Southern Peninsula News 19 May 2020

Southern Peninsula

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Wednesday 20 May 2020

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Outdoors is in as bans eased ANGLERS could not resist the lure of the bay and golfers were destined to seek their fairway to scorecard heaven when social distancing bans were eased last Wednesday (13 May).

Golf courses across the Mornington Peninsula were heavily booked for the first day on the greens for weeks and boat ramps were again back in use as anglers cast off in the hope that fish had become complacent.

As well as those two major activities, the brakes of the coronavirus shutdown were also eased for religious groups which were given the go ahead for meetings of 10 people provided social distancing was still observed.

Funerals can now be attended by up to 20 people indoors or 30 outdoors.

Continued Page 6

Pictures: Keith Platt

Budget blown by pandemic Stephen Taylor steve@mpnews.com.au EARLY financial modelling suggests Mornington Peninsula Shire Council’s non-rate income could be down $6-$12 million this year depending on the duration of the COVID-19 restrictions.

To help ease the shire's financial pain, the mayor Cr Sam Hearn has opted to take a 20 per cent cut in his $90,000plus allowance. CEO John Baker has

also said he will take a pay cut.

Cr Hearn said the shire was “continuing to monitor and make prudent budgetary decisions in response to the impacts” of the pandemic.

“We are committed to leading from the top in managing the financial challenges of this crisis,” he said.

“We are cutting costs and ensuring that every dollar the community entrusts us with is invested in helping the peninsula bounce back from

COVID-19 and providing the essential services our community needs.

“I’m personally committing to a 20 per cent reduction in my allowance for next financial year [from July until the council year ends in November] and our CEO [John Baker] has initiated a substantial reduction in his own wage.”

Mr Baker’s annual salary is $360,000 - $380,000.

The shire derives about 70 per cent of its income from rates and charges,

so it is less vulnerable than inner city municipalities to reduced income from, say, parking fees.

Cr Hearn said ways in which the council was cutting expenditure included implementing a business support package “that has already put half a million dollars back into the business community”, through a business concierge service, a “supporting-localbusiness” campaign, by fast tracking approvals and compliance matters,

by temporarily scrapping fees and charges, by hiring peninsula-based contractors and introducing rate-andrent-relief options for tenants in council properties.

“Council moved quickly to look after vulnerable and isolated citizens by implemented a caring for our community initiative that has seen the delivery of over 2000 care packages of food and essential items throughout our community,” Cr Hearn said. Continued Page 6

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NEWS DESK

Police patrol

With Stephen Taylor

Intruder ruins Mother’s Day magic STAFF at a Mount Eliza florist were terrified when they spied an intruder lurking in the darkness early on Mother’s Day morning.

Abricot Mornington Florist manager Matilda Alievski said the unidentified man shining a torch seemed to avoid CCTV cameras behind the Mount Eliza Way shop Saturday 9 May as he made his way slowly towards the back door (right).

He was wearing a hoodie, beanie, gloves and boots, and covering his face.

“Our staff were working inside the shop trying to get our orders ready and we saw this man on our cameras and immediately panicked,” Ms Alievski said.

“We were so frightened as we could see that he was getting closer in his attempts to break in.

“We had our lights on in the whole shop and this man knew we were in there; it seems we were being targeted. Luckily, we saw him on our cameras and our male staff member managed to scare him away.

“We reported the incident to police.”

Ms Alievski said her son, 24, writing Mother’s Day cards and checking orders upstairs, saw movement on the CCTV monitor and raised the alarm.

“He saw the man trying to break into the back door and started screaming and came running downstairs to protect us,” Ms Alievski said.

“He was shouting to the man to

Camp ground arrest

get out and that he was calling the cops.”

The staff left for their homes when the coast was clear but Ms Alievski said she hardly slept worrying about the incident. “We returned at 6am to find that the man had been back, possibly at 4.30am, and been inside the cool room.

“He had taken flowers ordered by our customers and ruined them by trashing them and snapping them onto the grass,” she said.

“These flowers were orders for Mother’s Day and so we had nothing to give our customers.

“It seems the man didn’t come to steal, but do damage. We don’t understand why. It is disgusting that someone can do this to us.”

Anyone with information is urged to call Mornington police 5970 4900 or Crime Stoppers 1800 333 000.

DETECTIVES described the arrest of a Queensland man at a Rosebud camp ground on Thursday 7 May as a “good pinch”.

The 31-year-old appeared at Melbourne Magistrates’ Court that night charged with aggravated burglary, possessing explosives – which police later described as firecrackers – and three counts of possessing a drug of dependence.

Two women had reported that a man climbed onto the balcony of their Doncaster home and entered a bedroom, 2am, Wednesday 15 April.

The women ran outside and hid.

The man was remanded to appear at Melbourne Magistrates’ Court again in July.

Changing attitudes THE Trust Your Gut’ theme of this year’s Crime Stoppers Day (Monday 18 May) follows an independent national survey commissioned by Crime Stoppers Australia that showed up to one in five Australians turn a blind eye to unsolved crime and suspicious activity rather than speaking out.

Crime Stoppers wants to change this attitude and urges Australians to “play a part in building a safer community by sharing with Crime Stoppers what they know, without having to say who they are”.

Reports to Crime Stoppers can be made by calling 1800 333 000.

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1079 Point Nepean Road, Rosebud PAGE 2

Southern Peninsula News 20 May 2020

Virtual shire becomes a reality Keith Platt keith@mpnews.com.au MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire councillors last week held their first virtual council meeting.

Like schoolchildren and businesses throughout the country, councillors and support staff have now adapted to going online to keep the shire on track. And, like schoolchildren, their online performances may count towards an end of the year judgement following the state government’s announcements late Friday that municipal elections will be held as planned on Saturday 24 October.

Local Government Minister Adam said “safe and secure” postal voting would be held in all municipalities.

He said the government would spend more money to achieve its aim of “gender equality on councils by 2025”.

In recognition of social distancing requirements, the Victorian Electoral Commission would allow candidates to provide longer statements to be included in voter information packs.

During the shire’s Tuesday 12 May meeting Mornington Peninsula councillors - and anyone else watching could see each other on a split screen with the meeting agenda displayed on the left-hand side of the screen.

Guidelines for councils to have online, live streamed meetings (on the shire’s YouTube channel) were included in the COVID-19 Omnibus (Emergency Measures) Act passed by the state government on 23 April.

For councillors to be counted as “present”, they must be able to be seen and heard by other councillors simultaneously. At least six of the shire’s 11 councillors must be appearing on the split screen for a quorum

Discussion and debate: Ten of Mornington Peninsula Shire’s 11 councillors “attended” their first online meeting on Tuesday 12 May. The meeting was also streamed live to YouTube where it was watched by an unseen and unrated (in television terms) audience.

cillors must not allow anyone else to watch or record that part of the meeting.

Councillors must advise if they are having “connectivity” issues and make sure their individual camera remains switched on while they are present in the meeting.

They also need to make sure they

“to allow them to speak in an equitable and appropriate manner”.

As with physical council meetings, councillors must “leave the meeting entirely” if they declare a conflict of interest and not return until they are called back via mobile phone.

If any part of a meeting is closed to discuss confidential matters, coun-

(Cr Frank Martin did not join the shire’s first virtual meeting).

The chair of the meeting - the mayor Cr Sam Hearn on 12 May – is tasked with making sure councillors remain at the meeting, even though they are in different locations.

However, the chair can also “mute and unmute” councillors and officers

have a mobile phone nearby as a back-up device and must ensure the “corporate backdrop” is on camera (the screen shot taken by The News appears to show some councillors without the required backdrop).

Questions from the public must be submitted by midday the day before a scheduled council meeting.

‘Fairness’ call for AGL decision Keith Platt keith@mpnews.com.au THE state government is under pressure to “do the right thing” and delay making any decision on power company AGL’s request for a gas import jetty at Crib Point.

Environment Victoria and Save Westernport say it would be unfair in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic to give the community just 30 days to

respond to the “thousands of pages of documents” prepared by AGL. The adequacy of AGL’s environmental effects statement (EES) for its proposed floating gas terminal and a 56 kilometre pipeline to Pakenham is now being reviewed by the Department for Environment Land Water and Planning (DELWP) before being released for public exhibition.

Victor Komarovsky, community organiser at Environment Victoria said extending the time for public submis-

sions would be “the right thing” to do.

"AGL has had nearly two years to put together thousands of pages of documents. It isn't fair that the community would be given only 30 days to respond, in the middle of a global pandemic lockdown, all without being able to physically meet and deliberate,” Mr Komarovsky said.

"Online public hearings might work in the CBD, but not here. Many people here are on dial-up speeds, if they have internet at all.”

Mr Komarovsky said Planning Minister Richard Wynne should instigate a process and timeline reflecting “the circumstances we're in that acknowledges the challenges faced by communities up against big companies. This can't be rushed”.

