PARKS Victoria is digging up the past at Cape Schanck and giving visitors the chance to see an archaeological dig in action. This weekend’s open day will provide an insight into archaeology at Cape Schanck’s historic light station. Over the past three summers, a dig by the Cape Schanck Archaeological Field School has explored the hidden history of the light station and given student archaeologists the chance to do field work at a place steeped in Aboriginal and post-colonial heritage. “The dig has given archaeology students a rare opportunity to participate in the excavation of a significant site and learn…
Browsing: Mornington Peninsula
IT IS an unfortunate and increasingly deadly fact that the koala breeding season coincides with the busiest times on Mornington Peninsula roads. Since last August 17 koalas have been killed on peninsula roads – half of those in January – although the number is almost certainly higher as not all such collisions are officially reported. Campaigns to protect koalas by the Mornington Peninsula Koala Conservation (MPKC) group are credited with reducing the number of road kills, although roadside warning signs were not installed until December, three months later than normal. “Our campaign is in its third season, and we have…
MAREE Feutrill was last month made CEO Saltbush Balnarring Beach, a not-for-profit group that provides respite holiday accommodation to families in need and parents with children who have disabilities. Her appointment follows the resignation of Rachel Connor who had been with the organisation for a decade. Feutrill joins Saltbush after spending four years working with remote Indigenous communities in the Northern Territory developing preventative health programs. She is the former area manager for YMCA Camping, and previously led Camp Manyung at Mount Eliza for two decades where she specialised in camping and outdoor education for people with disabilities, culturally and…
THE Liberal Party has promised to spend $900 million to electrify the rail link from Frankston to Baxter if it wins government. Opposition leader Peter Dutton made the pledge in Frankston on Friday as part of the campaign by the Liberal Party’s Dunkley by-election candidate, Frankston mayor Nathan Conroy. The planned electrification and duplication of the Stony Point line from Frankston to Baxter was abandoned by the federal government after an infrastructure review last year. A business case has estimated it would cost $1.5 billion to electrify and duplicate the train line to Baxter. Dutton said having diesel trains running…
A FURORE over foreshore access has highlighted the divide between conservation and public right of use. A recent decision by the foreshore committee at Capel Sound to prevent “goat tracks” being used for people to access the beach has upset some nearby residents. Eighty-two-year-old Darryl Donaldson, who lives on Point Nepean Road, said he and a few neighbours had come to enjoy immediate access to the beach for “decades” by using tracks through the bush. He did not believe the tracks were causing any damage to the delicate coastal bush environment, where they had existed for up to 50 years.…
A FRESH push for the decommissioned water reservoir in Kunyung Road Mount Eliza to be protected from development and kept as community space has begun in the lead up to the Dunkley by-election. Mornington MP Chris Crewther, shadow minister James Newbury, South Eastern Centre for Sustainability president Steve Karakitsos and Ian Morrison, of Mount Eliza, visited the site on Tuesday 23 January. The MP and candidate had earlier inspected the Beleura cliff path at Mornington which has been closed because of landslides (‘Spy cameras’ on wrong track, The News 30/1/24). The South East Water reservoir land has been handed to…
A teenaged motorcyclist has been arrested after allegedly clocking speeds of up to 160km/h while evading police on the Mornington Peninsula last week, before posting the vision to social media. Police were travelling on the Mornington Peninsula Freeway at Dromana on Monday 28 January, when they observed a motorcycle with its licence plates concealed, about 1pm. It will be alleged the motorcycle was ridden only on its rear tyre before accelerating at high speeds. Police attempted to stop the rider in McCrae a short time later, however, he allegedly rode off at 160km/h, and began weaving through heavy traffic. It…
THE Disabled Surfers Association Mornington Peninsula’s first beach day of the year saw 156 surfers and more than 300 volunteers at Pt Leo on 20 January. Since 2012, DSAMP has been fulfilling its mission to put “smiles on dials” by offering safe, accessible and fun surfing experiences to surfers of all disabilities. Established by Gary Blaschke in 1986, the Disabled Surfers Association of Australia now has more than 19 chapters in Australia and one in New Zealand. “In the 12 years since we started, we have watched our events continue to grow,” DSAMP president Pea Saunders said. “There’s a fantastic…
NO MATTER if she is near or far from home, 21-year-old Kristin Blight is willing to jump on the truck when the need arises. Following in the footsteps of her dad, Blight is a Rosebud firefighter who came up through the Boneo junior ranks. From June to September 2023, her CFA volunteerism stretched even further when she headed to Mount Buller for the snow season and had the opportunity to join the local brigade while working there. “Shortly after I arrived at Mount Buller for the season, Commander Paul Scragg was doing a walk through our building with the brigade…
