‘Father of the Year’ to stand for Flinders
AN enthusiastic crowd of more than two hundred supporters and interested onlookers attended Ben Smith’s campaign launch at Alexandra Park in Mornington on Saturday 7 December.
Smith has been named as the “Independent 4 Flinders” candidate for the upcoming federal election.
Smith, of Cape Schanck, was awarded the 2024 Victorian Fa-
ther of the Year award in August, being honoured for his “community advocacy and deep love for his family”.
See ‘I4F pick candidate for upcoming election’ - Page 9
Councillors vote to begin new CEO search
Cameron McCullough
MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire
councillors have voted to engage an “executive search consultant” to run the process for the recruitment of a permanent CEO, but proposed changes to reduce the number councillors involved in the appointment has been
The option presented to the councillors at last Tuesday’s meeting (3 December) was to reduce the number of councillors that sit on the “Chief Executive Officer Employment and Remuneration Committee” from all 11 councillors to just four; the mayor, deputy mayor, and two appointed councillors, changed yearly on a rotat-
The rationale for the change was to streamline the process to more efficiently appoint a new shire CEO.
Cr Gill was the first to speak out against the proposed change.
“We have never, on the Mornington Peninsula, singled out certain councillors with the power to make most of
“What I believe is the intention is for four people to do a lot of the work in terms of the process and then come
“I think that this time it’s not appropriate. It’s a new council, new councillors, and I think they should all be treated equally and have the opportunity to have a say right through the process.
“I see that there’s other views and efficiency is one of them. The other side of efficiency is transparency and accountability to our electors.”
Cr Ranken disagreed, speaking in favour of the motion, stating there would be “four people there representing the council on the committee and I think it would make it quicker and easier. It
still comes back to the formal council to be ratified and voted on”.
“We need to be able to get on board and fill the role fairly quickly and with having 11 around the table throughout the whole process will certainly slow it down.”
Cr Roper said that whether there are four on the committee, or 11, it is still the same number of meetings either way, and therefore not an issue of time or efficiency.
Cr Batty stated “The recommendation is to appoint the executive search consultant, not the CEO”.
“I would have thought that to give us an opportunity, because of time, that we should allow representatives to appoint an executive search consultant, and then they would present in front of the 11 the proposed candidates for the new CEO.”
Cr Pingiaro stated he believed both sides had valid arguments, and that the most important aspect was to make a decision so that council could “move forward quickly and cohesively”.
Cr Patton said “Given that we have 11 councillors at most meetings to decide on a whole range of matters, from minor planning matters all the way to multi-million dollar projects, I don’t see why we wouldn’t have 11 councillors there to oversee and decide on the most important decision that we can make”.
Cr Gill said “This is a way to divide this council. I don’t think this is necessary, and I feel there’s a number of councillors who will feel that they’re not representing their community fully if this goes ahead”.
When put to the vote, nine councillors voted that all 11 councillors should make up the “Chief Executive Officer Employment and Remuneration Committee”, and an “executive Search Consultant” should be engaged. Crs Batty and Rankin voted against the motion.
Doug shares painful skin cancer journey in new film
Brendan Rees brendan@mpnews.com.au
MT ELIZA resident Doug Phayer has bravely recounted his harrowing skin cancer journey through a new documentary which explores Australia’s confronting relationship with the sun.
Over the course of two decades, Phayer, 70, faced a series of terrifying diagnoses and treatments that ultimately brought him to the brink of death.
In the documentary titled Conquering Skin Cancer, Phayer opens up about the toll the disease has taken on his body, describing a journey fraught with pain, uncertainty, and fear.
Phayer spent most of his life fishing and was employed as a marine contractor which exposed him to dangerous UV levels. Eighteen years ago, he had his first basal cell carcinoma (BCC), the most common type of skin cancer, removed.
He later developed squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) which progressed to five melanomas being removed.
But it was the SCCs he said that were “out of control”, which led to half his left face, saliva glands, lymph nodes, part of his jaw, and back of head removed and replaced with skin from the top section of his leg.
“It just completely devastated me,” the grandfather of four said.
“I went back to see all these professors for a post-op meeting, and they looked at me and said, ‘we can’t keep up with the skin cancers I’m afraid; you’re going to have to get your affairs in order, we believe you’ve only got a couple of months.”
But a breakthrough came when one of the doctors mentioned an immunotherapy trial at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, which essentially harnessed the body’s immune system to fight the cancer.
“That was absolutely fantastic; that’s what saved my life,” he said.
“It retrained my body to hunt down the contributing factors and removed their camouflage.”
“Two years down the track, I had a
PET (positron emission tomography) scan, and they said there’s no skin cancer in your system now and since then I’ve had nothing.”
Phayer hopes his story will raise awareness about skin cancer; a preventable disease which kills one person every four minutes.
“Don’t go out there and be a tough bloke and just say, ‘oh, it’s only a bit of sunburn, I’ll be fine’. Because every time you get burnt, you’re cre-
DOUG Phayer has battled skin cancer for nearly two decades.