When requiring AGL to provide an EES in October 2018, Mr Wynne said the project “has the potential for significant environmental effects” including “risk to some aspects of the ecology in the north arm of the Western Port Ram-

sar site”, which is protected under an international agreement.

There were “potential effects” also from the pipeline needed to carry gas from Crib Point to Pakenham on waterways and Ramsar site “and on Aboriginal cultural heritage”.

However, Mr Wynne added that these “significant effects and other residual effects could be assessed and managed through a range of separate statutory processes”.

Continued Page 5

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NEWS DESK

Grammar cuts staff as pandemic bites PENINSULA Grammar will stand down staff in the school’s administration, marketing and maintenance departments”.

The Mount Eliza private school, which admits to being “greatly impacted by the global pandemic”, said in a statement it had “made the difficult decision to commence a staff consultation process that will potentially impact” staff numbers.

The statement, attributable to a spokesman, released on Friday 15 May by Sarah Coghlan, senior account executive of Civic Financial Communications, said there would be “no staff cuts to student-facing roles”.

The cuts to “non-student facing roles” were being made to “ensure the school’s strong financial position is mantained”.

Civic Financial Communications describes itself as “an investor relations and financial communications agency that helps corporations and their leaders navigate a world of increased media scrutiny, government intervention and shareholder activism”.

Principal Stuart Johnston, in a separate letter to parents on the same day, said the school would “provide families with a 30 per cent concession in fees”.

“During this difficult time, we are striving to ensure that we remain focused on the most important facet of the school, which is the care and education of our students,” he said.

Mr Johnston reportedly also wrote to staff saying increasing numbers of students were departing mid-term and that, in a worst case scenario, 40 per cent of families would struggle to pay their school fees.

Enrolments for 2021 are expected to decline by more than 10 per cent should a full COVID-19 lock-down continue, it is believed.

Of the 63 staff temporarily stood down more than 50 are expected to return when school resumes.

New pool rules next month Stephen Taylor steve@mpnews.com.au SWIMMING pool and spa owners on the Mornington Peninsula have until Monday 1 June to register them with the council or they could be liable to fines of up to $1652.

This follows the implementation of state laws to improve pool and spa safety throughout Victoria which came into effect last December.

In Victoria, 27 children under five have drowned over the past 20 years – mostly in private pools and spas. The state coroner found that in at least 20 of these cases the safety barrier was non-compliant, and that this was likely to have played a role in their deaths.

There are a “known” 17,000 pools and spas on the peninsula – reportedly the second highest of any other Australian municipality.

Former mayor Cr David Gill last week said the shire had mailed out two reminders of the approaching registration deadline to pool owners – one late last year and the latest in the past few weeks.

The laws apply to pools and spas more than 30cm deep and include above ground and temporary pools and spas, but not small children’s

inflatable pools.

Social media sites, such as WTF Mount Eliza, lit up at the weekend with reports of bogus private building inspectors cold-calling panicked pool owners and quoting fees of $1000-$1500 for first-time inspections. Extra callouts would cost extra.

The reports prompted Frankston Council mayor Cr Sandra Mayer to warn that the “confusing and stressful” calls had been made by companies “falsely claiming to represent council”.

Notifying Mornington Peninsula Shire of a pool or spa and paying a $31.84 registration fee is the first step in the compliance process. Owners will then be told the date they need to have their first certificate of pool barrier compliance issued by a registered building surveyor or building inspector.

Owners must arrange the private inspections and then lodge the certificate with the shire by the due date. The News spoke to three registered building inspectors who quoted $300-$395 for an initial inspection and $150-$165 for subsequent inspections.

Owners of pools and spas built before 1 June 2020, with an unknown construction date, will be charged a search fee of $47.24. Those with pools

and spas built after 1 June 2020 must register within 30 days of receiving their occupancy permit or certificate of final inspection.

If an inspector identifies a safety issue, owners will have 60 days to rectify the fault and make their pools compliant.

Owners of pools and spas built before 30 June 1994 must lodge a certificate of barrier compliance by 1 June 2021; those built 1 July 1994-1 May 2010 by 1 June 2022, and those built 1 May 2010-31 May 2020 by 1 June 2023.

Certificates must be lodged with the shire every four years.

The onus of registration is on the owner of a property – not a tenant. Tenants unsure if a pool or spa is registered should contact their property manager.

The shire says its role is to maintain a register of pools and enforce non-compliance. It does not offer a pool and spa inspections and is not affiliated with any providers of this service.

Planning and building director David Bergin said any provider claiming to be affiliated with or endorsed by the council was “giving the pool owner misinformation”.

Shire officers will only inspect pools to confirm that they have been decommissioned.

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Southern Peninsula News 20 May 2020

Fusion’s learning to do things differently THE battering ram called COVID-19 has placed enormous stress on staff at the Mount Marthabased Fusion Mornington Peninsula.

Some staff are living “on-site” while others are working from home, juggling casework meetings on the phone or video platforms.

Fusion centre manager Caitlin Swanton said over the past eight weeks staff had “needed to adapt to cater to young people in a way we never have before, nor did we image we would need to”.

“It has been eight weeks since Victoria went into lock-down ... since all non-essential trips out of the house were banned … since our schools closed,” Ms Swanton said when launching an emergency appeal for the Christian youth and community development organisation.

“It is a long time to be isolated from friends, family and normal routines.”

Ms Swanton said for many it had been a “learning curve to adapt, juggling work at home, keeping children entertained and planning how we do normal everyday activities differently”.

For others it has meant the loss of income and “skyrocketing anxiety”.

“Imagine you were living without family, friends or normal routines,” she said.

“Imagine you were couch surfing, living on the streets or living in an unsafe environment.

“Imagine school was a refuge from violence, and being stuck at home for eight weeks has been an increasingly unsafe place to be.

“Imagine trying to access online platforms for learning and connection without suitable hardware or access to the internet.

“This is the reality for the young people Fusion Mornington Peninsula support.”

Ms Swanton said Fusion housing staff had

chosen to live on-site to support the young people in their care. “They have adapted to hygiene routines way above our normal processes and they have adapted to having young people onsite all the time,” she said.

“They have needed to care for young people who live with uncertainty.

“Our housing staff have also been managing their own concerns around what is happening in our world today.”

Fusion youth workers have had to take programs online, meeting with young people via platforms that give them access to the homes of young people for the first time. “This has been challenging and confronting,” Ms Swanton said.

“Setting up a variety of online platforms has meant unexpected expenses and the need to support young people to have adequate hardware and internet access at home.”

The broader Fusion team has been working from home, juggling casework meetings on the phone or via video platforms. “This is not the same as a face-to-face meeting where you can gauge a lot more about how a young person might be going through body language and other cues,” Ms Swanton said.

“The team have needed to have suitable office set ups to work from home which has been an additional expense to the centre, but which have been essential to continue our support of young people on the peninsula.”

Donations to Fusion help keep young people safe and connected through this crisis.

Details: Fusion Mornington Peninsula 5974 1442.

Stephen Taylor

AGL: ‘Wait for end to COVID-19 restrictions’ Continued from Page 1 The AGL proposal includes mooring a 300-metre long floating gas plant at the existing Crib Point jetty, to convert liquid natural gas (LNG) into gas, and building new jetty.

Save Westernport’s steering committee has told Mr Wynne that the public exhibition of AGL’s EES should be postponed “until the restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic have been lifted”.

“AGL’s apparent push for the EES to proceed without consideration for the implications of the current state of emergency on people’s lives is consistent with the contempt they’ve shown this community and its wishes ever since their incursion into Westernport began in 2017,” the committee stated in a letter to Mr Wynne.

The committee said it was “essential that the Mr Wynne remains beyond the influence of AGL”.

“By making use of his discretionary powers, he can ensure that the EES does not proceed in a way that is rushed or that appears to give the proponent an advantage.

“Compromising the effectiveness of the EES to accommodate the proponent would be highly inappropriate, particularly if it incorporates new untried methods that could be seen to discourage community involvement or that limit the effectiveness of their contribution.

“No precedent exists for an EES to be held only online.”

Chris Atmore, of Save Westernport, said those opposing AGL’s plans would be “doubly disadvantaged” if a “virtual EES process” was used “given the state government’s decision to hold back on implementing most of the new EPA Act for at least a year [which has] has stronger requirements for successful applications for development licences which the [Crib Point] project requires”.

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PAGE 5

NEWS DESK

Supporting environment to the end

Bans eased and bay and greens the great attraction Continued from Page 1 Social welfare groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous were also allowed meetings of up to 10 people.

On Sunday, the Premier Daniel Andrews announced that as from 1 June cafes, restaurants and pubs will be able to open their doors to serve meals to up to 20 patrons at a time. The limit may be increased to 50 by 22 June and 100 in the second half of July.

Venues must allow four square metres for each customer and tables must be 1.5 metres apart.

The timetable set out by Mr Andrews is dependent on tests continuing to show “low numbers” of COVID-19 cases around the state.

