MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire councillor Susan Bissinger says she is “not a pariah or a bully” but was last week about to start personal development training at ratepayers’ expense. She says the training was ordered by the mayor Cr Steve Holland after two mediation sessions involving him and CEO John Baker. “The first one with him [Holland} worked out well, but the second one not so good.” She said Baker had since barred her from directly contacting council staff, with the exception of a select few senior officers. This was something she found “very strange, as members of the public can…
Browsing: Mornington Peninsula
Mornington Peninsula Investigation Unit detectives are appealing for public assistance following a series of burglaries at a building site in Rosebud where in excess of $10,000 worth of power tools and building materials have been stolen. There have been five burglaries between 5 July and 22 October this year on Bayview Road between the hours of 2am and 6am. On one occasion, the male offender has climbed the fence and located a wheelbarrow before filling it with power tools, hand tools, laser levels and tradies belts. The thief then carries away the stolen items leaving the wheelbarrow behind. On another…
BASKETBALLERS from around the state will descend on the Mornington Peninsula in November to compete in the Southern Peninsula Tournament. It has been estimated that the expected 25,000 visitors will also provide a $4 million boost to the economy. Held over 11 and 12 November and hosted by the Southern Peninsula Basketball Association, the tournament has been running for 35 years and is a highlight of the state’s basketball sporting calendar. SPBA general manager Ben White said the tournament would see the 600 competing teams use 47 courts at 18 venues. The tournament involves 250 volunteers and is being held…
Mornington Community Garden invites the community to its first open day since Covid, on Saturday, 21 October. There will be seeds, seedlings, plants and displays on raised wicking beds and biolinks. Relax with a ‘cuppa and cake’ special for $5, or browse through the used DVDs and books. For youngsters there will be face painting by Sue. Mornington Community Garden was established in 2000 and is now a wonderful green space where people of mixed backgrounds and abilities can share and learn gardening skills. The open day will run from 10am to 2pm, at Pine Reserve, Mitchell Street, Mornington.
ON and around World Mental Health Day on 10 October Mornington Peninsula police showcased the work of Sergeant Barry Randall, who founded Operation Soul Surf. When it comes to healing the mind, water and waves are the best healers. From early in his career, Randall became aware of the impact policing can have on a person’s mental health, describing “high highs and low lows” during his nearly 30 years at Victoria Police. Not long into his career, an attempt on Randall’s life in 1995 ended in a fatal police shooting. Nightmares followed, as did insomnia and PTSD; a diagnosis that…
THE former owner of Yaringa Boat Harbour at Somerville is hitting the trail for retirement in Frankston, but not without praising the area’s bushland areas and taking a swipe at authorities for ignoring them. “Everyone I know who likes a bit of bush walking and appreciating nature hops in their car and drives somewhere else,” Borzecki, who has lived most of his life in Somerville, said. “I am continually amazed at how few people know that we have more than 10 kilometres of pristine bush fronting onto the coast of Western Port, complete with large bush reserves. “The area is…
TWO words may be the deciding factor to hold an environment protection biodiversity conservation (EPBC) assessment into plans to build and ship infrastructure for a Bass Strait wind farm from the Port of Hastings. The Save Westernport group wants the project classified as a “controlled action” to trigger investigations into the environmental effects of a renewable energy terminal on Long Island. The group’s secretary Julia Stockigt says acceptance of the term by the federal government would see investigations “necessary to determine whether the potential impacts of dredging and land reclamation on Western Port’s fragile environment can be managed”. The state…
MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire Council officers have recommended planning approval be given for a temporary religious worship marquee on green wedge land in Pearcedale, despite 99 objections. The application is for a traditional Hindu puja for religious “land purification” that will run for one week, with two worship sessions of 6am to 11am and 4pm to 8pm. There are not expected to be any activities outside of the proposed marquee area, and no loudspeakers, microphones, music or bell ringing. Some of the objections referred to the “inappropriate” use of the green wedge, the potential for traffic issues, impact of neighbours, and…