Picture: Supplied
ating a nest for skin cancers,” he said. The documentary features Hugh Jackman, Cate Campbell (Olympic Champion), Deborah Hutton, Costa Giorgiadis, Wayne ‘Rabbit’ Bartholomew (Surf Champion), and Australians of the Year Georgina Long and Richard Scolyer. It screens as cinemas in 35 locations across the country including Village Cinemas Karingal.
A RETAINING wall at Hawker Beach in Mount Martha has been rebuilt to ensure it remains safe and reduces the risk of future landslips.
The path’s lookout was also upgraded after the works were undertaken due to erosion, old age and unstable geology.
“We timed the works for the colder months, so the path was ready for use again for summer. No native vegetation was removed throughout the project,” the Mornington Peninsula Shire said.
The project was funded by the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action, under the 2023-24 Coastal Public Access and Risk Grant Program (which provided $55,407) as well as the shire.
The Sunnyside Beach Path and Staircase Project in Mt Eliza was also provided funding under the program with an $11,782 grant to replace the current dangerous and uneven track while connecting the north side of the carpark to the beach.
The shire said it was hopeful their contractor would be able to complete the work before Christmas.
“The path surface on the replacement steps has been upgraded to FRP (Fibreglass Reinforced Plastic) grating. The path surface back to the carpark will remain gravel.”
Brendan Rees
Future looms bright for Dromana College VCE students
Dromana College is extremely proud of our outstanding 2024 Year 12 student cohort and we wish them well as they complete their final exams. We have confidence that they will enhance our reputation as the College of academic excellence within the local community, bearing testament to the engaging, rigorous and sequential learning program delivered throughout Years 7 to 12. We take great pride in our exceptional results
and anticipate that new benchmarks will again be set by this year's students. Our community can rest assured that we will continue to strive for continuous improvement in outcomes for all students.
At Dromana College we give first priority to Literacy and Numeracy as the core and essential building blocks which underpin all learning and which enable students to excel. Students thrive in
our supportive culture of high expectation, where our excellent teachers are seen as the most important resource towards student success. Our dedicated staff clearly understand their core business: focusing on effective teaching and learning and improving student outcomes. We also encourage and promote an extensive extra and cocurricular program to ensure that students have the right balance alongside their academic endeavours.
Our VCE students can look forward to successful futures as well-rounded and high-achieving young adults, ready and equipped to begin their post-school journey. For the overwhelming majority of them, this will include admission into the university course of their first choice. For others it will include further study at TAFE, an apprenticeship or traineeship or full-time employment.
We congratulate in advance the Class of 2024 on what we confidently predict to be outstanding final results and wish them all well for their varied future pathways. At Dromana College we provide a steadfast guarantee to our community that we will continue to work tirelessly to further our impressive trend of improving results for all students.
SIMON JONES - Assistant Principal, Senior School
As the highest performing secondary school on the Mornington Peninsula, Dromana College will continue to work tirelessly to develop and consolidate the many exemplary educational programs on offer.
With outstanding facilities, a committed professional staff and a caring school community, students are challenged to explore their interests and talents to achieve their personal best.
Cloud hangs over Portsea Pier as damage goes unaddressed
Brendan Rees brendan@mpnews.com.au
CONCERNS are mounting over the future of the historic Portsea Pier as no immediate action was being taken to repair a damaged section of the 144-year-old structure.
The top end of the L-shaped wooden pier has remained closed to the public after being impacted by a severe storm on 2 September with no plans announced by Parks Victoria to repair it.
Locals have expressed concern about the pier’s long-term preservation and whether the section of the pier could be lost forever if left neglected.
Chair of the Royal Historical Society of Victoria’s heritage committee Professor Charles Sowerwine expressed his concern, noting that the importance of saving the pier cannot be overstated.
“These historic piers are really important as they should be preserved; they’re a big part of the lives of people both for residents and tourists, they are part of the vitality of the area. They should be saved,” he told The News
“The general problem is ever since the Kennett Government created Parks Victoria, it’s been totally underfunded, and we have significant losses as a result.
“We need better funding for Parks Victoria, and a duty of care to all these important sites - they need to act before it’s too late.”
Sowerwine pointed to the “years of neglect” at Docklands’ heritage-listed
Central Pier, saying “it shouldn’t happen again”. The 103-year-old Central Pier is currently being demolished by Development Victoria to make way for a new structure.
Save Flinders Pier Campaign chairperson Charles Reis also said the Portsea Pier “must be saved”, noting it was “an iconic pier on Port Phillip Bay”.
“I saw the most recent images [of the pier] and I was really shocked,” he said.
“It does have very significant historic relevance, and it provides an important recreational amenity.
“The fact Portsea lost its beach to the dredging of the bay is already shocking enough and the fact that was never ever rectified, I think it’s
appalling to most people.
“But now to let the pier fall into disrepair, it’s just so disrespectful to the people of Victoria in my view.”
Reis also echoed Sowerwine comments that the state government was not providing Parks Victoria with sufficient funding “to undertake the necessary maintenance of all our piers and jetties and that’s the core issue
that has to be rectified.”
“There was a very significant Auditor-General’s report in 2018 that identified the shortcomings of the government’s funding model for coastal assets, and it’s really never been acted upon,” he said.
