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…
Browsing: Mornington Peninsula
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…
NEW rules exempting certain community accommodation from planning permits are expected to speed up construction of a new purpose-built NDIS development in Rosebud, potentially paving the way for similar accommodation elsewhere on the Mornington Peninsula. The project by builders Balmain and Co to be launched on Monday (4 December) with a turning of the sod and welcome to country ceremony, is expected to fill a need for NDIS housing in the area. According to data, around 75 per cent of NDIS housing is older stock, and not fit for purpose for a range of client needs. There is also a…
A FORMER Mornington Secondary College student has blamed vaping for an extreme allergic reaction that led to medical treatment. Now in his 20s and a cigarette smoker, he had turned to flavoured, over the counter vapes in an effort to quit, but believes he ended up suffering an allergic reaction from unknown chemicals contained in the product. His skin began itching and his lips “blew up” to three or four times their size within hours of vaping, he told The News. “It was pretty scary, I wasn’t sure what was going on but I know that an anaphylactic response can…
SOCCER BILLY Painting joined Rosebud last week hellbent on being part of the Olympic Park club’s title tilt next year. “I’m not just here to make up the numbers – I’m here to win the league,” Painting said. “And from what I hear that seems to be the mentality of everyone down there.” Painting’s switch ended a seven-year stint at Skye United and the 28-year-old central defender is hoping the move reignites his passion for football. “I really needed a new challenge because I’d fallen out of love with the game,” he said. “I don’t really know why. “I just…
PETER Gordon Hannah, an ex-constable of police, appeared, on Tuesday, before Messrs. Armstrong (chairman) Oates, and Brown, J.’sP., on remand from the City Court, and was charged with having, on the 18th inst., shot with intent to murder Senior Constable James Culhane, and Constable James Alexander Graham. Sub-Inspector Spratling prosecuted, Detective Sergeant Armstrong assisting. Accused was defended by Mr. E. F. S. England. In outlining the case Sub-Inspector Spratling detailed the happenings from the time accused was seen in the Prince of Wales Hotel, up to the time the shooting took place. James Culhane, senior constable, sworn, said “that on…
Time running out for comment on harbour options Have readers taken part in any community consultation about the proposed plan to commercialise Mornington harbour, put up by Parks Victoria? Not likely, as there is no publicity. Do we want to see another long jetty built alongside the existing one? Do we want to lose the moorings for the yachts that are part of our harbour landscape? Yes, Fisherman’s jetty needs rebuilding – and the government has budgeted $4 million to do so – but now Parks has come up with further options for the future. That jetty may have an…
THE paid parking trial that started last Friday at three foreshore parking areas is continuing to draw criticism from ratepayers and visitors to the Mornington Peninsula. Timed and paid parking is already implemented by all councils across Melbourne’s waterfront areas, but the change is proving a hard pill to swallow for peninsula beach users accustomed to free, all-day parking. The trial was labelled a “fiasco” at Flinders before it started and Mornington’s Schnapper Point car park is also proving problematic where Snapper Point Angling Club members and other boaties rely on easy access to car and trailer parking spots and…
ALTHOUGH he did not realise it at the time, stacking firewood 25 years ago led directly to the opening this week of an exhibition of Hugh Montgomery’s sculptures. Included in the firewood waiting to be stacked was a “solid block of seasoned red gum” that Montgomery regarded as being “too good to burn”. The red gum was taken to his home in Dromana and became the first of his “visitors” or “characters”, made from timber and plastics that Montgomery has collected from Mornington Peninsula beaches. “After collecting, preparing and assembling the pieces I have made moulds of the work and…
AN exhibition at Baluk Arts, Mount Eliza will feature work by First Nations artist from Waradjuri country, Uncle Kevin Williams. The exhibition, Totems of the Waradjuri, will open from 6pm on Thursday 7 December and will run until the end of January. The gallery’s Bronwyn Smart said the artist was a descendant of the Waradjuri people, born in Narrandera, New South Wales, and now resided south of the Murray River. “As a young boy he learnt how to make boomerangs from his father and grandfather and he learnt how to paint from watching his mother in action,” she said. “What…
THE summer paid parking trial is now underway at three Mornington Peninsula foreshore car parks. Despite concerns about fairness and its online operation, Mornington Peninsula Shire last week said it had “compiled everything you need to know to park with ease”. The three car parks at Sunnyside Beach, Mounty Eliza, Schnapper Point (near the pier), Mornington and near Flinders pier. Two and four hour restrictions apply at Mornington, but Sunnyside and Flinders have no time limits. Parking is free for peninsula residents who have an e-permit and $6.50 an hour for visitors or $19.50 a day at Sunnyside and Flinders.…
LIBERAL MP for Nepean, Sam Groth has described the federal government’s decision to cut $75 million from Mornington Peninsula transport projects as being “bitterly disappointing and a kick in the guts” for motorists using the Mornington Peninsula Freeway”. The “blow” to southern peninsula residents means the cancellation of both the Jetty Road, Rosebud overpass and sound barriers on the freeway (“Budget cuts end travel plans” The News 21/11/23). Groth said the previous federal coalition government had committed money for both projects in 2019. “Locals have long called for a solution to the chronic congestion at the end of the Mornington…