THE last of the big guns has fired its final shots and been decommissioned at the West Head Gunnery Range, Flinders. More than 100 people, including Naval top brass and former staff attended the Tuesday 10 October ceremony to mark the end of the 76mm medium calibre gun’s role at West Head. Medium calibre training will now be provided via virtual reality simulation and onboard training. The 76mm gun was installed in 1992, and until 2019 used to train operators/maintainers and principal warfare officers from Australia and the Philippines. The decommissioning of the MK75-76mm gun represents the end of 64…
AUSTRALIA’S first equine-assisted therapy program to use retired racehorses is celebrating the Melbourne Cup with a difference. Racing Hearts, a charity that gives former racehorses a new lease on life through retraining and integration to therapy programs for humans, is inviting the community to be part of early cup celebrations and experience humans “helping horses helping humans”. Founded in 2018, Racing Hearts operates from a 12-hectare property in Balnarring with a sand arena for riding lessons with a therapy focus. The organisation has rehabilitated more than 100 retired racehorses, working with Racing Victoria with a large focus on their reset…
WORLD Polio Day will be celebrated by Victorian survivors of the virus at Hastings this year with the theme Stayin’ Alive. Hastings MP Paul Mercurio will open the Polio Network Victoria event at the Sanctuary Inn On Westernport on 25 October. “Polio Day, is an annual opportunity for survivors who met as children at various rehabilitation hospitals such as Mount Eliza, Fairfield, Lady Dugan or country centres, to catch up, and to discuss current health and management issues,” Mornington Peninsula Post-Polio Support Group convenor and PNV vice-chair Fran Henke said. Polio epidemics affected mostly children, paralysing limbs and lungs until…
AUTHORITIES are appealing for anyone with information about the apparent fatal mauling by dogs of a juvenile Australian fur seal at McCrae beach on Monday (9 October). The Conservation Regulator Victoria is seeking information after the seal was found on the beach with bite wounds and other injuries. Officers are investigating the incident following a report from the Melbourne Zoo Marine Response Unit which were alerted to a wounded juvenile fur seal by a member of the public. Marine wildlife officers attended the beach at 10.30am but found the animal had already died as a result of its injuries. The…
ANYONE living on an unsealed road in the Mornington Peninsula can be part of the dust suppression program. The program aims to alleviate concerns about living or driving on dry, dusty roads. In response to requests for dust suppression, the Mornington Peninsula Shire Council annually selects sections of unsealed and gravel roads, particularly important for community assets or roads used as a thoroughfare. Applications are now open for the dust suppression program. Any resident can put forward their application by visiting the website at mornpen.vic.gov.au/dustsuppression Applications close on 19 November and the program begins in early December. A list of…
MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire deputy mayor Cr Debra Mar was one of six councillors to vote for a move that effectively ruled out any debate about publicly releasing information provided to councillors during private briefings. Mar’s name was inadvertently omitted from the list of councillors backing a ruling by the mayor, Cr Steve Holland (“Council undecided over release of ‘secret advice’” The News 10/10/23). The other five councillors who also backed the mayor were Holland, Sarah Race, Antonella Celi, Despi O’Connor and Kate Roper. Against the mayor’s ruling were David Gill, Simon Brooks and Lisa Dixon. Crs Anthony Marsh and Susan…
SUAN Lee Campbell has a grand vision to bring people together on the Mornington Peninsula. A strong advocate for refugees and the disadvantaged, Campbell, of Rosebud, is hoping to encourage others to embrace newcomers to Australia and invite them to the peninsula to be part of the community. She has organised a fundraising lunch next week (28 October) to help support the refugee cause. “I think the peninsula is a great place to live and I would love to invite people to a lunch to listen to inspiring stories from refugees and share great food,” she said. Campbell said there…
