MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire councillors have approved a land lease expansion of the Main Ridge CFA brigade to allow the installation of a second water tank, boosting the brigade’s emergency response capacity.The decision, made at the council’s 2 September meeting, comes in response to growing concerns over water availability for fire callouts in the region with the nearest reticulated water supply being in Browns Rd in Boneo, near Graceland Rd, some 12km away. Currently the brigade operates with one tank onsite, however the lease expansion would permit a second tank to be placed within the brigade’s grounds at Main Creek Rd…
Browsing: Mornington Peninsula
MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire councillors have rejected a motion to declare a homelessness emergency after the deputy mayor warned state and federal government inaction would pass “the burden onto the ratepayer”. The shire has had a housing crisis declaration in place since 2021 in response to the growing pressure on housing affordability and availability across the peninsula. But with the peninsula now having the highest number of people sleeping rough out of any local government area in Victoria, Cr Max Patton moved a motion at the council’s 2 September meeting calling for a homelessness emergency to formally recognise the worsening situation.…
Southern Metro Crime Squad detectives have charged four youths following an alleged aggravated home invasion in Rosebud and pursuit through multiple suburbs Thursday morning. A group of male offenders, allegedly armed with firearms and a knife, forced entry into a property on Bilbul Avenue in Rosebud about 2.50am. It is alleged they entered a bedroom, threatened the male and female occupant and forced them to hand over cash, before fleeing in a white Mercedes SUV. The allegedly stolen Mercedes was spotted by police a short time later on the Peninsula Link near Moorooduc, but it sped off. Details of the…
Six males aged between 17 and 21 have been arrested following an overnight aggravated home invasion in Rosebud and pursuit through multiple suburbs. It is alleged the group of male offenders forced entry into a property on Bilbul Avenue in Rosebud about 2.50am. The two occupants, a man, and a woman, barricaded themselves in a bedroom before the youths, allegedly armed with two firearms and a knife, opened the door, threatened them, and demanded valuables. The man and woman, who were forced to hand over around $1,000 in cash, both sustained minor injuries during the incident. The offenders fled in…
Three people have been arrested – one facing serious drug trafficking charges – after police seized half a kilogram of cocaine and a suitcase full of cash from a home in Chelsea. Following investigations into the alleged trafficking of cocaine and ketamine in Melbourne’s southeast, detectives from the Caulfield Divisional Response Unit executed two search warrants at a home on Embankment Grove, Chelsea and on Wren Road, Moorabbin, from about 6am on Monday 1 September. At the Chelsea address, police located 500g of cocaine with an estimated potential street value of $150,000, and approximately $785,000 cash in a suitcase. Two…
A man has been charged with a string of offences after police seized weapons from a home in the Mornington Peninsula. Rosebud police officers attended a property in Rosebud about 8pm on 2 September in relation to an ongoing investigation. A 43-year-old man was arrested at the scene. Following further enquires, police attended the property again later that night, where they allegedly uncovered several weapons including: The Rosebud man was charged with: Further charges are expected including possessing drugs of dependence and prohibited weapons. The man appeared in Frankston Magistrates’ Court today where he was further remanded to reappear on…
MORNINGTON Peninsula’s first tiny house on wheels for crisis accommodation is nearly complete thanks to an incredible community effort. The unique project, the first of its kind on the peninsula, is being hailed as a significant step towards providing immediate, dignified shelter for individuals or a small family in urgent need. The fully mobile home is being built by former shire mayor Simon Brooks, along with a few other tradespeople, who have volunteered hours of their time to bring the vision to life. Supported by the Dromana Association and Rotary Club of Dromana, the project has been entirely community-funded, with…