“We need to be really clear though: this is not a done deal. These deadlines will depend on how we’re tracking.”

However, other types of businesses will remain shut, with Mr Andrews saying, “we can’t have millions of people moving across our state – particularly around the Melbourne CBD - touching elevator buttons or opening front doors”.

Keith Platt

Pandemic blow to budget Continued from Page 1 “Other measures include saving $1.4 million by not filling vacant staff positions and saving $1.7 million by reducing materials and services expenditure.”

He said the council was also continuing to lobby state and federal departments for financial support and relief.

Financial modelling and “scenario analysis” for the 2020-21 budget forecasting the potential $6-$12 million loss is being undertaken while the draft budget is on public exhibition.

Cr Hearn said the exhibition period had been extended to Thursday 21 May to “give the community more time to review and provide comment, and to give council officers more time to

assess the economic impacts we are seeing from COVID-19”. He said the next financial year would be “very challenging”.

“We as a council have a united resolve to navigate our way through these difficult circumstances for the whole community,” he said.

“I believe we can facilitate a united effort engaging all sectors and people, peninsula-wide, to achieve our economic and social recovery and ensure no one gets left behind.

“I’m proud of the way we have stuck together and looked after each other through the pandemic. We need to commit to doing the same as we rebuild and restart after it.”

The proposed budget can be seen at mornpen. vic.gov.au Hard copies can be mailed on request.

LONG time environmental campaigner Chris Chandler died of cancer on 30 April.

Articulate and well-researched, Mr Chandler, who lived on French Island, was especially concerned with the loss of habitat and need to preserve the biodiversity and sensitive environment of Western Port.

In February 2019, after joining more than 90 other fee paying passengers for a twilight cruise celebrating World Wetlands Day on Western Port, Mr Chandler told The News that the bay’s wetlands “easily fit” the criteria required for them to be protected under the international Ramsar agreement.

Always ready with statistics and a formidable knowledge of natural history, Mr Chandler listed some of the 10,000 migratory birds that for part of the year call Western Port home (including 30 species of waders which breed in Siberia), and said the mudflats were also occupied on a regular basis by black swans, ducks, herons and ibis.

Mr Chandler’s father Alan (known as “Koala Dundee”) ran guided tours of French Island, Island, regaling visitors with tales about the island’s history and its wildlife. It was through his father’s work with scientists involved in the Shapiro Study in the 1970s that a young Chris became acutely aware of the fragility of the environment.

A senior member of the secretive Bible sect, Friends of Workers, or the Two by Two, Chris Chandler was jailed for one year with a minimum three months in 2014, for indecent assaults on three girls. Mr Chandler later told this reporter that he attributed his crimes, in part, to being brought up as part of a small population on an isolated island.

Mr Chandler was a valued member of Save Westernport, the community group fighting power company AGL’s proposal to import liquified natural gas (LNP) to a floating terminal at Crib Point.

Save Westernport’s secretary Julia Stockigt said Mr Chandler had worked “tirelessly for

CHRIS Chandler improvements in conservation and resource management”.

“He had a great ability to share his knowledge with clear explanations to both people in local Landcare and catchment groups and others, including bureaucrats,” Ms Stockigt said.

“From the local area to the outback, Chris’ profound knowledge about Australia’s history of European settlement included an insight into the traditional practices of its original owners, and extended to ecology, botany, and current politics,” Ms Stockigt said.

A keen writer and ready volunteer for local publications and community magazines, Chris Chandler “generously shared his incredible fountain of detailed knowledge about the local environment and the importance of caring for Western Port and the non-built world”.

Ms Stockigt said his knowledge of the natural environment was unsurpassed and retold a story that as a child he showed field students how to find freshwater soaks in dry seasons by following the tracks of black swans along rivulets.

“The day before he died, he gave instructions for monitoring the critically endangered fairy terns on French Island.”

A tree planting ceremony and memorial will be held for Chris Chandler when COVID-19 social distancing requirements are lifted.

Keith Platt

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Southern Peninsula News 20 May 2020

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THANK YOU For the way we’ve faced these past few weeks.

With courage. With humility. And with hope.

We’ve kept our distance, we’ve looked out for each other and we’ve kept our cool.

Thank you especially to those who have been tested.

Because of your efforts, we’ve achieved the biggest testing blitz in our state’s history.

Or to use Victoria’s standard unit of measurement – more than one MCG’s worth of Victorians who’ve played their part in protecting our state.

Thanks to you, we are finding out more about the spread of coronavirus in our community.

If you haven’t been tested, and you are feeling unwell, you can still visit one of the regional clinics or speak to your GP. To find out how and where you can be tested go to vic.gov.au/CORONAVIRUS Because getting tested keeps us together.

visit vic.gov.au/CORONAVIRUS Authorised and published by the Victorian Government, 1 Treasury Place, Melbourne

Southern Peninsula News 20 May 2020

PAGE 7

NEWS DESK

Blame game continues as estuary fills

By Barry Morris* BALCOMBE Estuary Reserves Group has warned of an “environmental disaster” if sediment continues to fill the estuary at Mount Martha.

Its president Peter McMahon has accused Melbourne Water of “sitting idly by as we slowly lose this beautiful estuary to indifference, pennypinching and demarcation issues”.

Melbourne Water says it has been “consulting” with Mornington Peninsula Shire and BERG “for more than a decade” to stop the accumulation of sediment which comes from unsealed roads.

The 76-hectare estuary and adjoining reserves are home to hundreds of native birds and animals and a popular recreation area for residents and visitors.

“Every time it rains heavily, sediment from drains is washed into the pristine estuary,” Mr McMahon said.

He said Melbourne Water was “ignoring the reports released three years ago of two expert water management companies that recommended ways of solving the problem”.

The studies were carried out for the shire by the Centre for Aquatic Identification and Management (CAPIM) and Alluvium in partnership with Melbourne University.

“One sticking point is upgrading a gross pollutant trap in Henley Avenue, Mount Martha where a stormwater outfall is the largest contributor of sediment to the estuary basin,” Mr McMahon said.

“The trap is on Melbourne Water’s main drainage line and the government authority is fretting about the shire or contractors modifying the line.”

Melbourne Water’s team leader regional services waterways and land Steve Hosking said the traps were cleaned out every month with about 1.5 tonnes of sediment and gross pollutants being recently removed.

“We are partnering with the shire to identify suitable sites for streetscape sediment bays on council’s unsealed roads and remain committed to work with council on this issue to find an effective solution,” he said.

The sediment bays use vegetation or graded pits to trap loose gravel and stones before they are washed into the creek.

Mr McMahon said the shire had committed $150,000 but Melbourne Water “has refused to chip in”.

He said BERG “is furious at the response and concerned at the lack of urgency displayed by Melbourne Water”.

“Melbourne Water should accept that it is their assets that are delivering the damaging sediment into the estuary.”

With Keith Platt * Barry Morris is a member of the Balcombe Estuary Reserves Group.

Officers pounce on animal breaches ANIMAL management breaches prompted Mornington Peninsula Shire officers to issue 587 infringements during the first three months of the year.

Data contained in the shire’s Quarterly Community Report: January-March 2020, released last week, shows that officers responded to 3215 animal management matters from January to March.

During that period 147 cats were impounded at the shelter in Watt Road, Mornington, with only 50 found to be registered. Of these, 30 were returned to their owners, 31 were adopted through the shire’s adoption program, 30 were rehomed by rescue groups, and 35 were euthanised. All were registered at the time of their release.

Of the 292 dogs impounded over the same period, only 150 were found to be registered – although, as with the cats, all were registered by their release date.

Staff managed to reunite 274 dogs with their owners, nine were adopted through the shire’s adoption program, three were rehomed by rescue groups and five were euthanised.

Officers prosecuted 60 matters through the courts resulting in fines and costs of $57,000 being awarded to the shire. Matters prosecuted ranged from animal management to litter offences.

Tests for teachers

Balcombe Estuary Reserves Group says aerial pictures taken from a drone of the estuary in 2019 and 2020 “clearly show that the sedimentation build-up continues to worsen [after] having already destroyed environmentally important seagrass beds”.

TEACHERS and staff planning to be back at school next week are eligible for free coronavirus tests at: Rosebud Hospital, 10am-6pm Eleanora House (at the front of the hospital); Frankston Hospital; Atticus Health Medical Clinic, Hastings, by appointment only in the car park; and, Rosebud Skin Cancer Centre, by appointment only.

For further advice call the 24-hour coronavirus hotline 1800 675 398 or a general practitioner.

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Back In Motion Balnarring 6/2-8 Russell Street backinmotion.com.au/balnarring PAGE 8

Southern Peninsula News 20 May 2020

Southern Peninsula

property

SLICE OF HEAVEN PAGE 3 WEDNESDAY, 20th MAY 2020

SAFETY BEACH, DROMANA, McCRAE, ROSEBUD, CAPEL SOUND, RYE, BLAIRGOWRIE, SORRENTO, PORTSEA

Speak to your agent about listing on realestateview.com.au.