“I just want to encourage the community of Portsea and the Mornington Peninsula community to get behind our piers and jetties, because once they’re gone, they will never be replaced.
“I don’t think there’s been a new jetty or pier built in a Greenfields location in the last 40 years and once they go, they’re gone for good.”
Mornington Peninsula Shire Nepean Ward councillor Andrea Allen commented on social media that “Council officers and Nepean Ratepayers Association are following up with Parks Vic regarding this rumour [that half the pier could be lost]”. Parks Victoria has been contacted for comment. Its website said, “Portsea Pier has been impacted by severe weather which has resulted in the need to close the pier head for public safety”.
“The remainder of the pier including the inner lower landing will remain open for use.”
Residents oppose Humphries Road childcare proposal
Brendan Rees brendan@mpnews.com.au
A PROPOSAL for a new childcare and kindergarten centre in Frankston South has sparked concerns from residents that it would create a “major problem” of traffic congestion and safety.
Frankston Council is considering the $4.5 million plan at 253 Humphries Rd which would see a single storey building built at the corner of Sibyl Ave, catering for 138 children, if approved. Under the plans, the building would be internally partitioned to provide multiple child play areas together with
food preparation, laundry, staffing areas, reception, and amenity facilities.
The centre would operate from 6:30am to 6:30pm, Monday to Friday with a basement providing 34 parking spaces.
The plans stated the “new development responds to established and preferred streetscape and neighbourhood character and built form in terms of building height, scale, siting, and landscape setting”. It would also provide “a low scale development, setback from all boundaries and designed to blend into the single storey dwelling stock throughout the precinct”.
The developer behind the project is Beachwood Early Learning, which
recently opened an early learning centre and kindergarten just a few doors down at 105 Humphries Rd after it won council approval in 2018.
The proposal comes after a separate development saw the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) issue a planning permit for an early childhood education and care service at 137 Overport Rd, Frankston South, in 2022 after being rejected by Frankston Council due to congestion and amenity concerns. In a third matter, VCAT rejected Frankston Council’s decision to approve a planning permit for a childcare centre at 21 Barmah Court, Frankston South, in 2019 because of traffic concerns.
The latest proposal at 253 Hum-
phries Rd has prompted an outcry from residents who fear it would impact their amenity and cause traffic and parking chaos.
Derinya Primary School is located about 2.4km north of the proposed site while Paratea Preschool and Walkers Road Preschool are also nearby.
Frankston Residents and Ratepayers Association president Darrel Taylor, a former Frankston mayor, said school drop-offs in the area were already “manic” and in Humphries Rd, “there’s no actual lane or verge where you can park a car safely on the road”.
“Kindergartens and childcare centres in those real suburban areas are in issue especially traffic wise and acces-
sibility – it does cause an issue, and I really do understand why the residents in that area are up in arms about it,” he said. “If Frankston Council took a proactive approach they would address the planning scheme around childcare centres, especially given the clear intent from federal and state governments to increase accessibility to childcare.”
Taylor also reiterated that while residents weren’t opposed to childcare centres, “they’re going in the wrong locations, and it just creates stress and issues for local people” when “no common sense has been applied”. Frankston Council has been contacted for comment.
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PART of the Portsea Pier has remained closed since September. Picture: Gary Sissons
Journalists: Brodie Cowburn, Brendan Rees
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CLUB president Jackson Twentyman is thrilled to see the club undergoing a much-welcomed upgrade.
Picture: Yanni
Life Saving Club undergoes $100K upgrade
ROSEBUD and McCrae Life Saving Club is celebrating a game-changing revamp with non-slip flooring and improvements to its changerooms and shower facilities.
The $50,000 project is being funded by Mornington Peninsula Shire’s local area community capital infrastructure grant.
“Our club hasn’t seen upgrades since it was first built in the early 2000s,” club president Jackson Twentyman said, adding not only would the revamp improve the safety of its members but also ensure that they can continue to serve the community with the highest standards.
At 26, Twentyman is one of the club’s youngest presidents after taking the reins last July. Previously he was the club’s treasurer
where he spent four years using his background in commerce to ensure the club wasn’t “just surviving but thriving”.
In addition to the shire grant, Twentyman said the club raised $50,000 thanks to sponsorships and donations from local businesses and community members, with the funds going towards upgrading the club’s gym.
Renovations began three weeks ago and are expected to be completed by February or March next year.
Twentyman thanked everyone involved in making the project happen which he said would go a long way in supporting their work.
“It’s great to see for the first time in many years we have local community organisations and local
businesses jump on board with our club. Before we didn’t really have anything like that,” he said.
“We’ve struggled for the past ten years to gain members, but in the past three years we started up a nipper’s program again and that’s been absolutely splendid.
“We’ve had tremendous feedback and seen an increase in memberships from local families.
“The club is about more than water safety; we do focus on mental and physical health as well and feeling a part of something; that’s what we’ve envisioned.”
The shire said it was delighted to invest in the facilities “and ensure the clubhouse remains functional and safe for our community”.
Brendan Rees
C A S H F O R
U N W A N T E D G O L D
& J E W E L L E R Y !