PENINSULA Health’s call for the community to participate in its FEB 50 Challenge to raise money for Rosebud Hospital was answered loud and clear when it kicked off last Thursday (1 February). The FEB 50 Challenge encourages participants to walk, run, ride or choose the activity they prefer to complete 50 kilometres in February. The campaign started last week with a Peninsula Health-coordinated five kilometre walk from Rosebud Hospital to Rosebud pier and back. Rosebud Hospital is part of Peninsula Health, the major public health service providing healthcare for Frankston and the Mornington Peninsula. The hospital has one acute and…
GARDENERS are being urged to use wildlife-friendly netting when trying to protect their backyard crops, as wildlife carers and authorities report a spike in animal injuries and deaths from entanglements over summer. The Conservation Regulator has issued a warning about the dangers illegal netting poses to native wildlife, such as birds, bats, and possums, and are reminding household growers that they must use safe, compliant (preferably white) fruit netting with mesh no bigger than 5mm by 5mm. Users of illegal netting face on-the-spot fines of $384 while sellers can be fined $769. First published in the Mornington News – 6…
A MOUNT Eliza man, 49, is one of two people charged with murder over the suspicious disappearance of Colombian national Sergio Cuesta. The man has been remanded in custody to appear at Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on 24 April. Warrants were executed at properties in Mount Eliza and Cranbourne shortly after 2pm on Tuesday, 30 January. Three firearms, a pill press, various quantities of what appear to be dried cannabis and cocaine, cannabis crops, a crossbow and a conducted energy device were seized from the Mount Eliza address. A 48-year-old Cranbourne man also interviewed by police has been released pending further…
COMMUNITY group Peninsula Voice is holding a public meeting to discuss the detrimental effects and ways of combating climate change. “Worldwide, there is significant concern and confusion about climate change. On the Mornington Peninsula, we’re seeing changes in our climate and our natural environment impacting our health and wellbeing,” Peninsula Voice convenor Peter Orton said. “Coastal erosion is really just the tip of the iceberg. We’re naturally worried about how the peninsula is being impacted, and we also want action before it’s too late.” Orton said temperatures in Victoria had risen 1.2 degrees Celsius since 1910, cool season rainfall had…
EYEWITNESS accounts of cats and kittens being dumped on the Mornington Peninsula have alarmed animal welfare bodies and environmental advocates, who say cats living wild wreak havoc on nature. There are also fears for the safety and welfare of the dumped cats, thought to be released pets, which would most likely struggle to survive in a strange environment. There have been at least three recent sightings of people dumping cats on the peninsula, including a black car seen releasing two caged cats in bush in Wooralla Drive, Mount Eliza. Two other cases involved a black car seen dumping up for…
By Liz Bell and Keith Platt A PUBLIC meeting organised by the Save Our Briars protest group and attended by about 200 people has called for the Harry Potter: A Forbidden Forest Experience event to be moved away from the wildlife sanctuary. Pressure for Mornington Peninsula Shire Council to relocate the months long nightly event away from The Briars wildlife sanctuary continued this week with protests at Tuesday’s council meeting at Rosebud. Louise Page said the protesters wanted answers to some of the missing details around the secrecy of council’s decision to back the event. “Why was The Briars master…
Permit required It was an interesting exercise recently as to how to put on a community event locally. After calling Mornington Peninsula Shire, I discovered that to run an event in one of our parks, which I’ll add here, that our parks belong to all Victorians to enjoy, I would need to require a permit if the event held more than 50 people. The permit base rate would cost me $1100 that would be paid to our shire. For this base rate I could acquire a food van for the people enjoying the park, after that, the permit price increases…
Police have resumed their search this morning for a man missing in waters off a beach near Rye. Emergency services were called to the area off Browns Road and Tasman Drive yesterday after reports three people were swimming when they got caught in a rip about 7pm. A man and a woman, aged in their 20’s made it to shore while a 20-year-old Cranbourne man remains unaccounted for. A search of the area has been initiated with the assistance of Air Wing, Water Police and SES units. High winds and strong swells are making the search difficult for rescue crews…
The Water Police Squad will have a new eye on hoons as they team up with local officers to crack down on poor jet ski behaviour on the Mornington Peninsula this summer. Every Water Police Squad member is now equipped with a body worn camera to record video and audio of jet ski incidents and interactions with vessel operators. The squad has been issued with specialised custom-made lifejackets that include mounting points to easily attach the devices while out on the water, marking a first for Victoria Police. Body worn cameras not only improve community and police safety but enhance…
ORGANISERS of the Rosebud Hospital rally on Wednesday (24 January) are hoping the large turnout of community members will convince politicians, business entities and philanthropic donors to support the hospital being redeveloped. One of the organisers, Jo Gilbert, said the turnout had been a massive show of support for the hospital and backed the argument for the need to keep it in the local community. “We heard stories from people who have relied on it, and we heard how important it is to the community, we just need the government to listen,” she said. First published in the Southern Peninsula…