Be seen everywhere.

Rosebud 11/757 Point Nepean Road

Rosebud 34 Branson Street

Pole Position.

Beautifully Presented In A Sought After Area.

This brick veneer home offers entry level buying in a prime position. Featuring an open plan living and dining room with exposed central beam, there is plenty of natural light from the picture windows and skylight. The updated kitchen has modern appliances and plenty of cupboard space. There are three good-sized bedrooms all with built in robes that share the sparkling central bathroom with separate toilet. The complex has a communal garden and playground and under the roof line of the home is a large single garge.

Beautifully presented 3 bedroom brick home, set on 532sqm. Freshly painted throughout with a modern bathroom and hardwood floors to living areas. The open plan living/dining with two way kitchen is serviced by a reverse cycle airconditioning. Outside provides a fully fenced low maintenance backyard with garden shed, double carport and plenty of off street parking with rear access.

The property is currently being leased for $720 per fortnight, and will appeal to holiday home hunters, downsizers, first home buyers and investors.

3

1

FOR SALE

1

CONTACT Paul Cunnington 0457 047 962

PRICE GUIDE $480,000-$520,000

Barry Plant Rosebud 5986 8880

INSPECT As advertised

3

1

FOR SALE

2

CONTACT Clare Black 0409 763 261

PRICE GUIDE Contact Agent

Barry Plant Rosebud 5986 8880

INSPECT As advertised

Rosebud 7/12-16 Vickie Court

Rosebud 87 Fifth Avenue

Great Downsizer or Starter!.

Hamptons Inspired Renovation.

Beautifully presented in an exceptional location at the McCrae end of Rosebud, this light-filled home offers a contemporary look with open plan living & separate dining. A well-equipped kitchen has stone benches & breakfast bar, there are two bedrooms with BIR’s, a dual-entry bathroom and the interior has been repainted.

Complete with timber floors, ducted heating, reverse cycle air-conditioning and window security shutters. Outdoors provides under cover outdoor entertaining and landscaped low maintenance grounds.

Re-roofed, re-clad, re-painted, re-stumped & re wired, this fully renovated quintessential beach house is as pretty as a picture and features polished boards, high ceilings and authentic period features throughout. A modern well-equipped kitchen and stunning full bathroom complete this renovation.

Two bedrooms have BIR’s and there are separate living & dining areas. The home is serviced by reverse cycle air-conditioning & Bosch appliances.

Outdoors offers a new North facing deck, side rear access to a single garage.

2

1

FOR SALE PRICE GUIDE $450,000 - $480,000 INSPECT As advertised

mpnews.com.au

1 CONTACT Craig Leo 0412 502 938 Milly Smith 0455 458 296 Barry Plant Rosebud 5986 8880

2

1

FOR SALE PRICE GUIDE $460,000 - $499,000 INSPECT As advertised

Wednesday, 20th May 2020

1 CONTACT Craig Leo 0412 502 938 Milly Smith 0455 458 296 Barry Plant Rosebud 5986 8880

SOUTHERN PENINSULA NEWS

Page 2

ON THE COVER

NEW DEFINITION IN COASTAL LIVING OFFERING a lifestyle that many boast but few deliver, this astounding property, one of four on the block, is part of a opulent enclave of townhouses set just moments from the foreshore and Point Nepean Road shops. The property delivers the serenity of a hinterland retreat with the reassuring sense of privacy and security only a quality townhouse community can provide, and all in a beautifully manicured garden setting. Still presenting in as new condition, the sophisticated interior begins with two downstairs guest bedrooms enjoying a vast, air-conditioned family room that opens out to the stylish pool and undercover alfresco area. There is a powder room and main bathroom, whilst the separate laundry opens out to a timber deck and pathway on the south side of the home that leads around to the handy outdoor shower. Sweeping bay views are available from the bright upstairs zone comprising a chic open plan lounge and dining space with timber floors and a gas wall fire.

A superb kitchen features gleaming marble benchtops and a wealth of cupboard space with appliances including an integrated dishwasher. There is a cosy meals area adjoining the kitchen, but be sure to take advantage of the magnificent undercover terrace with Vergola opening roof for the ultimate in outdoor living throughout the seasons. All three bedrooms have their own distinct style and are air-conditioned. The luxurious master bedroom has a walk-through robe to a palatial ensuite boasting deep soaker spa bath and double shower with rainfall shower head. Complementing the sunny entertaining deck overlooking the in-ground solar heated pool is a separate pool house with bathroom. Comprehensively appointed with the highest standard of fixtures and fittings and double garage and your own private walkway to the beach, this stunning home represents the epitome of low maintenance living.n

HOME ESSENTIALS

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ADDRESS: 16 Maori Street, RYE FOR SALE: Contact Agent For Price DESCRIPTION: 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 2 car INSPECT: By Private Appointment AGENT: Sally Johnstone 0417 577 194, Crowders Real Estate, 2375a Point Nepean Road, Rye, 5983 3038 mpnews.com.au

Wednesday, 20th May 2020

SOUTHERN PENINSULA NEWS

Page 3

We are a proud member of the Eview Group, Australia’s first multi-brand real estate network.

LIST WITH ONE, SELL WITH ALL.TM

BED

5

RYE 40 Edgar Street

BATH

2

CAR

4

BED

5

BLAIRGOWRIE 24 Carslake Avenue

$1,150,000 - $1,230,000

$890,000 - $979,000

● Freshly painted inside & out

● Walking distance to both front and back beach

● Ducted heating

● Split system air conditioning

● 3 phased refrigerated ducted cooling

● Open fire in living room

● Generous block of approx. 1000m2

● Outdoor BBQ and entertaining area

BATH

2

CAR

1

● Large north facing alfresco Anastasia Arvanitakis 0414 267 830 arvani@eview.com.au Jim Arvanitakis 0416 267 803 jim.arvanitakis@eview.com.au

BED

3

RYE 33 Beckett Street

BATH

2

Anastasia Arvanitakis 0414 267 830 arvani@eview.com.au Jim Arvanitakis 0416 267 803 jim.arvanitakis@eview.com.au

CAR

2

BED

3

BLAIRGOWRIE 38 Croanna Street

$880,000 - $946,000

$690,000 - $740,000

● Private walled courtyard ● 2 reverse cycle air conditioners plus open fireplace ● Garden shed for outdoor storage ● Plumbed gas BBQ and shady entertaining area

● Full length floor to ceiling windows ● Coonara heater for winter warmth ● Split system air conditioning ● Self-contained downstairs zone for guests and family ● Wood fire and built in BBQ area

Anastasia Arvanitakis 0414 267 830 arvani@eview.com.au Jim Arvanitakis 0416 267 803 jim.arvanitakis@eview.com.au

BATH

2

CAR

2

Anastasia Arvanitakis 0414 267 830 arvani@eview.com.au Jim Arvanitakis 0416 267 803 jim.arvanitakis@eview.com.au

At Shoreline Real Estate we focus on caring for the good of all. We are still very much in work mode and are complying with all health regulations. Private appointments on all properties are available from 9am - 6pm everyday where possible.

shoreline.eview.com.au mpnews.com.au

LIST WITH ONE, SELL WITH ALLTM Office: Rye, 2361 Point Nepean Road I 5985 0000 Wednesday, 20th May 2020

SOUTHERN PENINSULA NEWS

Page 4

LOVE THIS HOME

RETRO COOL BY THE BEACH FIND your happy place by the sea with this original beachside home, set on a prime 960 square metre block, only a short drive from shops and Mount Martha Primary School. The huge block offers some scope for extensions – a second storey would afford a glimpse of the bay - or external improvements like a pool or larger entertaining area could be added (STCA. The neat interior however is ready and waiting for you with pine lined vaulted ceilings and handsome timber floors featuring to two spacious living areas and a galley kitchen with freestanding cooker and a dishwasher. The master bedroom has built-in robes and a small ensuite, and two more good-sized bedrooms share the main bathroom with adjoining laundry. Complete with split system air-conditioning, a gas wall furnace and an open fireplace, this surprising brick home offers warmth and great character. Buyers with a vision of what could be should definitely come and see this spacious, single level home. n

HOME ESSENTIALS

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ADDRESS: 26 Hooper Grove, MOUNT MARTHA FOR SALE: $900,000 - $950,000 DESCRIPTION: 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 2 car AGENT: Kara James 0412 939 224, Stone Real Estate, Suite 2/1a Main Street, Mornington, 5970 8000

We are a proud member of the Eview Group, Australia’s first multi-brand real estate network.