T u r n y o u r u n w a n t e d
j e w e l l e r y a n d g o l d a n d
p r e c i o u s i t e m s i n t o C A S H
Y o u r Q u e s t i o n s A n s w e r e d
H O W D O I D O T H I S ?
S h o w y o u r i t e m s t o o u r e x p e r t b u y e r s .
A f t e r w e h a v e c a l c u l a t e d t h e p r i c e b a s e d
o n i t s r e s a l e v a l u e , y o u c a n t h e n d e c i d e t o
s e l l t h e m t o u s o r j u s t w a l k a w a y w i t h a f r e e
a s s e s s m e n t o f y o u r j e w e l l e r y !
W H Y S E L L ?
I s i t w o r t h k e e p i n g o l d j e w e l l e r y t h a t y o u
w i l l n e v e r w e a r a g a i n ? T h e e x t r a c a s h m a y
h e l p n o w o r i n t h e f u t u r e r a t h e r t h a n
u n w a n t e d j e w e l l e r y s i t t i n g i n y o u r d r a w e r !
W e b u y a l l g o l d J e w e l l e r y , A n t i q u e s &
C o n t e m p o r a r y J e w e l l e r y
D i a m o n d s , S i l v e r J e w e l l e r y , G o l d
S o v e r e i g n C o i n s a n d o t h e r c o i n s ,
P r e c i o u s S t o n e s , I n c l u d i n g B r o k e n
J e w e l l e r y a n d W a t c h e s a n d u n u s u a l
I t e m s .
“ Y o u r J e w e l l e r y m a y b e
w o r t h a l o t m o r e t h a n w h a t y o u t h i n k ! ”
O N E D A Y O N L Y ! R o s e b u d B o w l s C l u b 9 5 2 P o i n t N e p e a n R d , R o s e b u d
W e d n e s d a y 1 8 t h D e c e m b e r 2 0 2 4 - 1 1 a m t o 3 p m
P h : 0 4 8 1 2 9 0 4 1 1
Eagle faces uphill journey as community pressure builds
Cameron McCullough cameron@mpnews.com.au
THE plans for a $25m redevelopment of Arthurs Seat Eagle are currently with Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny and at the “request for information” stage, while community opposition to the proposal mounts.
The planned redevelopment, announced in September, would add a new observation tower, pedestrian bridge over Arthurs Seat Road, function centre, luge ride attraction and an “experiential interpretive centre designed to celebrate the natural wonders of the Mornington Peninsula”.
The redevelopment is expected to be undertaken in three stages with stage one the base station upgrade, stage two the development of the luge ride from the summit to the base, and stage three the summit station upgrade.
The Eagle first opened in 2016 at a cost of $20 million, but soon hit turbulence, falling into administration in March 2020 (Arthur’s Seat Eagle falls into administration, The News 25/3/20). Although blamed on covid and the preceding bushfires, it was thought to have been triggered by a shareholder dispute.
The attraction reopened again in December 2020 under the ownership of billionaire Peter Gunn and former Rio Tinto director, AMP chairman and Macquarie investment banker, and current National Australia Bank director, Simon McKeon.
A statement from Arthurs Seat Eagle in September stated “As a result of securing further capital from the destination’s investors, the upgrade intends to diversify the types of experiences offered to tourists, extending the average customer dwell time and providing additional opportunities for year-round visitation.”
The CEO of Arthurs Seat Eagle, Matthew Mulkearns, said the masterplan vision resulted from 12 months of extensive research and consultation with environmental, planning and tourism consultants on the future needs of the precinct.
“The feedback we sought from our community of locals and visitors has strongly indicated a greater desire for observation and viewing facilities
to afford even greater aspects of our spectacular natural surrounds.”
Claims of community consultation have been disputed by “Save Our Seat”. A spokesperson from the group, Kylie Greer, rejects the notion saying community members have been left in the dark and would be overwhelmingly opposed to the “vast” development.
A planning application was submitted on 6 September 2024 through the Development Facilitation Pathway, but the first community consultation session was held on 3 October, nearly a month later.
Asked how consultation had been undertaken when the first “community consultation” was nearly a month after plans had been submitted to the Minister, Mulkearns told The News “We sought feedback via a local area survey, issued via digital channels including Facebook, Instagram and e-newsletter”.
“The Facebook and Instagram activity was a combination of posts to our own 25,500 followers, as well as paid advertising to an additional
3,000 local users geographically targeted to the Mornington Peninsula region.”
One of the issues raised by the group is the Eagle’s decision to bypass the shire’s planning procedures and go directly to the Minister for Planning, Sonya Kilkenny, for a decision.
Due to the value of the redevelopment, the upgrade has been deemed a “project of significance” under the Victorian Planning Provisions and therefore qualifies for “State Project” status.
This means the project is subject to a streamlined approval directly from the Victorian Planning Authority, avoiding scrutiny and potential limitations by Mornington Peninsula Shire.
Members of the “Save Our Seat” group attended the shire’s council meeting last week (3 December), and tabled questions asking the shire to state their position on the project.
The group asked if the shire has concerns regarding the expansion application, and asked that the shire
give notice to the Minister that council intends to make a submission expressing it’s concerns when the application is put on public notice.
The shire took the questions on notice and have not yet provided a response to the group.
