MOUNT Martha Rotary Club is spearheading a renewed effort to restore a vital section of the Balcombe Creek Estuary boardwalk after it was partly closed two years ago. Part of the boardwalk, near Nepean Hwy and Uralla Rd in Mt Martha, was significantly damaged after an intense storm hit the peninsula in November 2022, causing Balcombe Creek to flood. This caused the wooden boardwalk’s structure to collapse and break, making it unsafe for public use. The boardwalk, which has a network of walking trails spanning 3.5km through the scenic estuary, was built by the Mount Martha Rotary Club in the…
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NINE youth have celebrated their graduation from the Salvation Army’s Tools For The Trade program, which aims to re-engage youths in education and training. Each term, the program provides participants with hands-on experience through learning activities, group work, trade tasters, accredited courses, and selected work experience opportunities. The latest graduation was held on 20 September at the Salvation Army’s Mission Centre in Mount Martha.The nine-week program, assisted through Youth Services Peninsula, is designed to support young people aged 16-21 who are disengaged or at risk of disengaging from education, training, employment and community connections. Salvation Army Major Warren Elliott congratulated…
RESIDENTS and visitors are up in arms at Mornington Peninsula Shire’s near two year closure of the Birdrock Beach access stairs. A recently formed action group ‘Repair the Stairs – Birdrock Beach Action Group’ held a protest rally on Saturday (21 September) in front of the closed stairs leading down to Birdrock Beach.The spokesperson for the Birdrock Beach Action Group, Sharon Forrest, told The News that the Birdrock Beach stairs were closed to the public at the beginning of December 2022 after a severe storm and associated king tide caused the collapse of the bottom three sections of the stairway…
Mornington Peninsula Crime Investigation Unit detectives are appealing for public assistance to help identify the driver of a ute that rammed a police car in Mount Martha earlier this month. Officers attempted to intercept the stolen orange Toyota Hilux ute near the intersection of Nepean Highway and Craigie Road about 1.30am on 13 September. After stopping momentarily, the ute turned around and intentionally rammed the side of the marked police car. The ute fled the scene and was located burnt out on Lloyd Park, Langwarrin about 1.50am. The two police officers inside the car sustained minor injuries. Investigators believe the…
NEW measures to protect plant and animal life in the Balcombe Creek Estuary and nearby land in Mount Martha have been put into place.The state government gazetted planning scheme amendment C241morn earlier this month. The amendment implements recommendations from the 2022 Balcombe Estuary and associated reserves: Ecological and Planning Study report. The gazetted planning scheme amendment covers 76.9 hectares of land. It reads that new zones have been applied to provide greater protection to indigenous wildlife and plant species.Among a swathe of changes, a new overlay has been placed over the site “to identify and protect native vegetation specific to…
THE Mornington Peninsula Shire council has welcomed a $2.19m Disaster Ready Fund grant from the federal government to contribute to remediation and protection works for the Mount Martha landslip. Council is also contributing $2.19m to this project. The project will reinstate a local access road after it collapsed and slid onto The Esplanade beneath it on 29 September 2020 (Landslip closes Esplanade, The News 5/10/2020).At the time, the collapse was blamed on stormwater run off and saw an estimated 30 tonnes of material and vegetation dislodge on the slope above the Esplanade, between Ellerina Road and Bradford Road. Works to…
STANDING on the beach looking towards the horizon the lines of swell look like corduroy. A couple of hundred metres south, the same swell lines radiate like spokes from a wheel from a rocky point. A pleasing enough sight to some, but pure patterns of nature to Anthony Wood.Wood’s thoughts of patterns invariably lead him to seeing patterns in just about anything.The Mount Martha artist goes for a walk, sees trees, leaves and seeds and thinks of patterns.A keen surfer, he looks at and photographs cliffs and surf breaks around the Mornington Peninsula and imagines how they would look if…
SCHOOLS are issuing warnings about whooping cough after a spate of cases in the Mount Martha area. It is understood there have been cases recorded at Balcombe Grammar and Mount Martha Primary School. There are fears that families may not be aware of the easy spread of the infection, which requires all sufferers to be on antibiotics for at least five days.In Victoria, children with pertussis (whooping cough) but who have not had the required antibiotic treatment must not go to primary school and children’s service centres for 21 days after the onset of the cough. Unimmunised contacts under seven…
WORK is expected to start soon on installing traffic lights and widening roads at the intersection of Forest Drive and Nepean Highway, Mount Martha.Flashing warning signs will warn motorists that they are approaching the pedestrian and traffic operated lights. Plans for the road widening, realigning Forest Drive and installing traffic lights include removing more than 100 trees to improve visibility and safety.VicRoads says it will plant 160 native trees and 9000 shrubs and tussocks when the intersection works are finished in early 2025. Some of the trees to be removed will be mulched and used for landscaping works within the…
Up to 40 young people who partied in Mount Martha on Friday night and into Saturday morning had to be dispersed by police when fights spilled into the streets. It is believed a party had been held at a short term accommodation property overnight on Friday.On Saturday morning social media was flooded with reports of groups of youths fighting in and around Park Road and Atlantic Terrace, while others were seen lying on nature strips and in front yards. One person was allegedly seen threatening people with a machete, while one driver said a young man jumped on her car…
NINE golfers lined up for the first all abilities Get Into Golf event at Mount Martha Golf Course last Friday (22 March).Following the One Club program initiated by PGA pro Sandy Jamieson, the all abilities session aims to teach golf fundamentals to participants in a relaxed and fun environment.The program was led by instructors from the club who underwent their own training last month (On course for all abilities at Mt Martha, The News 27/2/24). Accompanied by carers, friends and family, the nine golfers played on two holes which were divided to make four. Organiser John Bowers, of Mount Martha,…
A PLANNING application for a two-storey, licensed restaurant with rooftop bar in Mount Martha has been refused amid concerns it could change the character of the popular tourist spot. The proposal for a licensed restaurant and cafe at 3A-5 Bay Road, Mount Martha was supported by Mornington Peninsula Shire Council officers who recommended its approval with amendments, despite objections about potential noise, parking and the size and style of the building. Officers’ amendments included acoustic screening in outdoor areas and “appropriate bicycle parking spaces in the footpath area adjacent to the site”. Councillors at their 25 July public meeting determined…
MEN are a hot topic in Mount Martha this month, with Bentons Square Community Centre celebrating the 12 to 18 June Men’s Health Week with a new program called Voice Male. The theme of Men’s Health Week is healthy habits – focusing on encouraging men and boys to build healthy habits by identifying small changes they can make that benefit their health and wellbeing. The community centre’s Voice Male program aims to give men the opportunity to chat, socialise and listen to guest speakers in a relaxed social setting. Program coordinator Ian Easterby said the program would give men the…