LIST WITH ONE, SELL WITH ALL.TM

D

L O S

BED

BLAIRGOWRIE 23 Munro Street “ I want to say a big thank you to Julie Alexander for your help and guidance in the sales process of my property. I have sold many properties over the years and I believe the most difficult decision to make is the choice of the agent who will do best for me. Having met you six years ago when I was looking at buying at Martha Cove, I was impressed with your work and this led to my decision to choose you to sell my property. Regular feedback after inspections is so important, and you always kept me informed. You achieved a fantastic result. There are several other properties in the area that were listed before mine even went to market, and to this day, they are still for sale. You sold mine and got my asking price, and I can’t ask any more than that.

Many thanks also to Louise, who was always available to assist with any queries.”

Regards Garry

jules.alexander@eview.com.au mpnews.com.au

4

MARTHA COVE 41 Oceanic Drive ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

BATH

2

CAR

4

Aerodynamic ceiling fans Marble constituted bench tops kitchen and laundry Abbey shock double sink Outdoor shower Belling oven, Bosch dishwasher Crimsafe doors, double glazed windows throughout Commercial grade floorboards Walk - in - pantry Two gas log fireplaces

Contact Agent For Price Jules Alexander 0401 255 555

Jules Alexander Licensed Estate Agent

LIST WITH ONE, SELL WITH ALLTM Wednesday, 20th May 2020

SOUTHERN PENINSULA NEWS

Page 5

Sundrenched Corner Location SaFety Beach 1 Jackstay Close

• Flooded with natural light, this 3 level terrace home is ideal for the first home buyer or astute investor • 2 bedrooms, separate study, 2 bathrooms + powder room, split system heating & cooling and 24 hour security • Relax beside one of the 3 swimming pools and BBQ areas or stroll along the boardwalk to the beach – the choice is yours!

Parkland Oasis A

2

B

2

C

2

For sale $560,000 - $590,000 Inspect By appointment

• Stunning views of both the Martha Cove harbour and Port Phillip Bay from this imposing waterfront home

• 4 generous sized bedrooms a separate study, 3 bathrooms and enormous living areas make this the ideal permanent residence or low maintenance weekender • The successful purchaser will also have the first option to secure the 15m freehold marina berth located within an easy walk along the boardwalk

Mornington 5976 5900 mpnews.com.au

A

4

B

3

C

For sale $1,650,000 - $1,725,000 Inspect By appointment Stuart cox 0417 124 707 stuartc@jlbre.com

• The sea change you have dreamt about awaits with this single level 3 bedroom plus study, with private gate access from your rear boundary opening directly onto open parklands • Eye catching timber look flooring, stunning kitchen with stone bench tops and stainless steel appliances, gas ducted heating, split system cooling & 24 hour monitored security

Stuart cox 0417 124 707 stuartc@jlbre.com.au

Views across the harbour to Port Phillip Bay SaFety Beach 3 Sharpley Avenue

SaFety Beach 42 Portside Way

A

3

B

2

C

2

For sale $780,000 - $830,000 Inspect By appointment Stuart cox 0417 124 707 stuartc@jlbre.com.au

A Rare Commodity 2

Mount Martha 286 Bentons Road • 5 acres (2 Ha) approx. of vacant land

For sale $1,850,000 - $2,000,000

• All services available (require connection) • Low Density Residential zoning

• Abuts the Balcombe Creek reserve

Inspect By appointment

• Gently sloping with lovely North facing home sites

Cameron McDonald 0418330916 ruralsales@jlbre.com.au

jacobsandlowe.com.au Wednesday, 20th May 2020

SOUTHERN PENINSULA NEWS

Page 6

Coastal classic

2

1 3 Rosebud, 317 Jetty Road

Bring on the beach vibe with this revamped beach house beautifully updated to retain its classic charm, on 904sqm (approx) featuring a professionally landscaped native garden. From the eye-catching retro touches to the idyllic treetop outlooks, this is a home set to capture hearts with the best of the Peninsula within easy reach.

Price Guide:

$530,000 - $570,000

Contact:

James Saks / 0403 893 699 jamessaks@stonerealestate.com.au Malcolm Parkinson / 0421 704 246 malcolmparkinson@stonerealestate.com.au

> Easy drive to surf beaches and Peninsula Link > Light-filled open-plan living and full-width front deck > Stunning garden with boardwalk, fire pit area and sun decks

2

mpnews.com.au

Wednesday, 20th May 2020

2

SOUTHERN PENINSULA NEWS

1

Page 7

INTRODUCING

W AT E R F A L L G A R D E N S ROSEBU D

Photo is indicative only.

A boutique community of luxury, 2 & 3 bedroom single level homes.

These residences, in the heart of an established neighbourhood in Rosebud, set the scene for a new enclave of luxurious living. Combining cosmopolitan

All homes feature:

• • • • •

Premium finishes including stone benchtops Quality appliances Master with WIR & ensuite 6 star energy rating Low maintenance living

inner-city styling with a sublime coastal setting, located opposite Bay Views Golf Course and only a short drive to Rosebud beach.

From $589,000 Display suite located at 61 Fairway Grove Rosebud

Development by:

We are currently conducting private inspections for all our properties.

Please call to arrange.

F O R M O R E I N F O R M AT I O N P L E AS E C O N TAC T:

Robert Bowman: 0417 173 103 robert@bowmanandcompany.com.au

Darren Sadler: 0448 947 622 darren.sadler@granger.com.au

69-77 Hove Road & 59 Fairway Grove, Rosebud

mpnews.com.au

Wednesday, 20th May 2020

SOUTHERN PENINSULA NEWS

Page 8

NEWS DESK

Toast to a tough 100th PROPRIETOR of Crib Point Cellars Danny Bemelen has good reason to smile despite the pandemic’s doom and gloom.

His shop specialising in wine, beer and spirits in Stony Point Road, has chalked up 100 years. The timber building was brought down from Mordialloc in two sections by horse and cart a century ago and a small residence “tacked on”.

Mr Bemelen has been there for six years and is the fifth owner.

Although “really battling, like most businesses at the moment”, Mr Bemelen is longing for normal trading conditions to return so that he can

continue his long-time support for the Crib Point RSL and the town’s cricket and football clubs.

With necessity being the mother of invention, his shop has branched out to sell bread, milk and coffee, and even has a book shelf with proceeds going to Crib Point CFA. Mr Bemelen is offering home deliveries of liquor on Thursdays and Fridays.

Birthday wishes: Crib Point Cellars’ Danny Bemelen and wife Terri. Picture: Ricky Thompson

LETTERS

Letters - 300 words maximum and including full name, address and contact number - can be sent to The News, PO Box 588, Hastings 3915 or emailed to: team@mpnews.com.au

Modern methods mean council poll can be held I note the desire of some Mornington Peninsula Shire councillors to defer the forthcoming municipal elections, the coronavirus pandemic being a convenient excuse to prolong their day of reckoning. Postal voting and modern electronics are good enough elsewhere, but not for this event?

Seeing how proactive the shire has been on such diverse issues as climate change, sea level rises and cultural matters why not now take the lead on getting ready for the economic catastrophe up ahead, especially for the workers and small business collapsing all around the shire?

Start with cutting costs in the current budget, for example: n All shire officers earning over $100,000 take a 20 per cent cut. n Cease all new capital works, especially Ideological “monuments”. n Freeze all rates. n Cease the constant outsourcing of “policy/decision making” to consultants and use in-house skills or shrink departments n Concentrate on debt reduction as the current levels are totally unsustainable; lock in very long term debt where possible. n Reduce red tape; drive a proactive culture rather than always being reactive.

There are many other avenues, but start concentrating on what is in the best interests of ratepayers as they are the ones paying the bills and are feeling the pain; let the councillors and officers share the load.

Help businesses help workers survive.

Stefan S Borzecki, Somerville Editor: The mayor Cr Sam Hearn and CEO John Baker have both elected to take a cut in their respective “pays” from the shire.

MP ‘going too softly’ There are several points I’d like to raise concerning the Ryman retirement settlement proposal for 60-70 Kunyung Road Mount Eliza. Mornington MP David Morris, in his 8 May letter to constituents, outlines his opposition to this proposal as being it is outside the urban growth boundary, is significant by metropolitan standards and that it impacts upon the Mornington Peninsula. Not enough and too little too late, Mr Morris.

His comments are all very politically correct, but definitely not guaranteed to spur up leadership from the top.

As our elected representative he has the resources to go hard, not softly softly as his letter gives the impression. Other MPs of the same ilk spend their electoral allowances on posters and petitions.

Ian Morrison, convenor Mount Eliza Community Alliance

Disclose the odds

I agree that people should be allowed to gamble on pokies. But saying that if gamblers have failed the basic maths behind pokies then that is their problem, is, however, another case (“Hands off gamblers” Letters 12/5/20).

I do believe in a full disclosure per the retail laws of this state.

The requirements of that law are that any financial transaction must be based on the vendor fully disclosing the facts of the transaction. This is not transparent in pokies and Lotto.

If you buy a dress or a car you are entitled to know what you are buying. Similarly, food ingredients on packaged products must disclose what you are buying.