An email from the group last week, seen by The News, stated they had attracted over 7000 signatures in opposition to the development in the past three weeks.
The email also stated that “Any expansion would be inappropriate private commercial use of a publicly owned, taxpayer paid for state park for wildlife, and unsustainable for the natural amenity and wildlife on the site”.
“It would ruin this unique natural asset which is so special and enjoyed by locals and visitors alike.”
It is believed the email had been circulated among shire councillors.
A source inside the shire expressed “concern and dismay” to The News regarding the proposal, especially the “luge ride”, saying that the same people who opposed the Harry Potter
event; a temporary event in a wildlife sanctuary, should also oppose the suggestion of a permanent “luge ride” attraction running the length of Arthurs Seat in a state park, set aside for the protection of fauna and flora.
It is also believed a number of councillors are against the proposal.
Mulkearns acknowledged the “community concerns” raised by members of the public at the community consultation on 3 October.
Specific issues acknowledged by Arthurs Seat Eagle include preserving the natural beauty of the state park, mitigating environmental impacts, managing visitor congestion and reducing fire risks.
Arthurs Seat Eagle state that their consultant team is “currently reviewing this valuable input to incorporate these priorities into the upgraded plans”.
The News asked Mulkearns to outline the changes that are under consideration as part of incorporating “community concerns” into the plans. Mulkearns told The News “We have met with over 20 local representatives and community groups since the initial community information session, who have brought us constructive suggestions on various elements of the masterplan”.
“We are currently modelling various outcomes based on the feedback. These will continue to inform the schematic design process as it is finalised.
“The masterplan scheme is a broad design plan, with detailed schematic design on the specific areas of the plan still to be completed which can be influenced by the community feedback we are receiving.”
Mulkearns said that feedback included wanting to achieve better connectivity between trails, responding to design element concerns, responding to broader strategic concerns, and alternative pedestrian safety measures with respect to roads and traffic.
No specific details of changes that were under consideration as a result of community consultation were provided.
The News believes that Mulkearns has sought to meet with representatives of “Save Our Seat”, to discuss the issues.
RENDERS of the proposed redeveloped base station (left) and summit station (right). Pictures: Supplied
MEMBERS of the “Save Our Seat” group voice their opposition to the proposed redevelopment. Picture: Yanni
A PLAN for the “luge ride” proposed to run in a loop up and down the escarpment of Arthurs Seat. Picture: Supplied
I4F pick candidate for upcoming election
Cameron McCullough cameron@mpnews.com.au
BEN Smith has been named as the “Independent 4 Flinders” candidate for the upcoming federal election.
Smith, of Cape Schanck, is a small business owner, and has been the CEO of the Mornington Community Support Centre since 2022.
He was also awarded the 2024 Victorian Father of the Year award in August, being honoured for his “community advocacy and deep love for his family”.
“The Peninsula community has been taken for granted by the major parties for far too long,” said Smith.
“It is time to send an independent to Canberra to fight for the services and infrastructure we need.”
Smith told The News his decision to run was motivated by the deep needs he sees in the community.
“Everywhere I go, and everywhere I interact with people, I see needs not being addresses,” said Smith.
“It is obvious that the current system is failing us, and I am the kind of person that likes to find solutions.”
Mornington Community Support Centre provides support for people experiencing personal or financial difficulties. As CEO, Smith has seen first-hand the challenges facing people on the peninsula, and encouraged hundreds of locals to volunteer their time to assist those in need.
“In family we rely on each other and I believe that community is no different,” said Smith.
“That’s the approach I bring to my work at the Mornington Community Support Centre. To be involved and create a space where people feel supported and valued.
“This is the same approach I will bring as our representative in the federal parliament.
“I will be advocating for better
health services, better roads and cost of living relief for the peninsula. We’re tired of not being recognised as a genuine community by the two major parties.
“We may be in sight of Melbourne, but as far as Canberra is concerned we are invisible.
“For example, the Flinders commu-
Calls for an end to violence against women
By Sarah Russell*
MAIN Street Mornington was flooded with orange as more than 100 people took to the street on 1 December, calling for equality, respect and an end to violence. Orange is the theme colour of the 2024 campaign for the elimination of genderbased violence.
In Australia, one in three women have experienced physical or sexual violence at some point in their lives.
And with statistics showing that gender-based violence rates are on the rise, and that women on the Mornington Peninsula experience higher rates of such violence than in metropolitan Melbourne, it was a timely march.
As former councillor Sarah Race explained: “Monash University research shows Mornington Peninsula has a 9.3% higher incidence of family violence than the Melbourne metropolitan average. Between 2019 and 2020, reported family violence increased by almost 17%. So it is vitally important we have this conversation locally.”
The violence takes many forms, said Bronwyn Currie, a speaker at the event. “It’s physical, emotional, sexual, financial, and psychological. It happens in homes, in workplaces, in public spaces, and behind closed doors. And it often goes unreported, hidden in the silence of fear, shame, and isolation.”
“It was inspiring to see so much community support for our walk from local people on the day,” said Professor Helen Keleher, MC of the event. “People out shopping and sitting in cafes cheered us on as we walked past. They recognised that disrespect and violence towards women is unacceptable.”