THE federal government’s $50m commitment to upgrade Nepean Highway was front of mind when Frankston Council and Mornington Peninsula Shire sent their mayors to Canberra last week. It was a rocky road to Canberra for the delegation, which was organised by the Committee For Frankston and Mornington Peninsula. After making public comments about the Committee, Frankston mayor Cr Kris Bolam was temporarily disinvited from the trip. He ultimately attended, alongside Committee CEO Josh Sinclair, Mornington Peninsula Shire mayor Cr Anthony Marsh, Mornington Peninsula Shire CEO Mark Stoermer, and Frankston Council officer Kristen Thomson. Dunkley MP Jodie Belyea and Flinders MP…
DESPITE heading to Canberra together last week, there were no happy memories being made between Frankston mayor Cr Kris Bolam, Mornington Peninsula Shire mayor Cr Anthony Marsh, and Committee for Frankston and Mornington Peninsula CEO Josh Sinclair. The mood couldn’t have been frostier between Bolam and the other two, with Bolam criticizing the trip in the lead up before being temporarily uninvited. He ultimately travelled to Canberra with the support of Dunkley MP Jodie Belyea (Canberra trip sparks conflict, The News 26/8/25). After returning from Canberra, Marsh made critical comments about a planned overseas trip by the Frankston mayor. Bolam…
A CONTENTIOUS plan to build a 250-home housing estate near Mornington Racecourse is set to go before an independent panel to consider community concerns of traffic impacts, public space, and residential density. Mornington Peninsula Shire has received two planning applications that propose to subdivide land into 116 lots that border Racecourse Rd, Watt Rd and Carbine Way, covering 13 hectares; about six times the size of the MCG playing field. Named the “Woodbyne Estate”, the proposed precinct would apply to privately owned land at 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 10 Woodbyne Cres and 1, 2, 3 and 4…
A QUIET night at home turned into a life-or-death emergency for Mornington Peninsula man Alan when he suddenly collapsed from a cardiac arrest in February. In a moment of courage, his wife of 33 years, Anita, sprung into action – immediately calling Triple Zero (000) and beginning CPR. Luckily for Alan and his family, their neighbour Shannon had the GoodSAM app on her phone and was notified about Alan’s critical condition. Shannon and her two children, Jackson and Charlie, rushed next door, took over CPR and shocked Alan three times with an automated external defibrillator (AED) that was in their…
SEVENTEEN new homes will be built in Mornington and Hastings to support women and children, as the region battles a worsening housing and homelessness crisis. The Mornington Peninsula Shire has partnered with housing agencies YWCA Australia and Women’s Property Initiatives (WPI) to deliver the social housing through the provision and lease of five parcels of council own land valued at more than $3m. The housing and development will be funded by Homes Victoria under the state government’s $6.3b Big Housing Build and Regional Housing Fund.|As reported by The News earlier this month, the Mornington Peninsula now has the highest number…
THE heritage-listed Norman Lodge gatehouse on Nepean Highway, Mount Eliza, has commenced the process of being dismantled, before being rebuilt metres away from its original site. The dismantling comes a year after a demolition order for the gatehouse was issued by Mornington Peninsula Shire after a structural engineer’s report identified it as having suffered “total loss of structural integrity”.The protected gatehouse has been the subject of planning applications in 2013 and 2020 that would have seen the structure deconstructed and moved just metres away to be reconstructed on a concrete slab footing. The future of the building fell into doubt…
PLANS for a $25m redevelopment of Arthurs Seat Eagle (ASE) has been tweaked including scrapping a pedestrian bridge from the summit, but critics say the changes don’t go far enough. A revision of the masterplan’s design follows project planners meeting community groups and local representatives to gather a range of perspectives. The plans, announced last September, include upgrading facilities, attractions and the natural green space to “diversify the types of experiences offered to tourists”. Such is its scale, the planned redevelopment has been deemed a “project of significance” under Victorian planning provisions and is currently being reviewed by the Department…
A FRUSTRATED motorist is expected to face at least an $8000 damage bill after his high-end car struck a nasty pothole along an arterial road in Boneo on 18 August.Bradley Carter was shocked to discover his whole rear tyre was severely punctured and the wheel rim badly damaged on his pride-and-joy Bentley car after he hit a pothole at a bend on Boneo Rd near the Patterson Rd turnoff while travelling at the 80kph speed limit.The Aspendale resident was driving home after playing golf at Cape Schanck when he lost control and swerved to the other side of the road…