THE paid parking trial about to start near Flinders pier has been called a fiasco and one that will endanger people who would rather walk down a narrow than pay to park. Flinders Community Association president Mary Iles said the free e-permit offer for ratepayers and residents had “difficult to follow requirements, the website is unstable, and the process is a fiasco”. “Many other issues have been raised with council to ensure a far simpler outcome. Even a sign which has already been installed at the Flinders pier is misleading,”. The FCA have for months been actively campaigning about the…
MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire has not provided details of who made the decision to fly the Pride flag outside its offices. It has been more than one month since the shire was asked for details by The News following readers’ complaints about costs and decisions connected to the flag being flown. The shire did not directly respond to questions about whether the flag would be flown permanently, who had decided to fly the flag, were councillors told and could other groups ask for their flag to be flown. However, following the publication of a letter – Help homeless, not flags (The…
CRIB Point Fire Brigade is holding an open day on Sunday 3 December from 10am to 2pm. This year the focus will be on families, and there will be activities for children. Anyone new (or not so new) to Crib Point is invited to join in, there will be a jumping castle and coffee, plus information on fire safety and smoke alarms, the fire danger rating system, getting ready for summer, and being a CFA volunteer. First published in the Western Port News – 29 November 2023
MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire sees part of its mission as “keeping [the public] up to date with what is happening across the shire in an open and direct way”, but councillors have decided against publishing summaries of their secret discussions, or briefings. Cr David Gill said the summaries would help the public understand what topics were being discussed before they came up for a decision on a council agenda. “This is about transparency. It’s about inclusiveness. It’s about bringing our community with us when we’re discussing things,” Gill said. Briefings were noted on agendas, but the details remained secret, and it…
Federal cuts to transport needs are no surprise The cancellation of the extension of Frankston to Baxter line is no surprise as the federal government has no infrastructure revenue to fork out (“Budget cuts end travel plans” The News 21/11/23). Governments in Australia are not as wealthy as they used to be, partly because most of our gold was sold by a former Liberal treasurer for $300 an ounce and the rest what is left is in the vaults at the Bank of England not in the Reserve Bank of Australia, which is a government bank. Victoria is in debt…
RADIO station RPP Plus is about to launch a new online show In Good Company, giving listeners “two hours of amazing music from all kinds of astonishing artists”. Host Ross Woodward has been collecting music for nearly 50 years and has a “massive passion for all kinds of bands”. He says that over the years he has met Cold Chisel’s Don Walker, Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys, Men at Work’s Colin Hay, Joe Camilleri of the Black Sorrows, Iva Davies of Icehouse, Jimmy Webb, Jimmy Barnes, Richard Thompson and Vika and Linda Bull. “A whole range of incredible artists…
THE rich history of the Mornington Peninsula has captivated the imaginations of many of those who have delved, but it’s also behind a new wave of history-based tourism. The interest in the peninsula’s past adds another feather to its cap, joining the beaches and the rolling verdant pastures as a reason to visit. History teacher and Eerie Tours proprietor Nathaniel Buchanan said his passion for history led him to the quarantine station at Point Nepean. “When I learned all about the history of the quarantine station I was amazed – it’s got a colourful, tragic and interesting past that many…
THERE is plenty of evidence, documented and anecdotal, that community gardens are beneficial to the environment, to the health and wellbeing of users, and can help reduce the impact of high cost of groceries while providing nutritious food. So, it’s no surprise that community gardens are increasing on the Mornington Peninsula, with a new one popping up in Balnarring and many established ones dotted around the peninsula. The Coolart Community Garden is now up and running in the space of a former herb garden, which was the original Luxton family’s vegetable garden that was overhauled in the mid-1980s. Spokesperson Julie…
POLICE from Rosebud responded to multiple calls on Sunday 20 November of a motorcycle being ridden dangerously in the Capel Sound area. Police were able to identify the offender and searched premises in Capel Sound early Monday morning. The 36-year-old suspect was found hiding under a bed and was arrested and charged with several driving related offences. He was bailed to appear at court at a later date and his Yamaha R1 motorcycle was impounded. Anyone with information about criminal activity is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or via crimestoppersvic.com.au First published in the Mornington News…
By Zoe McKenzie* THE failure of the Victorian Labor government to address local infrastructure needs last week resulted in our loss of $300 million. The 90-day review, which took more than 200 days, saw two local projects dumped due to a lack of matching or completion contributions from the Andrews/Allan government: $225 million was lost to electrify the Baxter rail line, and $75 million cancelled for the Jetty Road, Rosebud overpass. Now, $100 million of the peninsula’s funding will be spent on a road project in Ballarat, in the infrastructure minister’s own backyard. Other funds that would have been spent…