The walk was organised by Southern Women’s Action Network (SWAN), supported by Respect Victoria, Mornington Peninsula Shire and Rye Community House with assistance on the day from Good Shepherd family violence specialists. Maureen Donelly, convenor of SWAN’s Women against Gender based Violence group is determined to make every part of the Mornington Peninsula safe. “Our schools are teaching respectful relations, our council is calling for equality, our community centres are doing preventative work, our police are not tolerating violence, our social workers are helping women and children
and also men who want to change, our footy clubs are calling for gender respect. Advocacy organisations like SWAN are demanding emergency and long-term public housing so women and children are not trapped in unsafe homes. We are on the right path to change and must not give up.”
Marg D’Arcy has worked for decades in organisations trying to stop violence against women. “We need everyone to work with us to stop the violence,” she said. “It was encouraging to see men at the walk. It is only when men who are not violent start speaking up, and hold other men to account when they act violently, that we will see genuine change,” she said.
The event began with Jillian West’s heartfelt Welcome to Country. Jillian, a Palawa woman from the Islands of Bass Strait and a Bunurong woman from Point Nepean, has had a long career supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in work, education, and their life journey.
Victim-survivor Bronwyn Currie, who publicly shared her experiences of gendered violence, said she was glad to be at the march. “I’m glad I made it because we know many don’t. As of the end of November, 92 women have been killed in Australia this year.”
Bronwyn ended her powerful speech with a call to action. “Ending violence against women requires all of us. It requires men, women, and children. It requires governments, businesses, communities, and individuals. We have to unite to create a world where women and girls are safe, respected, valued, and equal.”
Maureen Donelly wants all levels of government to take action to end gendered violence.
“The large number of people who attended our walk – and other walks around the country during the 16 days of activism against gendered violence – shows strong community support for ending violence against women and children,” she said.
“We know what needs to be done. We urgently need governments to show their commitment to end this ongoing and preventable tragedy. Governments must provide the resources to support women and children who are experiencing domestic and family violence. Our lives depend on it.”
*Dr Sarah Russell is Chair of Progressives of the Peninsula
nity was shortchanged by the Morrison government receiving federal community grants worth $12.7m, less than half as much as the average for Liberal-held marginal seats. It’s time for change.”
Mornington Community Support Centre committee president Lyn Johnson shared the announce-
ment of Mr Smith’s candidacy with centre staff and volunteers, saying “The committee has greatly valued Ben’s strong leadership of the centre through a period of significant growth and we are committed to fulfilling our obligations to him as an employee, to our broader staff and volunteer team and first and foremost, to the community we serve every day.”
Johnson said the MCSC management committee had granted Smith’s request for leave from the date the election is announced, and to provide access to flexible working hours as required until then.
“To ensure we remain neutral, we’ve worked with Ben to put provisions in place to ensure there will be no campaign discussions or materials at the centre, or as part of any of Ben’s duties as CEO.”
Johnson added it would be business as usual for the centre’s dedicated staff and volunteers in the lead up to Christmas, and said it would not be making any further statements on Smith’s candidacy.
An enthusiastic crowd of more than two hundred supporters and interested onlookers attended Smith’s campaign launch at Alexandra Park in Mornington on Saturday 7 December.
Smith was introduced by Maya Kuc, his niece, peninsula resident Gemma Bell, as well as Pam Pitt from Independent 4 Flinders.
The keynote address was delivered by peninsula resident and antigambling advertising advocate Tim Costello.
BEN Smith with wife Lana and daughter Pippa after being names Victorian Father of the Year. Picture: Supplied
Beek Beek Cr Kate Roper
Wishing all our residents a happy and safe Christmas. We have an exciting year ahead with the Somerville Baxter Trail construction. The first section from Baxter is being surveyed and a fence will soon be constructed prior to the bike path starting, which will be done in stages.
The Baxter Men’s Shed is completed and will be officially reopening soon. It’s a wonderful Christmas gift that this community asset will be back open for men to meet, work and support each other.
Benbenjie Cr Max Patton
Please email me with queries, complaints, concerns, ideas or just to say ‘hi’.
I hope you have an opportunity to enjoy some of the summer events on the Peninsula.
Coolart Cr David Gill
Wow! Sixty per cent of the Shire, half of the Peninsula’s towns and villages and most of our Green Wedge make up Coolart Ward.
Tanti Deputy Mayor Cr Paul Pingiaro
I would like to extend my warmest wishes for a merry Christmas and a joyful, prosperous New Year to everyone. It’s an honour to serve as your Councillor and Deputy Mayor.
Thanks to the Rosebud, McCrae and Dromana communities for your support in the Council election. I look forward to the induction and settling in period, where I can gain a deeper understanding of the issues and opportunities we face, and how we can best address them in alignment with community expectations. I’ll need your help with this and am always looking for feedback from the community. I hope you all have a merry Christmas and a happy New Year. max.patton@mornpen.vic.gov.au
Briars Mayor Cr Anthony Marsh
It’s great to be back representing the Briars Ward and I’m honoured to have been elected mayor to lead the team as we kick off this Council term.
We’re faced with many challenges ahead, but also some incredible opportunities.
