Shame on councillors who backed Potter show As the secretary and active member of the Mornington Peninsula Schools Environment Week for many years, I would like to add my expression of alarm and absolute amazement at Mornington Peninsula Shire Council’s recent deal with Warner Brother’s Harry Potter Show at The Briars. The current shire councillors have totally disregarded the claim to be an environmentally sensitive council and certainly lack credibility now when it comes to promoting the peninsula as an environmental model in Victoria. What were they thinking when they signed this secret agreement? It has to be related to…
Browsing: Mornington Peninsula
A PRELIMINARY report into an accident between two jet trainer aircraft over Port Phillip, off the coast of Mount Martha, has noted the wings of the aircraft collided during a mid-air manouvre. On 19 November 2023, a pair of SIAI Marchetti S-211 aircraft were conducting an aerobatic formation filming flight when they came into contact, with one of the two aircraft then crashing into the water below, fatally injuring both occupants. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau has released the preliminary report which provides factual information from the early evidence gathering phase of the “no blame” transport safety investigation, ATSB chief…
MORNINGTON Racecourse is getting a facelift thanks to a financial partnership to add a new sand track, veterinary room with swab boxes and upgraded track lighting. The state government has committed $478,000 towards the works, with Racing Victoria contributing $373,645, and Melbourne Racing Club $104,800. The work is expected to improve safety for veterinary staff, trainers and horses, and will help meet the growing demand and better support training activities. Eastern Victoria MP Tom McIntosh said the sand track will create 10 new local jobs during construction and help Melbourne Racing Club meet growing demand for training facilities at the…
PRELIMINARY works to improve the Sorrento ferry terminal are expected to start within weeks. Searoad Ferries CEO Matt McDonald said, “preliminary marine works will commence in late March or April with construction commencing the middle of the year, at this stage”. McDonald said further updates would be released “in the coming weeks”. The planned upgrades have drawn mixed reactions from the Sorrento community, with many on social media welcoming the refurbishment and others saying it will likely increase fares. Searoad Ferries has stated that the new terminal development would feature “modern facilities and state-of-the art amenities, including new passenger waiting…
RECENT accidents on the Nepean Highway intersections near The Briars at Mount Martha have raised new concerns about the risks of using the property as a venue for large events. Opponents of the Harry Potter – Forbidden Forest experience scheduled in April and May say access to The Briars is already difficult and have warned of traffic chaos if improvements are not made before the shows start. The Harry Potter event is expected to attract around 3000 visitors a night for at least two months. An accident at the intersection of Nepean Highway and Uralla Drive on 9 January and…
RSPCA Victoria’s first Healthy Pet Day event on the Mornington Peninsula is on Wednesday 31 January in Crib Point, with RSPCA experts providing free check-ups, dog vaccines, pet food, and advice on pet behaviours. RSPCA Victoria community outreach manager Dr Lauren Roberts said Healthy Pet Days were a great way to provide pets with health checks. “Our expert animal care team provides pet check-ups, dog vaccines, microchipping, flea and worm prevention treatment, behavioural advice, resources and pet food,” she said. “We want to keep our pets happy and healthy for years to come, and local pet owners will have access…
MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire had by the end of last week collected $178,000 in fees from the three foreshore parking areas included in its summer paid parking trial that started on 1 December. Mornington Peninsula Shire councillors were told last week that fines of nearly $20,000 had been issued for infringements at the car parks at Flinders and Mornington piers and Sunnyside Beach, Mount Eliza. The $96 fines had been issued for each of 207 infringements. The summer trial is reported to have cost the shire $1 million. Peninsula residents can register up to five vehicles at one address to avoid…