In gambling, these transparencies are hidden in the background of a website somewhere. The

poor odds are not fully understood by those buying a winning piece of the game. The winnings are extraordinarily obvious. The vast potential to lose is incredibly not so.

A poor education of your clients is no excuse for a rip-off. They are buying a win, not a game.

The odds should be clearly displayed at each point-of-sale for pokies or Lotto ball games. As a minimum, the odds of getting a jackpot, and the odds of getting your money back (breakeven) should be clearly displayed on every pokies screen, and on every Lotto agents window.

This is not a new requirement. It is complying with the law.

John Dusting, Mornington

Time to rethink I fear after the COVID-19 pandemic has been overcome our leaders will slip back into the old groove of completly disregarding corporate and government destruction of our living space.

The insanity to continue with hydrogen-fromcoal and gas imports through Crib Point, the restarting of gas explorations in many places and the continued logging of our forests for little profit or even loss, shows us how little our leaders really care about the peoples’ wellbeing and survival into the future.

This would be a chance to rethink humanity’s future to a sustainable way of life. We can only hope.

Rupert Steiner, Balnarring Beach

LNP ahead on all counts Back in February, Graham Griffiths called on writers to inject a bit more humour into the letter pages (“Need writers with humour and pearls of wisdom” Letters 4/2/20). While sort of agreeing, I also respect freedom of speech and the right of individuals to put their point of view without fear of reprisal.

That being said, while I can excuse some stretching of the truth, what is not excusable is attacking the elected prime minister of this country through his faith and his decisions regarding his children (“Looking back” Letters 21/4/20).

The latest national poll puts the LNP ahead 52/48. Scott Morrison’s approval rating is 75 per cent, a figure not reached by a prime minister

in more than 40 years. The LNP have recorded more votes than Labor in all but one election since 1995, and Australia is the envy of the rest of the world in the current crisis.

Michael G Free, Mount Martha

Elderly reflection Are we there yet? Hard to believe. The weeks have flown by, although on a comparative basis, leaving aside boredom and minor ageing health issues, it’s been a piece of cake.

The anticipation of that first pot of Carlton Draught from the tap is still a while off. Patience.

True, there are hard times ahead for many, sadly, not quite so for we pensioners residing in God’s waiting room.

Zooming (40 minutes) has been helpful, keeping in touch with the billy lids. Unsuccessful search for a large poster displaying intelligent bookshelves as a back view. Preparations pre-zoom - double whisky, one stubby, salt and vinegar potato chips, two cigarettes.

In America and England there appears to be a push via social media to sacrifice old people as a consequence in returning to the former state of normalcy. Here in Australia, we feel safer, so far.

Ever onwards.

Cliff Ellen, Rye

Red Cross calling We acknowledge the incredible efforts of those who are staying at home and helping to save lives during the COVID-19 pandemic. As we all do our bit to prevent the spread of the virus, it can be easy to lose the connections that can give us meaning and make us feel part of a community.

Red Cross is offering a free national telephone service to fill some of that void and help people maintain or improve their level of social connection. COVID Connect allows regular access to a friendly voice and tips to improve connection.

If you or someone you know would like to start receiving these calls register at connect.redcross.org.au/covid-connect/ or by calling 1800 733 276. We’re looking forward to chatting with you.

Sue Cunningham, director, Victoria Australian Red Cross

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Southern Peninsula News

20 May 2020

PAGE 17

100 YEARS AGO THIS WEEK...

Marathon race starts from Frankston Compiled by Cameron McCullough THE Marathon Race over the classic distance of 26 miles 385 yards, conducted by the Malvern Harriers, was held on Saturday last, the course being 8 laps on the Frankston Park Oval, thence direct by Point Nepean, Brighton and St. Kilda Roads, to the Wesley Cricket Ground, where 3 laps were run.

The starters were: G. Blake (the veteran holder of several 5 and 10 mile championships), T. Sinton Hewitt (who has been selected to represent Australia at the Olympic Games in October), E. Roberts, B. V. Maher (runner-up in the South Australian championship), P. L. W. Collins, A. Heywood, and J. Gillespie.

A. A. Parker, a prominent runner, was unable to start owing to blistered feet.

There was a large attendance at Frankston to see the start, including Lieut. Col. Stevenson, D.S.O., C.M.G., Messrs A. G. Harston, R. G. McCallum, E. B. Lawrence, and many other old performers on the track or across country.

The officials were: Starter, Major Conder, from Langwarrin; referee, H. Abbott; timekeepers, H. D. Smith and J. A. Stilwell; judges, A. T. Carthew, J. L. Kiddle, H. Dredge, and Crick; stewards, C. E. Coe; B. E. James, E. Gilmour, and F. Batt; medical officer, Dr Donald Bennett; senior medical officer at Langwarrin.

The men were got away smartly by the starter, and the winner turned up in E. Roberts, who completed the distance in 3 hours 5 minutes, 53 seconds, the other places being filled

PAGE 18

Southern Peninsula News

by B. V. Maher (2nd), 3 hrs 32 mins 43 secs, and J. Gillespie (3rd), 3 hrs 59 mins 14 secs.

T. Sinton Hewitt had to retire when running strongly at 20 miles owing to cramp in the stomach; Maher ran for over 15 miles with blistered feet, and his performance is very creditable.

Great interest was taken in the race, and there were fully 3000 people at Wesley Ground to see the finish, while the checking posts along the route attracted large crowds.

The weather was favorable, but dust at certain stages hampered the runners. *** AT the Moorabbin Council on Monday the application of the Moorabbin Soldiers for financial assistance towards the purchase of a hall was further considered.

The President Cr Brownfield said that he intended to give notice for a vote of £75 to the Moorabbin branch and £25 to the Mordialloc branch. *** ON Sunday last the christening of Lawrence Arthur Minton took place at St. Paul’s, Frankston.

The boys of the Seaside Home were present to witness the ceremony, which was carried out by the acting Vicar, Rev. Cox. Miss McKenzie, of “Beachleigh,” acted as Sponsor for the boy.

The home boys, to the number of 40, were provided with a special dinner and tea by Mr and Mrs Minton, in honor of the event, at the home on Oliver’s Hill, Miss McKenzie presented Lawrence Minton with a silver mug, suitably inscribed.

20 May 2020

Miss McKenzie donated £1 to give the boys a treat at the coming of the Prince. *** THE representative of Messrs Coates and Co., who has been instructed by the Shire Council to inspect and place a valuation on the Frankston Gas and Electric Light Works, visited the town on Wednesday.

The managing director of the Gas Company, together with the local manager accompanied the valuer, but it was noticed that none of the councillors or their officials assisted at the inspection.

It would be interesting to know what section of gas pipes the expert was shown, and why the inspection took place in the absence of the shire engineer or some other shire official. *** A GRAND concert will be held in the Frankston Mechanics’ on Friday, evening next in connection with the Returned Soldiers’ Association, when 1914-15 Military will be given out.

A good programme has been arranged. *** CONSTABLE Revell, of Hastings, is on the sick list, suffering from a poisoned arm.

He is being relieved by Constable Buyers. *** MR Hartland, of the State Nurseries Frankston, recently returned from a months vacation spent in the Grampians district. *** MR W. W. Young of this journal, who has been Visiting his daughter

at Ouyen in the Mallee, returned to Frankston last Saturday. *** THE many friends of Mr James Grice, of “Moohdah” will be grateful to learn of his steady restoration to health. *** CR H. E. Unthank received a hearty welcome from his colleagues on again taking his place at the Council table last week. *** COUNCILLOR D. E. Hoban ,J. P. president of the Shire of Frankston and Hastings is a striking example of what may be accomplished in this country by exercise of thrift and industry.

Not so many years ago the popular ‘Dan’ as he is familiarly named by his friends – and they are legion – was employed in the Somerville district as a wood cutter at the wage of 4s per day.

Today he may be included in the list of the fortunate and much envied class vaguely described as ‘men who sit behind it.’

Twenty three years ago Mr. Hoban found employment in the liquor business and for the last 17 years he has been the licensee of the Royal Hotel, Hastings.

It is worthy of note that during the whole of the 23 years referred to Mr Hoban neither smoked nor drank and he carried out his duties as a licensed victualler in a characteristically thorough and conscientious manner.

He takes a keen interest in all public affairs and institutions and has held at one time or another every position

of honor that may be bestowed on a capable and deserving citizen.

He fills the position of Shire President with ability and tact and his recent appointment as a Justice of the Peace, gave general satisfaction throughout the Shire.

Last month Mr Hoban disposed of his hotel to Mrs L. Dalton, of Coburg, at a highly satisfactory figure.

He will continue to reside in Hastings, but has in view a trip to the old country during the coming year. *** Heard in the Train A public holiday will be observed throughout the Shire of Frankston and Hastings on Wednesday, 26th May, the day of the Prince of Wales landing.

Since the refiners were installed at the local gas works, about a week ago, the objectionable odour associated with the gas service has disappeared, but unfortunately the strength of the light appears to have likewise diminished.