I look forward to working with my colleagues and the broader Shire to drive positive change, creating a high-performing Council that delivers tremendous value for the Mornington Peninsula community.
I wish you all a merry Christmas and hope you have a wonderful New Year and summer break, enjoying the many attractions, activities and landscapes our amazing Peninsula has to offer!
Brokil Cr Patrick Binyon
With a mix of new and experienced Councillors, we have a real opportunity to collaborate and work to address the needs of residents. We are committed to using ratepayers’ funds wisely by prioritising services that are essential and valuable to our community. I am in a privileged position, entrusted to do what is fair and just. I am a ‘hands-on’ Councillor, who will avail myself to our community and provide timely responses. I wish our residents and visitors to the Mornington Peninsula a merry Christmas and summer holiday.
Take care on the roads, swim between the flags and be kind to one another.
Thank you for the privilege of serving as your Councillor. The main purpose of a Councillor is to represent you by putting community first and helping build a better community by providing efficient and effective services and facilities. The best way to do this is by judging issues on their merits and ensuring Council is transparent and accountable. Happy and safe festive season to all.
Kackeraboite Cr Stephen Batty
I am honoured to be elected as the Councillor for Kackeraboite Ward. I will represent all Shire residents, particularly upholding my commitment to making Mount Eliza village a safe place to live, improve our landscape, safeguard coastal areas, create a family friendly and happy environment and support businesses and all sporting and activity groups.
I can only achieve this with the support of my Council colleagues and we will work to make the entire Shire a better place to live.
I am here to listen. We need to work together to protect the environment we
I wish everyone an enjoyable Christmas break and trust you will all have a safe and prosperous 2025.
Moorooduc Cr Bruce Ranken
The responsibilities of a Councillor are far and wide. It doesn’t just capture my ward, but the whole Shire. Councillors need to be aware of what is best for the whole Shire. Making common sense, informed decisions is paramount. I will work to ensure all Councillors are provided with accurate and relevant information to share with the community to enhance transparency.
I look forward to working with local businesses and the wider community to enhance this magnificent area and support employment and the local economy.
Financial responsibility will drive Council into the future – being responsible with funds is paramount.
Nepean Cr Andrea Allen
It was wonderful to see Carols by Candlelight return to Sorrento with the assistance of many local sponsors and a Mornington Peninsula Shire Community Event grant of $10,000. The event brought local families and the wider community together to enjoy carols, markets and entertainment. Well done to all involved. Gold coin donations from the night will assist the amazing work of the Southern Peninsula Community Support Centre.
I
Over the next four years, I am committed to fostering a community of unity, transparency and growth. Together with my colleagues, I will focus on delivering essential services, championing fiscal responsibility and empowering our residents. My vision is a Council that works collaboratively to bring meaningful, sustainable change to our community.
Thank you for your continued trust and support – I look forward to the journey ahead with you all.
Tootgarook Cr Cam Williams
Thanks to everyone for their help and encouragement during the election campaign. I’m proud and honoured to be your representative for Tootgarook Ward and will work tirelessly to achieve the best outcomes for all residents and ratepayers in our wonderful Shire.
I’m passionate about enhancing healthy lifestyles – that’s why I will support upgrades to facilities for our active groups. I wish everyone a merry Christmas on the Peninsula, particularly as we enjoy and embrace the busy season, which helps our community grow. Let’s work together to make the Peninsula great!
Take care of yourself and your mates over the holiday period.
Warringine Cr Michael Stephens
To the people of Warringine Ward, thanks for placing your trust in me. I am committed to representing you with care and diligence, listening closely to our community’s needs. The past month has been busy with induction, meetings and connecting with community groups to work on meaningful outcomes. I’m setting up a social media platform to keep you informed and provide a space for input. You can also reach me via my Council phone and email – see details on the Council website.
I wish you a safe and restful Christmas. I look forward to serving you in the year ahead.
Back L-R: Crs Binyon, Patton, Gill, Batty, Ranken, Allen, Stephens Front L-R: Crs Roper, Marsh, Pingiaro, Williams
Bank partners with The Bays to launch wellness centre
IN a significant move to support cancer patients and their families, Community Bank Mt Martha has partnered with The Bays Hospital to fund the wellness centre within the new Bays Cancer Care Centre.
The wellness centre will offer essential support services, pre and post treatment, for those affected by cancer. The partnership will see the bank contribute $600,000 over the next five years, funding the dedicated wellness centre.
The Community Bank Mt Martha Wellness Centre will provide a range of services designed to complement traditional medical care, addressing the physical, emotional, and mental needs of patients.
Services for patients living with cancer and their families will include support groups, wellness sessions such as yoga and art therapy, nutritional advice and a mobile wig library.
“Through this partnership, we hope to provide crucial support during a very difficult time for patients and their families,” said Stacey Wakeman, branch manager of Community Bank Mt Martha.
“Our $600,000 contribution will fund the delivery of vital programs that enhance the overall well-being of those affected by cancer in our community.
“This is what community banking is all about—giving back and supporting our local people in times of need.
“The wellness centre services will be made available and accessible to all local people free of charge, so we are proud to support this initiative for our community” said Wakeman.