DREAMWEAVERS is a series of short documentaries by award winning filmmakers Heather Forbes-McKeon and Yanni Dellaportas about three Mornington Peninsula-based women who have suffered adversity and inspired others. The films focus on the women’s objectives, motivations, challenges they face in relation to their goals and what advice they have for others. Ecologist and ethnobotanist Gidja Walker has worked for years protecting landscapes and overcame discrimination in a male dominated profession. She is a mentor to young women entering the world of nature-based learning and an advocate for traditional owner custodianship. Over many decades, Walker has contributed professionally and informally as…
VOTING patterns in the Voice to Parliament referendum on the Mornington Peninsula were close to those recorded across Australia, resulting in a clear No. The latest counting on Monday morning showed 57.89 per cent of No votes on the peninsula (60.59 nationally) and 42.11 per cent Yes (39.41 nationally). Neighbouring Dunkley, which includes Mount Eliza, recorded 50.07 per cent No and 43.61 per cent Yes. There were some pockets on the peninsula where Yes votes triumphed – Mount Martha and around the Red Hill area – but No votes dominated elsewhere, from Portsea and Sorrento to Dromana and across to…
A NEW charity – Fun in the Sun Foundation – aims to help families under financial pressure enjoy some time out over summer on the Mornington Peninsula. Led by CEO and founder Mary Toniolo, in association with Anglicare Victoria, the group has booked holiday houses on the southern peninsula to provide a week’s holiday for families with children. The foundation is the latest organisation to have offered children from less well-off families summer holidays on the peninsula. Holiday places for children have included Camp Buxton at Shoreham, founded in about 1925; Lord Somers Camp at Balnarring East in 1931; and…
A man has died in hospital following a bike crash in Blairgowrie earlier this month. It is believed the male cyclist was riding with a group along Point Nepean Road on October 1 when he lost control and fell over the handlebars, about 11am. The 78-year-old Kooyong man sustained life-threatening injuries and was airlifted to hospital, where he later died. Police will prepare a report for the Coroner and investigations remain ongoing. For the current provisional lives lost tally please see police.vic.gov.au/road-safety-0. Anyone who witnessed the crash or with footage or information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333…
MOTORISTS on the Mornington Peninsula are being reminded to be aware that more wildlife will be on the roads throughout the spring breeding season. The warning follows the death and injury of several koalas on the roads in recent weeks. The Mornington Peninsula Koala Conservation group has documented recent incidents involving koalas struck by traffic in Somers, Hastings, Tyabb, Mount Eliza, Shoreham and Rosebud. The group is calling on motorists to be wary of animals being on the roads, and to report any incidents at mpkoalas.org.au Volunteers from the koala group have been planting trees and habitat corridors for koalas…
THE Minister for Planning Sonya Kilkenny has approved Mornington Peninsula Shire Council’s amendment to apply a permanent heritage overlay to protect Fenton Hall, at Merricks North. The mayor Cr Steve Holland said the council was now working with the Friends of Fenton Hall on a restoration project to make the hall operational once more. “It will require fixing some structural and pest issues, including the rebuilding of several sections of the hall,” he said. “The restoration project is still in the design phase. Once that is complete, we will need to consider how we can fund the necessary work.” While…
FIREFIGHTERS and waste companies are urging people to not put batteries or gas bottles in household bins after a garbage truck fire early on Thursday 5 October. Bittern CFA was called on to support Crib Point Fire Brigade when a garbage truck caught fire in Crib Point. The Esplanade was blocked to traffic from Disney Street to Stony point Road as firefighters fought the blaze, getting it under control within the hour. Mornington Peninsula Shire Council is also calling for responsible disposal of hazardous materials. Dangerous items such as gas bottles and batteries should not be put in household bins…