SOCCER A DAY that started in disappointment ended in triumph for new Baxter head coach Kevin “Squizzy” Taylor on Saturday. In a classic David and Goliath tale State 4 Baxter defeated VPL1 Langwarrin in a dramatic finale to the 2024 Steve Wallace Cup at Lawton Park. Baxter became the fifth club to lift the trophy that commemorates a local football legend and the lowest ranked club to do so. But a half-hour before the 1pm start to the annual event Taylor could be heard bellowing his disapproval over the dressing room arrangement. “Bloody ridiculous!” he roared as he paced up…
CRICKET PROVINCIAL A BRILLIANT bowling performance has secured Sorrento a good win over Old Peninsula. On day one Sorrento scored 140 before being bowled out, giving the Pirates an attainable target to chase. Outside of first drop batter Tom La Brooy, Old Peninsula struggled on day two on Saturday. La Brooy scored 48 runs, which was his side’s lone double-figure score. Jake Wood and Charlie Wigg ran riot at Peninsula Grammar Oval. Wood bowled 20 overs, taking 5/45, and Wigg took 4/12 from eight overs. Old Peninsula was bowled out for 91. Baden Powell chased down Long Island’s total of…
Nature seen as a mere asset to be plundered The spectre of the Harry Potter experience being held in the sanctuary at The Briars, Mount Martha for several months has many questioning the genuine commitment of Mornington Peninsula Shire Council to its documented standards of transparency in governance, due diligence in decision making, and its actual care for our precious and delicate ecological systems. Highly credentialed and professional people with very deep ties to the community have consequently rallied together to protect the community’s sanctuary at The Briars, bringing to the cause their considerable resources – personal and professional networks,…
RESIDENTS of coastal areas are being encouraged to take precautions against mosquito bites and Buruli ulcers over summer. Acting Health Minister Ingrid Stitt said 363 cases had been reported in 2023, the highest number since the infection emerged in Victoria in 2004. Buruli ulcer is a bacterial infection linked to mosquitos that can cause significant skin damage. The condition can be treated with antibiotics, making early diagnosis and treatment vital. Symptoms for the infection include spots that look like insect bites, ulcers, painful lumps, limb swelling, redness of the skin and is sometimes accompanied by severe pain and fever. State…
A FIRST glance, some of those who volunteered for a beach clean at Flinders thought their efforts might not be needed. But, in line with what the effort’s organisers thought, the beach soon showed it had a flip side: among the 116 kilograms of rubbish collected were chairs, concrete blocks, star pickets, old machinery, fishing tackle and one surfboard. “What a day for a clean-up at Flinders. For a beach that several people thought was so clean,” Mary Iles, of Flinders Community Association, said. “The kids came to help, free beach hand bins got filled and the Sea Shepherd rubbish…
TEN years ago, Australian Academy of Cinema and Televised Arts-nominated cinematographer Anthony Littlechild met filmmaking students, Liam Kelly and Riley Sugars, at the Peninsula Film Festival workshop. Today, between them they have been nominated for two ARIA awards, two AACTAs and multiple international awards. Kelly is an awarded director known best as one of the creatives behind Tones and I’s music videos, including Dance Monkey and Fly Away. “The Peninsula Film Festival is the perfect bridge between a local festival and one that’s also internationally recognised,” Kelly said. “It fosters up-and-coming talent and highlights the best of Australia’s filmmaking community.…
THE Mornington Peninsula-based Australian Welsh Male Choir is celebrating its 50th birthday. Since it began the choir has been overseas – to the United Kingdom seven times, including performances at the Royal Albert Hall, London, to China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. However, the choir is staying home for its 50th, with a concert at Frankston Arts Centre on Friday 1 March 1 and in September will tour outback pubs. “This is going to be an amazing year for our choir. For our 50th birthday concert we have invited guest artists from Wales and it’s going to be a sellout performance,”…
THE largest number of competitors participated in the 38th running of the Portsea Swim Classic on Saturday. Tragically, Simon Weatherill, the 67-year-old former head of the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre, died of a suspected heart attack while participating in the classic. Portsea Surf Life Saving Club president Matt Mahon said “thoughts and prayers” were with Weatherill’s family and friends. Tommy Lane, 18, of Brighton, took line honours in the 1.5km classic and 2.5km gold events. Coming second and third in the 2.5km race were Sam Sheppard and Portsea life saver Logan Brandi. Four hours later Lane won the 1.5km…