Frankston Crime Investigation Unit detectives are appealing for information after a man was found with serious injuries in Frankston last night. Emergency services were called to reports of a man in his 40s with head injuries on Cecil Street, near Victoria Parade, about 7.10pm. He was taken to hospital and remains in a critical condition. Police are working to establish the circumstances of the incident and where it occurred. At this stage, detectives do not believe the man was struck by a vehicle. Anyone who witnessed the incident, with CCTV/dashcam footage or any information that could assist police is urged…
A COMMUNITY fundraiser has been launched after heartless thieves stole a disabled man’s car along with his wheelchair in Capel Sound, leaving him without vital mobility. Daniel Laing, 39, was asleep when four intruders broke into his garage before stealing his Holden Berlina station wagon about 1.15am on 12 August. The car had special hand controls installed to help him drive with a wheelchair that he uses for work sitting in the front passenger’s seat. It is a massive blow for the disability advocate who can no longer get to work or appointments. Although his car was found a few…
A Somerville based company has received a $5,140 fine after deciding to dump waste in a Tyabb drain instead of waiting for the local resource recovery centre to open. Last year, the Shire received a report about a timber waste product dumped in an open drain on Denham Road, Tyabb. After investigating, Council’s Litter Prevention Officers confirmed the source was from the Somerville-based company. Despite being just minutes away from the Tyabb Resource Recovery Centre, the representative of the company told officers they dumped the waste because the facility was closed at the time. The representative also tried to justify the decision…
The federal Labor government has reconfirmed it commitment to build a Medicare Urgent Care Clinic in Somerville, despite a call for tenders indicating a preference for the clinic to be located in Hastings. The South Eastern Melbourne Primary Health Network invited accredited general practices to submit tenders for the establishment of four new Medicare Urgent Care Clinics including one on the “Mornington Peninsula – with a preference for Hastings”. During the campaign, Foreign Minister and Leader of the Government in the Senate Penny Wong joined Labor candidate for Flinders, Sarah Race, to announce the Somerville-based clinic would begin operating in…
An asphalt company has been fined $80,000 after an employee died when he was run over by a colleague driving a skid steer loader at the workplace, after hours. HSG Asphalt Pty Ltd was sentenced in the Melbourne County Court yesterday (Thursday 21/8) after pleading guilty to one charge of failing to maintain a safe system of work and one charge of failing to ensure people other than employees weren’t exposed to health and safety risks. In September 2022, four workers from HSG Asphalt and another related company were drinking alcohol at the company’s Bangholme depot at the end of…
Major job cuts have been announced at Mornington Peninsula Shire as the new CEO, Mark Stoermer, enacted a plan to change the operational structure of the organisation. Shire mayor Cr Anthony Marsh has also called out reports that he is responsible for the job losses as an “absurd misrepresentation”, saying “The council sets the budget, and it is the CEO’s responsibility to implement that decision through operational changes, including any staffing matters”. A statement issued by the shire on Thursday (21/8) stated “The restructure will result in up to 48 redundancies with redeployment opportunities identified for many of these staff…
A LARGE parcel of open land in Capel Sound will be saved from development, following a decision by Mornington Peninsula Shire councillors to keep it as public open space. At least half the site at 11A Allambi Ave in Capel Sound had faced potential future development but will instead be preserved for community use as part of the shire’s draft open space strategy which will be exhibited for public consultation this month. Under the proposal, the site, which covers 21,893 square metres (about the size of three soccer fields), would be rezoned from residential to public park and recreation, which…
