 November) by the Victorian Coroners Court shows overdose deaths in the past decade are back to alarming levels, with 21 on the peninsula in 2013 before dropping to nine in 2019 and climbing back to 15 in 2022. In…
THE start of the much-hyped container deposit scheme on 1 November has highlighted flaws in the program and drawn criticism from environment groups and the state opposition. The state government financed scheme provides a 10-cent refund for returned eligible cans, cartons and bottles, and has been promoted as an important component of the recycling system and a way to cut litter. But by the second day of the trial, some container bins on the Mornington Peninsula were too full to receive any more due to members of the public loading them up with cans they had been saving. There have…
A SPATE of animal deaths on Mornington Peninsula roads over spring has led to renewed calls for more effective strategies to slow drivers down and keep wildlife off roads. The Save Kangaroos on the Mornington Peninsula group (SKOMP) wants Mornington Peninsula Shire Council to lobby the state government and private road operator Peninsula Link to make roads safer for wildlife and drivers. Cr David Gill said exclusion fencing, wildlife corridors and more 40-kilometre speeds limits in high accident areas could save lives. “Unfortunately, the Department of Transport and private road operators don’t have policies to protect wildlife,” he said. “Unless…
DOG owners are again being reminded of the need to keep their pets on leashes or under control in public areas after a tragic end for a kangaroo thought to have been chased into the water at Dromana. Wildlife rescuers, Mornington Peninsula Shire Council rangers and police were called to the beach at Dromana beach on Thursday (9 November) morning, when a kangaroo was seen lying on the sand, drenched and clearly unwell. The area was cordoned off to give the kangaroo time to recover and stop it from jumping out onto Point Nepean Road until vets could arrive to…
SOCCER A UNIQUE end-of-season trip took place recently with participants from various Australian states ranging in age from men in their 20s to octogenarians. It was the annual Monkey, Rat and Missing Pals Tour held in Moama during Victoria Derby weekend and this year it attracted a record number of attendees, 98 in all. The event’s origins date back more than three decades and it originally was an end-of-season getaway for members and supporters of Langwarrin soccer club. Former Langwarrin assistant coach Neil Collyer took on the task of event organiser 13 years ago and gave the trip a makeover…
CRICKET PROVINCIAL A MASSIVE 132 run opening stand between Aiden McKenna and Thomas Matson has put Long Island in a strong position against Old Peninsula. McKenna and Matson batted for most of the day. McKenna scored 70 from 161 deliveries, and Matson scored 92 from 199. A late knock of 33 from 29 by Chris Hay helped Long Island reach a final total of 6/260 from their 80 overs. Play restarts at Ballam Park this Saturday. At Pat Rollo Reserve, Sorrento will have to fight hard to defend their total. Sorrento are taking on Pines in two-day action. The Sharks…
ALTHOUGH counting continues and the winner won’t be announced until December, the rainbow lorikeet is leading the field when comes to being the most commonly spotted bird. BirdLife Australia received more than 100,000 lists accounting for more than 3.6 million birds seen during last month’s week-long bird count. Preliminary analysis of the lists, which featured more than 658 bird species showed rainbow lorikeets leading the flock with more than 420,000 sightings. The colourful parrots were ahead of noisy miners (220,000) and magpies (154,000). “The enthusiasm with which Australians have taken to the Aussie Bird Count has been outstanding,” BirdLife Australia’s…
Shire’s less than perfect approach to road repairs How come the Romans, with no qualified engineers, could build roads that last 2000 years and are still going strong? [Mornington Peninsula Shire Council] can’t even fill a pothole that lasts one day. I watched a team of four, including one woman, fill a pothole the other day. Three stood around, doing nothing. One tossed a bit of hot mix in the hole then flipped the spade over and whacked it in once and then they all drove away. Elizabeth Drive in Rosebud is shocking. [The council] had a repair team in…
THE Mornington Peninsula and Frankston are two of the nine-member South East Councils Climate Change Alliance (SECCCA) to adopt a new blueprint to change the way climate impacts are managed south east of Melbourne. Climate Action Minister Lily D’Ambrosio, who attended the official launch of the strategy at the SECCCA annual leaders’ breakfast on Wednesday 8 November, said the Victorian government was “decarbonising at the fastest rate in the country to get us to net-zero by 2045”. D’Ambrosio’s speech was followed by a panel discussion featuring John Bradley, secretary of the Victorian Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action, Tom…
A BOY was so inspired by a luxury car, a Rolls Royce, on the esplanade at Dromana in 1914 that it led to him becoming America’s most celebrated motor car illustrator. A new book The Larger Than Life of Melbourne Brindle being launched at Dromana Primary School on Friday traces Ewart Melbourne Brindle’s career after seeing that Rolls Royce on the esplanade. Arthur and Grace Brindle settled in Dromana in 1905 with their young family and built Sunnyside, not far from the school which the children attended. A renowned decorator and artist Arthur sailed to America to work on the…
PHOTOGRAPHERS can find inspiration anywhere and at any time. Last week was no exception, with Adam Richmond looking up and seeing some ominous looking clouds over the beach at Dromana. The mammatus clouds can sometimes signal the arrival of an extreme weather system. They are composed of ice and can extend for hundreds of kilometres. Although not rare, mammatus clouds are eye catching and are also known as bubble, marshmallow or cotton ball clouds. Meanwhile, staff photographer Yanni is known as a storm chaser, alert to storm reports, especially electrical storms. He has already published one book of storm shots,…
VOLUNTEERS from Sunshine Reserve conservation group and Balcombe Estuary Reserves Group have been spreading the word about the need to control weeds. The groups set up a Saturday morning stall at Mount Martha shops to show what weeds can look like and talk to passersby about the dangers they pose to the peninsula’s bushland areas. With an estimated 30 per cent of the Mornington Peninsula’s indigenous vegetation remaining, privately owned bushland, national parks and Mornington Peninsula Shire Council-owned parks and reserves are vital to the survival of native flora and fauna. One wildlife corridor is Sunshine Reserve in Mount Martha,…
POLICE are investigating the circumstances surrounding a fight at a gathering in Mount Martha on 14 October. It is alleged a fight broke out when a group of males who arrived at the gathering at about 10.30pm were told to leave. One of the victims, a 19-year-old male was taken to hospital, where he required surgery for his injuries. Anyone with information, who has CCTV of the incident, mobile phone video recorded footage, or who may have witness the incident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000, or submit a confidential report online at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au First published…
NEW efforts are being made to force the state government to abandon its commitment to having hydrogen produced from brown coal in the Latrobe Valley to be shipped from Western Port to Japan. Opponents say the amount of CO2 released by the process raises doubts over Victoria being able to meet its emissions target reductions of 75-80 per cent by 2035; net zero by 2045. Using hydrogen in Japanese vehicles will help that country cut its emissions but add to Australia’s. A debate scheduled in state parliament’s Legislative Council this week over the fate of the brown coal to hydrogen…