PENINSULA Aero Club says that it has applied for a planning permit to “carry out maintenance works” on Tyabb Airport’s north-south runway. PAC president Stephen Braim said work on the runway’s 21-year-old sealed bitumen section of would ensure that it “remains safe and operational for many years to come”. He said the 45 metre wide runway was included a 10 metre sealed bitumen section with three meter rock shoulders and a grass section on the remainder of that width. Flyers distributed to residents by Tyabb resident Brewis Atkinson say that widening the. Runway “paves the way” for more aircraft movements…
SIXTEEN-year-old Balnarring resident Matty Meysztowicz has always had a healthy fascination with dog poo, recycling and innovation, not unusual interests given the teenager’s background. It has become something of a Meysztowicz family tradition to think ahead and plan for the future. The young Meysztowicz, whose father Ed runs a recycling plant in the south eastern suburbs, has an innovative idea to solve the problem of discarded dog poo and the plastic bags used by owners to pick up and dispose of the mess. The avid dog lover says he came up with the idea after seeing too many plastic-based dog…
MORNINGTON Peninsulas charity Saltbush Balnarring Beach is on the lookout for a new CEO, after Rachel Connor announced that she would leave the organisation at the end of the year. Saltbush was established in 1989 with a vision to provide short-term holiday accommodation for people from disadvantaged backgrounds, including those with disabilities, physical or mental illness, asylum seekers, refugees and families recovering from domestic violence. The organisation caters for more than 1600 people each year for short-term stays in its six purpose-built houses and arranges holiday programs for children to provide respite for parents and carers. Connor joined Saltbush as…
SUPPLY and demand are behind the disappearance of the ubiquitous red postal boxes from parts of the Mornington Peninsula. The removal of letter boxes from Rosserdale Crescent, Mount Eliza and The Esplanade, Mount Martha in September prompted social media protests about cuts to postal services. An Australia Post spokesperson said the decision to remove the letter boxes was made after “careful consideration” of a number of factors, including low use. He also said that there were four other letter boxes available within a three-kilometre radius of the ones removed in Mount Eliza and Mount Martha. The spokesperson said removing the…
MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire councillors may hold discussions in secret about whether they should publicly release advice they receive during their scheduled secret briefings. A bid by Cr David Gill to have the issue debated at the council’s Tuesday 3 October public meeting was stymied when the mayor Cr Steve Holland ruled that it could not be discussed in urgent business. Holland quoted part of the council’s governance rules which stated, “the chairperson must not accept any motion which is vague or ambiguous or outside the powers of council and … must not accept any motion question or statement which is…
SOCCER LANGWARRIN gaffer Jamie Skelly has wasted little time in refashioning his squad by signing two new players for the 2024 season. And a third newcomer could be on the way if discussions between the club and an attacking player reach a positive conclusion. Last week the local NPL2 club agreed terms with central defender Luke Adams and Queensland goalkeeper Griffin Bambach. Adams, 29, boasts an impressive CV. He has captained New Zealand at under-17 and under-20 levels and made five appearances for the full national side. He started playing as a junior with Auckland-based Fencibles United eventually signing for…
CRICKET PROVINCIAL MPCA cricket returned last weekend with one-day action. Reigning Provincial division champions Old Peninsula got their 2023/2024 campaign off to a good start at home against Peninsula division premiers Heatherhill. The Pirates chose to bat first. Their best performers were Dylan O’Malley and captain Justin Grant – O’Malley scored 53 from the opening position and Grant scored 51 runs batting at number five. Old Peninsula finished their innings after 40 overs with 175 runs on the board. Heatherhill skipper Kristian Miller led from the front, but he didn’t get enough help from his teammates for a successful run…
WITH voting already under way and Saturday being the final day for Yes or No votes to be cast in the Voice to Parliament referendum, four Mornington Peninsula Shire councillors have publicly stated their views. Just four of the shire’s 11 councillors issued a declaration stating they will vote Yes, although all of their colleagues were given the opportunity to add their name in support of the Voice. The four councillors – Despi O’Connor, Sarah Race, Simon Brooks and David Gill – are urging ratepayers to follow their lead and also vote Yes. A statement issued by the four councillors…