TWENTY-four CFA volunteers from Hastings and Langwarrin have received a prestigious honour following their heroic rescue of a man trapped under a ten-tonne roller last July. The harrowing industrial accident occurred in Hastings where the worker had become unconscious, requiring crews to work under pressure to safely extract him after his legs were pinned under a massive roller. He luckily survived and has since recovered and returned to work. For their professionalism during the high-risk operation, the two brigades were awarded a Unit Citation for Service on 11 August. Incident controller and Hastings fire brigade captain Mike Willmott and rescue…
MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire mayor Cr Anthony Marsh is set to travel to Canberra this month for a joint advocacy visit to Parliament House, where he will meet with federal decision-makers to champion key priorities for the region. On 25 and 26 August Marsh will join the council’s CEO Mark Stoermer, alongside Frankston City Council mayor Kris Bolam, to meet with members of the federal government and opposition. Marsh said among the top priorities on the agenda to be discussed, which would occur during a parliamentary sitting week, was advocating for the 2025 federal election commitments to be honoured across the…
WHEN a Balnarring Football Club women’s player moved to South Australia this year to take on a role at Ceduna Area School, little did she know that a couple of the girls from the school would make the trip to Victoria to pull on the boots for her old junior football club. In her role as a student support officer, Grace met footy mad Indigenous twin sisters Kailee and Kaianne who travel 800km (approximately eight hours) a weekend to play football. This feat is even more amazing, considering the girls come from a family with six kids; their parents having…
A NEW “climate plan” is set to be presented to councillors at their 2 September meeting, filling the void created by the ditching of the shire’s Climate Emergency Declaration and the Climate Action Plan in April. The shire’s climate plan was adopted in August 2020, one year after the shire declared a climate emergency. The plan entailed a ten-year program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and lessen the effects of climate change. The newly elected council first questioned the plan in January this year with a motion passed for shire officers to prepare a report to help councillors make informed…
A STRONGLY worded statement released by the RSPCA criticizing the activity of “concerned community members regarding animal welfare” has been seen as a direct swipe at those protesting against the alleged abuse of horses at a Moorooduc property. “At RSPCA Victoria we care about animals,” said RSPCA Victoria CEO, Dr Liz Walker. “We know animal cruelty issues evoke strong responses from our community and we truly value the shared passion and concern people have for animals. “We understand seeing images or footage of an animal suffering online can be incredibly distressing and motivate people to action. “We are unable to…
Rosebud police officers have charged a woman after multiple cars were damaged in Rosebud last month. It’s alleged the woman left a licenced premises on Point Nepean Road in Rosebud on 25 July just after 3am before damaging panels on three separate vehicles. The woman self-presented at a police station yesterday. She has been charged with three counts of criminal damage and was bailed to Dromana Magistrates’ Court on 4 September.
VICTORIA Police have launched a new road policing enforcement effort targeting reckless e-bike riders. Operation Consider has been launched in response to a significant increase in road trauma involving e-bikes. New police data shows there were 144 e-bike collisions in 2024, up from 79 in 2023. Provisional analysis of 2025 collision data indicates there were at least 113 e-bike collisions as at 30 July this year. One high-profile incident involving an allegedly illegally modified e-bike was the death of Hastings resident William Lothian, who was hit and killed by on Frankston Flinders Road on 12 May. Police allege the 24-year-old…
IT appears the battle against a fast-food franchise, rumoured to be McDonald’s, opening in Safety Beach may not be over with an unscheduled council meeting to be held tomorrow night (14 August) to discuss appealing VCAT’s decision. The move comes after the applicant AA Holdings Pty Ltd successfully appealed Mornington Peninsula Shire’s 24 August 2024 decision to deny the planning permit application to redevelop the service station on the corner of Marine Drive and Nepean Highway to include a modernised service station with a fast-food franchise. The VCAT decision, handed down on 18 July, gives the green light to the…