FLINDERS Cricket Club will celebrate its 150th birthday on the weekend of 17 and 18 of February with a special round of matches, cocktail party and a family day. Mornington Cricket Club is the only club on the Mornington Peninsula that can boast about being older, having been founded in 1863. On Saturday, the seniors will be at home for the second match of the day with longtime adversary Balnarring. During the evening teams of six decades will be announced, culminating in the unveiling of a champion team. Flinders Cricket Club owes it origins to the Eastern Extension Cable Company,…
NOW in its 45th year Rye Tennis Club held its annual Australia Day competition over the long weekend. For a small club Rye attracts 210 players from 238 entries that play in 18 events over 289 matches. Requiring Dromana Tennis Club to assist with a second venue. President Heather Kingston thanked tournament sponsors After- Care Rosebud, Community Bank Southern Peninsula and Prentice Real Estate for their ongoing support. Head coach and tournament director Aaron Leeder-Chard said that the “tournament ran smoothly with great weather and players of a high standard”. He also thanked the committee for their organizational skills which…
TENSIONS are again running high among users of the closed Beleura cliff path at Mornington because of “spy cameras” installed by Mornington Peninsula Shire. The CCTV cameras have been installed to catch anyone cutting or damaging the wire barricades across the path. The path was closed on 1 September 2022 after a “minor rock fall” but Save Our Cliff Path convenor Peter Nicholson said walkers would have noticed water flows that caused a “serious landslip” one month later. The repair bill for that incident has been put at $1.5 million. Nicholson said money spent on installing the “spy cameras” would…
WHILE Mornington Peninsula Shire might make box office money from allowing The Briars wildlife sanctuary to be used as a stage and backdrop for a Harry Potter show, it may cost councillors at the ballot box in October. With the Potter shows running from April to July, opponents of the shows are out for revenge and vowing to make sure the nightly shows remain fresh in voters’ memories. The Mornington Peninsula branch of The Greens is organising for protesters to attend the council’s Tuesday 6 February public meeting at Rosebud. The Greens also wants more information on the deal, reminding…
IT IS impossible for most of us to imagine anything more painful than losing two children in their prime, but for one mother, reaching out to others has given her the strength to honour her sons and turn her grief into something positive. For Monique Story, the experience of losing her beloved son Quinn in 2021 at 16, and then a couple of years later her older son Hunter at almost 23, was paralysing. But inspiringly, that pain became the Mornington mum’s motivation to make sure young people struggling to fit in, or struggling to navigate the world in general,…
TWO of the candidates for the Saturday 2 March Dunkley byelection will speak at the next breakfast meeting of the Committee for Frankston and Mornington Peninsula on Thursday 1 February. The meeting from 7.30am at Commonfolk Mornington will be the second breakfast meeting for the newly merged group, which provides “strategic leadership, advocacy and influence to help attract government support and investment in the regions”. The two Dunkley candidates are Labor’s Jodie Belyea and Liberal Nathan Conroy, the mayor of Frankston. CEO Josh Sinclair said the committee’s new not-for-profit member, Fusion Mornington Peninsula, will make a presentation about youth homelessness…
FOR 10 days earlier this month it seemed there was no limit to the heights Vicki Sullivan’s art would reach. Tucked safely in a time capsule aboard a lander being carried upwards by a Vulcan rocket, the digitised artworks seemed destined to be among the first to land on the Moon. However, although Sullivan’s works made it into space, they also made it back to a fiery end on re-entering Earth’s atmosphere over the Pacific Ocean. Technical problems saw the Astrobotic’s Peregrine Mission 1 rocket launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida with the Artists on the Moon or Annex 9, exhibition…
MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire Council has recognised some of its most outstanding citizens and groups at the 2024 Australia Day local awards ceremony. Nancy-Joy Gardner was chosen as Citizen of the Year for her commitment to road safety over the past 25 years. Her nominator says, “Auntie Nance”, as she is often referred to, was someone who “shakes up her community and is a force to be reckoned with”, someone who “knows how to make events happen and get people involved”. Gardner has run road safety programs on the peninsula and south east Melbourne for 30 years with Wiser Driver Programs.…
THE passing of another Australia Day public holiday on Friday 26 January was marked across the Mornington Peninsula by private gatherings of friends, backyard barbecues and a few flag raising ceremonies, but none specifically held by Mornington Peninsula Shire. However, flags were raised at events part-sponsored by the shire. The shire held an afternoon invitation-only citizenship ceremony in Rosebud’s Memorial Hall. At Hastings, the national flag was flown at half-mast during a Change the Date event, although not at the direction of the event’s organisers, the Willum Warrain Aboriginal Association. “Aboriginal community members and non-Indigenous allies advocated for an alternative…
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…
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…