A group of diehard Australia Day supporters in Mornington will hold their own celebration on Friday (26 January) at Memorial Park in Barkly Street. Their decision to hold a do-it-yourself celebration – including gumboot throwing – follows a decision by Mornington Peninsula Shire Council not to organise an event and community parade at Mornington. The shire’s decision is in line with views expressed by the Premier Jacinta Allan who has cast doubts on Melbourne’s Australia Day parade ever making a return. The state government last year shelved the event for the third consecutive after it was first cancelled in 2021…
By Barry Irving THE Rye Gift continues to go from strength to strength as crowds flock back to the family day after Covid. This year we were blessed with cooler weather ideal for an athletic carnival. A couple of sprinkles of light rain, but there were no complaints from the runners. Again, there were many compliments from the competitors and the Victorian Athletic League officials with regards to the preparation of the running surfaces. Thanks once again to the Mornington Peninsula Shire team of contractors who prepared an excellent surface. The Junior Gift was conducted by the Little Athletics Southern…
AFTER a ten-year hiatus the Peninsula Sotheby’s Portsea Celebrity Pro Am made a huge comeback in 2023, winning Metropolitan Pro Am of the Year at the Victorian Golf Industry Awards. A major event on the PGA Tour of Australasia’s Golfing Calendar, the 2024 event was also touted as one of the best social outings of the summer. Proceedings kicked off on 2 January where a crowd of 320 filled the Continental Sorrento. The room included familiar names across the sporting, celebrity and corporate worlds. Pommery champagne, Stone and Wood, and Sticks wines were flowing throughout, as attendees dialled in their…
RISING sea levels will pose a huge risk to the coastlines of the Mornington Peninsula and Frankston this century, according to a state government-commissioned report. The Port Phillip Bay Coastal Hazard Assessment report published last week assessed potential damage to the bay’s coastlines if sea levels rise by 1.4 metres. It listed the area around Martha Cove, the Balcombe Estuary recreation reserve at Mount Martha and the foreshore from Rosebud to Dromana as being at risk of inundation once sea levels rose. Patterson Lakes is one of the areas most at risk on the eastern side of Port Phillip, according…
MANY motorists from the Mornington Peninsula, Frankston and Casey areas are finding it difficult to pay fines for traffic offences. Statistics released by Peninsula Community Legal Centre (PCLC) show that 40 per cent of fines issued in Victoria over the past 12 months were to people on the peninsula (2754), Frankston (16,714) and Casey (35,256). Fines Victoria’s data indicates that the value of fines at the enforcement stage in PCLC’s catchment for 2022 to 2023 was almost $30 million. The average fine debt was $13,000, with some clients owing as much as $70,000. CEO Jackie Galloway said the centre was…
By David Gill* HAVING one person in charge of boundaries and names for wards on the Mornington Peninsula leads to the possibility of the first political gerrymander in Australian history. The electoral structure review panel which is about to announce details of 11 wards on the peninsula was appointed by and is accountable only to the Local Government Minister, Melissa Horne. The new wards will replace the six existing wards and be in place for the October council elections. There is no apparent way of splitting the shire into 11 wards that improves the existing boundaries in the best interests…
MORNINGTON Peninsula Police are ramping up their “lock and leave” message following the many car break-ins at holiday hot spots over the Christmas and New Year period. Acting Sergeant Matthew Young of Mornington police said Acting Sergeant Matthew Young at Mornington police station said that there had been 115 thefts from motor vehicles on the peninsula in December. All vehicles were had been unlocked. Most of the increased offending was occurring in the Rosebud area due to a sharp rise in visitor numbers over summer and increased occupancy of holiday homes and short-stay rental properties. “This increases the number of…