The street gas lamps produce a struggling, feeble light and the fine big lamp over the doorway of Mr C. W. Wood’s shop is quite out of action.

One of the many and dangerous holes in the asphalt footpath in Bay Street brought a Frankston resident to his knees last Wednesday morning.

The victim’s remarks were not supplicatory, in fact, they were not suitable for publication. *** FROM the pages of the Mornington Standard, 14 May 1920

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THE MEANING OF EXISTENCE... AND OTHER SHORT STORIES

The Indisputable Genius of Little Richard

By Stuart McCullough WHAT is there to say about Little Richard? Put simply, he was the best.

He was the most wild, most extreme, most exciting thing that most people had ever seen in their lives. It’s hard to put into words precisely how magnificent he was but, luckily, one word is all that’s required – Awop-bopa-loo-bop-a-wop-bam-boom! This is all it took to separate the past from the glorious future. It’s the big bang, the asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs and the invention of the light bulb all rolled into one. It’s rock and roll distilled down to a two second exclamation of ecstasy.

Tutti Fruitti by Little Richard is two minutes and twenty three seconds of sheer, unbridled insanity. You’d expect a recording that’s sixty years old to sound polite, perhaps even quaint. Tutti Fruitti sounds like the singer is about to leap straight through the speakers and throttle you. From it’s opening war-cry through to the last saxophone honk, it’s one big bundle of energy and its makes modern music seem tame and dull by comparison. Forget solar or wind power, Tutti Fruitti is an alternative source of energy that could easily power an entire city.

If the lyrics sound like a whole lot of nonsense, they didn’t start out that way. The song was complete, but the record company brought in a songwriter for the specific task of toning down the lyrics which were deemed to be way too risqué. What we’re hearing is what’s left after the tidying up was done. When the song was released, it was immediately covered by Pat Boone who was about as much the op-

posite of Little Richard as it’s possible to be. Little Richard later claimed that teenagers bought both versions of the song and played the Pat Boone version when their parents were home, and the Little Richard version whenever they

left the house.

Richard Penniman was born in Macon, Georgia; the son of a bootlegging preacher. An enthusiastic member of the church choir, his voice was so loud that he was nicknamed ‘War Hawk’.

His first professional performance occurred after one of his heroes, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, overheard him singing and asked him to open her show.

It doesn’t take much imagination to see how Tharpe’s music, with songs like Up Above My Head, might have influenced Little Richard.

He was always considered effeminate and was thrown out of home by his father on account of his homosexuality. Little Richard joined a travelling medicine show, performed in drag and did all kinds of things that are completely incompatible with becoming a major music star. He started recording in the early fifties, but nothing really seemed to hit the mark. That was until 1955 when, in just three takes, Tutti Fruitti was recorded and the rest, as they say, is history.

So began one of the most spectacular purple-streaks in music history.

Little Richard produced hit after hit with songs like Lucille, Long Tall Sally, Rip it Up, I Keep on Knocking and The Girl Can’t Help It. Each of them sounds as fresh today as the day they were made. What’s great about these songs is they created a blueprint for so much of what was to come. I especially like the fact that it’s the piano that’s right up front. When people think of rock and roll, it’s probably the guitar that springs to mind. The very idea of piano as the primary weapon in a rock and roll assault sounds as likely as having a kazoo replace the first violin in an orchestra, but back at the beginning things were different.

Then, in 1957, Little Richard did a u-turn. He was on tour in Australia when he saw a light in the sky that he

believed was a sign from God. It was, in actual fact, the Sputnik satellite. He abandoned secular music and enrolled in Bible College. Later, he’d return to music, but the wrestle between the spiritual and the (arguably) profane would be with him for the rest of his life. But in just a couple of years he created a legacy that remains unequalled.

When I was growing up, you didn’t hear Little Richard on the radio.

FM radio in the eighties was full of gated drums, cheesy keyboards and over-earnest vocals. For the most part, rock radio in the eighties was a mullet – business up front with a party at the back. Rebellion was corporatised and controlled. Those radio stations would reach back into the sixties and seventies, but never as far back as Little Richard. And the acts they did play were almost always white. It wasn’t until I was at university that a housemate introduced me to the joy of Little Richard. Since then, I’ve played his music to countless others.

If all of this makes no sense to you at all, then I’d urge you to do a little Googling. Go to your streaming platform of choice and listen to a playlist of Little Richard’s finest. You’ll be glad you did. In recent days he’s been described as a lot of things. As the innovator, originator and the architect of rock and roll. If anything, it’s an understatement. For me, however, he was simply the greatest. There’s nothing else I can say that truly describes what he meant to me. Except to say, Awopbop-a-loo-bop-a-wop-bam-boom! stuart@stuartmccullough.com

Southern Peninsula News

20 May 2020

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PUBLIC NOTICE NOTICE OF INTENTION TO ENTER INTO LEASE The Mornington Peninsula Shire hereby gives notice under Section 190 of the Local Government Act 1989 (the Act) of its intention to enter into a new lease agreement with the Point Nepean Men’s Shed Association Inc over part of Stringer Road Reserve at 464 Melbourne Road, Blairgowrie. The new lease will be for a term of ten (10) years with an initial rent of $520 per annum plus GST. Written submissions regarding this proposal will be considered by Council or a Committee of Council, in accordance with Section 223 of the Act, if received within the prescribed time. A Committee meeting to hear submissions will be scheduled if one or more persons request to be heard in support of their submission. A submission must: s BE IN WRITING to the Mornington Peninsula Shire Council, Private Bag 1000, Rosebud, 3939 or via email Property@mornpen.vic.gov.au. s be received by Friday 19 June 2020. s STATE CLEARLY whether you (or a representative on your behalf) wish to be heard in support of your written submission.

Submissions received, including the name of the submitter, will be published on Council’s website and will form part of the public record of the relevant Council and Committee meetings. Personal contact details and any offensive, defamatory or third party personal information will not be published. You may access personal information you have provided to the Shire at any time and make corrections.

Further details of our Privacy Policy can be found at mornpen.vic.gov.au/privacy.

If you have any concerns about the use and disclosure of your personal information please contact the Governance team at privacy@mornpen.vic.gov.au. This notice and a plan of the proposed lease area can also be viewed on the Shire’s website at www.mornpen.vic.gov.au. Any queries can be directed to Greg Collins, Team Leader Property Operations on (03) 5950 1161.

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scoreboard Club losses top $260,000 SOUTHERN PENINSULA NEWS

SOCCER

By Craig MacKenzie THE combined loss of sponsorship for 12 local clubs fielding senior teams under the Football Victoria banner will top $260,000 this year.

Langwarrin, Mornington, Peninsula Strikers, Skye United, Frankston Pines, Baxter, Seaford United, Somerville Eagles, Rosebud, Aspendale Stingrays and Mount Martha have lost sponsors in droves due to the economic impact of the coronavirus shutdown.

Chelsea is the only local club not to suffer through lost sponsorship while many clubs have offered carryover deals for the 2021 season.

The total represents the largest ever financial hit to the local game.

Each club was contacted last week and provided a figure for sponsorship loss on the proviso that individual club losses were not published.

The final figure does not take into account the full impact at one local club of the current suspension of all soccer activities and the uncertainty of the format surrounding the 2020 season.

That club had an in-principle agreement with a real estate agent that if any club member or member’s friend sold a residential property through that agent the club would receive $10,000.

This deal potentially was the biggest sponsorship agreement in the club’s history.

Chelsea was the only local club to have banked all its sponsorship money by the end of February a few weeks ahead of Football Federation Australia’s suspension of all soccer activities.

“We don’t have a major sponsor as such but we have a lot of small sponsors and a very enthusiastic person in charge of sponsorship who collected the money in January and February,” Chelsea president John Zeccola said.

Unlike most of his counterparts at other local clubs Zeccola thinks the season should go ahead and welcomed a return to training and competition.

“I think it’s important for the kids’ mental health to simply get out there even if it’s only for half a season,” Zeccola added.

“From what we can tell our parents are keen to start and we’ve only had eight requests for refunds from around

Presidential pronouncement: Seaford United boss Willie Lynn thinks the season should be cancelled.

Picture: Darryl Kennedy

400 members, that’s juniors, seniors and masters.

“I know for a fact that our seniors are absolutely chomping at the bit to get back on the park.”

However the prevalent view among local club presidents was that it may not be worth having a season this year.

Here’s a selection of what some of them had to say: Daren Jones, Skye United: If we can’t have matchday revenue then it’s a waste of time and they should cancel the season. I think some clubs will have to consider closing down altogether.

Bray Hodgkinson, Baxter: I think it would be good to see football in 2020 but the difficulty of playing out a full season defeats the purpose. You play to win, and if you play each team once, for example, with no promotion or relegation [then] it’s a waste of time in my eyes. Plus I can’t see how FV will expect us to make money without crowds and being expected to pay fees as well as referees, etc. So honestly I don’t think it will work. I don’t think a regular season could be possible with ground availability [issues] and multisport players going into summer. I’m interested to see how FV thinks it could work.