Council ‘a joke’ over Potter show secrecy What an absolute joke the Mornington Peninsula Shire Council has become (All clear for transparency hub and Thumbs down for Potter Performance, The News 9/1/24). Clearly, the planning for the Potter event has been underway for some time, shrouded in secrecy, involving details disclosed at a closed council meeting with councillors being asked to sign non-disclosure agreements. Many residents will be totally opposed to The Briars wildlife sanctuary being used in this manner, rightly so and no doubt the reason for the secrecy. If it was good enough for the people in Brussels…
MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire councillors are being urged to overturn their policy of only asking the state government to reduce speed limits on five or six roads a year. Cr David Gill said council’s adoption of setting such low targets was “our worst road safety decision in my time as a councillor”. His move to have no limit on approaches to the government puts him on course for a head-on clash with council officers who have said making the requests were “too onerous with little recent reward”. Gill says Roads and Road Safety Minister Melissa Horne has used the peninsula as…
THREE decades of the Mornington Peninsula’s surfing history are being carried around in a mobile museum. The seven new surfboards in the museum represent the pointy end of surfing – the evolution of boards used and preferred by surfers. Dillon Milenkovic said it had “always been a dream” to order new surfboards from all local manufacturers “and see what eventuates”. His wish was granted through a $10,000 “creative arts” grant from Mornington Peninsula Shire and a decision to focus on the history of surfboard making and design. The craftmanship and innovation shown in the completed “new but old” boards is…
ANYONE who has ever struggled with their weight will know the emotional rollercoaster involved in the weight loss journey and the importance of being supported. The Mornington-based healthy eating group, Take Off Weight Naturally (TOWN), celebrates its 25th anniversary in February – a quarter of a century of helping people stay healthy and manage their weight. The not-for-profit group has more than 40 members who meet at Mornington Bowls Club on Wednesday mornings, providing friendship and support in a non-judgmental environment. TOWN clubs encourage weight loss by promoting a nutritionally balanced diet and giving encouragement and practical advice on how…
THRILL seekers are being told not to jump off the rocks into the bay at the Pillars, Mount Martha. The safety advice follows two recent incidents where jumpers have been seriously injured while attempting to jump. On Friday 12 January a person was airlifted to the Alfred Hosital with suspected neck injuries. One week earlier a 20-year-old man was taken to hospital with neck pain after attempting a jump and being rescued by emergency services. Just weeks before that a 12-year-old girl attempted a pin jump from the cliffs and broke both legs and her ankle. She was being filmed…
YOUNG people and the “wider community” will be able to choose one of three Aboriginal names for the yet to be completed $13 million southern peninsula youth hub at Rosebud. The name will be chosen from three suggested by the Bunurong Land Council Aboriginal Corporation: Tounnin Wominjeka (warm welcome); Umarko Wominjeka (all, everyone welcome); and Kartnuk Bullito Wongonon (joy everywhere, all about). The hub is expected to open in November and the shire will later this month and in February seek the opinions of youth groups and schools. In a report to council’s 19 December public meeting, shire officers said…
PARENTS are being urged to be alert to the symptoms of meningococcal after a recent case in Frankston and another believed to be on the Mornington Peninsula. The mother of 18-year-old Lachy Wright posted on a Mount Eliza Facebook site that her son had complained of a sore throat two weeks ago and within 48 hours was fighting for his life and placed in a medically induced coma. Lisa Wright said her son was rushed to Frankston Hospital where he was diagnosed with meningococcal disease and given a five per cent chance of survival. She said the doctors and nurses…
THREATS to the sustainability of Western Port’s ecosystem and its international importance as a destination for migratory birds have led to the federal government knocking back plans for a terminal to assemble wind turbines at Hastings. The announcement by Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek on 18 December will be a blow to the state government which allocated $27 million in its 2023/24 budget for the offshore wind turbines to be built at Hastings. However, the state and the Port of Hastings Corporation had acknowledge the need for an environmental effects statement (EES) process before the terminal could be built. Plibersek said…