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Willie Lyn, Seaford United: I want to stress that this is a personal view but I think the whole season should be cancelled. I think it’s too risky. In the unfortunate event of someone getting the virus does that mean the whole club shuts down? If you can’t generate cash and still have to pay referees and have other expenses then you wonder if it’s all worthwhile. And what happens if some of the players you’ve already registered don’t want to come back and play? We might end up having trouble fielding seniors and reserves.

Derrick Berends, Aspendale Stingrays: It’s really getting to a point as to whether it’s worth the hassle. We have members pulling out in the young age groups already. There’s a big difference between training with distancing measures and playing contact sport against other clubs. Anyone paying players and coaches would have to consider whether it’s worth it because there will be no canteen, no bar and no fundraiser revenue for the whole year.

The other issue is the professional sanitising of toilets on possibly a daily basis. We are still required to have them open and now properly sanitised each session. Training restrictions mean

we need to spread training out across more days to accommodate all teams.

It could cost thousands of dollars each week to properly sanitise two venues five to six times. This will be the difference between us starting training or not.

Melissa Osorio, Rosebud: I’m 50/50 about whether we should start up again. I want to start up for the kids and I know that my kids are just dying to get back into it but it’s going to be very expensive to bring in all the protocols they want. I was talking about this to my VP the other day and we’re struggling to get what we need so it’s a real challenge.

Dean Whitehead, Mount Martha: It’s too early to make a call on the season. We’re looking at the cost and time involved in going back to training. If restrictions are eased on June 1 we have to consider whether it’s worth jumping through the hoops right now.

We anticipate maybe two players per team could choose not to return and if that happens then it becomes a problem for us.

Late last week FV released its return to training conditions.

Hygiene protocols are extensive and compulsory.

A snapshot of the conditions reveals

that all clubrooms must be closed during training expect for toilets and there must be tight control of access.

An accurate record of all attendees (including parents/carers) must be taken at every session for the purposes of contact tracing. This includes full name, FFA number where applicable, phone number and date and time of attendance.

All surfaces, equipment and objects (including around entry points) must be wiped down after each training session with appropriate anti-bacterial/ disinfectant wipes or soap, particularly those frequently touched.

Hand sanitiser dispensers must be provided in prominent places around the venue (including entry and exit points) and must be regularly refilled.

Toilet facilities must be regularly cleaned with disinfectant and there must be prominent signage that not more than one person is permitted per toilet facility at any one time.

Training protocols include player groups of no more than 10 plus a coach with activities contained within a specified area (half a pitch) while maintaining physical distancing of 1.5 metres and no heading, tackling, handshakes or high-fives allowed.

Most local clubs have been taken aback at the cost and logistic challenge of compliance.

While the guidelines make no mention of monitoring and policing they state that FV can sanction clubs that breach them.

“Failure to meet these conditions may void your insurance policies under the national insurance program, may be dealt with under FV’s Grievance, Disciplinary and Tribunal Bylaw, and critically, may delay the return to competition.”

FV has also been involved in season scenario planning and is expected to make an announcement this week.

The possible structure of the season has been a hot topic on social media.

Frankston council and Mornington peninsula shire council are expected to announce tenancy arrangements this week paving the way for clubs who choose to return to training to do so.

It’s expected that Football Federation Australia will lift its suspension of all soccer activities currently in place until 31 May.

Did you know... you can view our papers online

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SOUTHERN PENINSULA NEWS

scoreboard

Jamaican Hurry puts up picket fence HORSE RACING

By Ben Triandafillou THE Amy and Ash Yargi racing stable have continued their successful run of late by scoring another dominant victory at Flemington on Saturday 16 May. Coming off a freshen up, their inform mare Jamaican Hurry came from the rear of the field to notch up her third straight victory in the opening race of the day.

Ridden patiently by jockey Michael Dee, Jamaican Hurry settled second last in the running before building momentum and flashing late in the race to run over the top of the James Cummings-trained Gododdin and the Lindsay Park-trained Lankan Star.

The victory re-affirmed co-trainer Amy Yargi’s belief that the five-yearold daughter of Von Costa de Hero possessed above average ability.

“We’re so excited,” Yargi said postrace. “She’s just been such a work in progress. She’s always shown us that she has a tonne of ability, but horses can make you look silly sometimes.

“We gave her a big long break and I’m just so glad that Paul (owner) has persevered with her and I’m glad that now that she has matured, she’s just doing everything right.

“We half-wanted to send her over to Adelaide for a bit of black-type, but because she’s a bit highly strung it just didn’t work out. Credit to Ash though, he had this plan after her win at Mornington and he absolutely nailed it as it

Three on the trot: The Amy and Ash Yargi trained Jamaican Hurry brings up her third straight victory at Flemington on Saturday 16 May. Picture: Supplied

turned out.

“We’ll just see how she comes through this, but we’d love to get some black-type with her.”

Jamaican Hurry’s success also continued the strong combination of jockey Michael Dee and the Yargi stable,

as Dee brought up his second win for the stable from his past three rides.

Dee had already ridden the sevenyear-old gelding, Sickening, to victory earlier in the week at Pakenham and finished a desperately unlucky fifth aboard Comte for his only unplaced

effort.

In similar fashion to Jamaican Hurry, Sickening settled at the rear of the field before reeling in his rivals in the straight to score a comfortable one length victory in benchmark 64 grade.

Co-trainer Ash Yargi said it was a

really good result for a horse that can also be quite tricky to train.

“He’s got a lot of quirks, he’s got barrier issues that we have overcome and our team back at home have done a really good job,” Yargi said.

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Southern Peninsula News

20 May 2020

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Southern Peninsula News

20 May 2020

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Caring for our community during Coronavirus

Getting through this together To protect our community the Mornington Peninsula Shire is taking measures to reduce the risk of spread of COVID-19. We would like to thank our community for respecting the restrictions that have been placed upon us all and for thinking of others during these challenging times. For the latest updates, including Easy Read facts sheets, visit: mornpen.vic.gov.au/coronavirus

New community support information stands We know that sometimes getting the information you need can be hard if you don’t have access to the internet or don’t like going online.

To make important information about Coronavirus more easily available, the Shire is setting up around 70 information stands across the Peninsula. You can find them at major supermarkets and shopping centres, Bunnings and some chemists.

The stands contain important COVID-19 community support information that you can take home and share.

They will be updated regularly so as restrictions change, you’ll be able to stay informed. Look out for the stands in your local area now.

National Reconciliation Week 27 May – 3 June This year Mornington Peninsula Shire is celebrating National Reconciliation Week with the launch of our newly endorsed Reconciliation Action Plan Innovate 2020-2022.

As a local council, we have an important role to play in promoting and celebrating Aboriginal cultural heritage as part of the intrinsic identity and value of the Mornington Peninsula.

The Shire is proud to be working with local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities to support meaningful social, cultural and economic outcomes.

Contact us: 5950 1000 or 1300 850 600 mornpen.vic.gov.au mornpenshire

Messages from our councillors Your Councillors (L–R) Seawinds Crs Simon Brooks, Antonella Celi, Frank Martin Briars Crs Rosie Clark, Bev Colomb, Mayor Cr Sam Hearn Nepean Crs Hugh Fraser, Bryan Payne Council meetings now streamed live Due to the Coronavirus pandemic, the Victorian Government has made legislative changes that allow us to conduct Ordinary and Special Council meetings online. These arrangements will be in place until 1 November 2020 and we would love residents to be involved. To view the meeting schedule and access the live streaming of Council meetings please visit: mornpen.vic.gov.au/councilmeetings Public questions for meetings can be submitted at: council.reports@mornpen.vic.gov.au All councillors are still available on email or mobile to discuss your issues and concerns.

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Southern Peninsula News

20 May 2020

Cerberus Cr Kate Roper Watson Cr Julie Morris Red Hill Cr David Gill

Download the COVIDSafe app We are encouraging our residents to download the new COVIDSafe app to help slow the spread of COVID-19. Being able to find and contain outbreaks quickly will mean governments can ease restrictions while still keeping Australians safe. The more who download the app, the quicker we can find the virus.

If you are showing any symptoms of Coronavirus, however mild, you should seek advice and be tested. There are now four testing stations on the Peninsula: at Rosebud Hospital, Frankston hospital, Atticus Health Medical Clinic Hastings and Rosebud Skin Cancer Centre.

New arts and culture website We are excited to launch our new arts and culture website for the Shire, which showcases the work of Mornington Peninsula-based artists and organisations. Arts and culture are vital to a connected, engaged and vibrant community.

In this time of crisis, we need more than ever to connect artists with their audiences and to give our community the opportunity to easily access creative resources, activities and events. We hope to connect people, educate, entertain and give creative fulfilment to our community.

Please visit us: artsandculture.mornpen.vic.gov.au