The Wellness Centre programs will be supported by a team of experienced healthcare professionals, including specialist oncology nurses and dietitians,
all working together to provide a holistic approach to cancer care. It will also offer a variety of educational resources designed to empower patients with the tools they need to take an active role in their recovery and overall health.
Jade Phelan, CEO of The Bays Healthcare Group, expressed her gratitude for the partnership, saying, “This collaboration with the Community Bank Mt Martha is a tremendous opportunity for us to provide much-needed support to patients in our community that are living with cancer.
“With the increasing number of local people affected by cancer, having a dedicated space where patients can access a range of wellness services will make a significant difference in their treatment journey.
“We are thrilled to have the support of such a generous local partner that shares our goal of giving back to the local community.
The partnership reflects Community Bank Mt Martha’s ongoing commitment to supporting projects that benefit the community, particularly in times of need.
“Community Bank Mt Martha donates back 80% of its profits to the local community. By investing in the health and well-being of the community, we continue to play a key role in supporting local initiatives that make a meaningful difference,” said Community Bank Mt Martha board chair, Bruce Ranken.
“The new wellness centre is scheduled to open in late 2024, and both Community Bank Mt Martha and The Bays Hospital are excited to see the positive impact it will have on our local community.”
Petition launched to fix pothole in Cape Schanck
Brendan Rees brendan@mpnews.com.au
RESIDENTS of Hamson Court in Cape Schanck have signed a petition urging the Mornington Peninsula Shire to fix a large pothole that they say poses a safety hazard.
The petition, signed by 11 residents, is calling for Hamson Court to be listed on the shire’s register of public roads so the council can make repairs to the potholes.
Head petitioner Ken Smale said the pothole located near the intersection of Casuarina Dr had been an issue for some moths, particularly “with people coming around the corner”.
“It’s enough to probably distract people from looking to see cars coming,” he said, noting the potholes had formed one larger pothole measuring just over half a metre wide.
“It doesn’t appear to be a big job to repair it, and we’re just hoping that the council will come good and help us out.
“It’s a safety issue and we want it rectified as soon as possible.”
In response, mayor Cr Anthony Marsh read a statement at the council’s 3 December meeting on behalf of the shire’s said roads and drainage team leader Luke Jackson.
“Mornington Peninsula Shire did not deliver the construction of these roads and courts and there was no formal handover with our previous service provider, DM Roads, to accept them into our maintenance schedule due to their indeterminate construction,” he said.
“Additionally, at the time of construction we were not able to confirm that the courts (road surface and sub structure) located within the
RACV resort were constructed to the required Mornington Peninsula Shire (the Shire) standards, therefore they were not captured as part of our road asset register.”
Cr Marsh said the shire would investigate viable options with its new service provider, Fulton Hogan, “to establish what, and if any remediation
works are required for the courts to meet the shire’s construction standards, so that they may be considered as part of our road network and to then be programmed into our maintenance responsibilities”.
“Part of this investigation will include exploring the feasibility for impacted residents to enter into a
special charge scheme, which would be a reasonable outcome in this circumstance.”
Marsh added, “these are immediate comments just so there is a response in the meeting” but shire officers would follow up the matter with the petition lodger.
Smale said be believed local gov-
ernments should focus on rubbish, roads, parks and social programs for those in need.
“At the end of the day councils are custodians of ratepayers’ funds and should be more mindful of how money is spent,” he said.
“Our request is simple, council please fix our potholes.”
The petition comes after The News published an article about residents speaking of concerns about deteriorating road conditions and several potholes along Boneo Rd between Cape Schanck and Rosebud, which is managed by the Department of Transport (Urgent safety calls grow for Boneo Rd, The News 4/12/24).
Friends of Cape Schanck (FOCS) president Ian Renwick said their group has “for quite some time been aware that various roads within the RACV resort are not on the shire’s road asset register”.
Renwick said the shire’s offer to establish whether any courts can be considered as part of the shire road network “seems long overdue”.
“Residents I have spoken to believe the shire could also include other roads/sections in the vicinity that are not currently on the asset register in their investigation.”
BRANCH manager at Community Bank Mt Martha Stacey Wakeman, philanthropy and donor relations manager at The Bays Stephanie Tucker, CEO of The Bays Healthcare Group Jade Phelan and Community Bank Mt Martha board chair Bruce Ranken. Picture: Supplied
KEN Smale and Julia McAughtrie with dog Isla at Hamson Court, Cape Schanck. Picture: Yanni
United in essential beach safety
WHAT’S your favourite memory of summer on the peninsula beaches?
Is it hot footing across scorching sand to get to the cool of the water, lounging on your towel with a Big M and Chiko roll, listening to the cricket on the radio, or horsing around in the water till the sun disappeared?
All wonderful memories that many of us will revisit now that summer is here, but summer can also bring heartbreak and tragedy to those who are unfamiliar with the water and what it can do on our Mornington Peninsula beaches.
United Energy, in partnership with Portsea Surf Life Saving Club, is continuing to keep our beach safe, delivering surf and water safety education to schools and community groups across the United Energy network.
Safety is the number one priority for everyone at United Energy. Their teams work year-round to keep the power network safe ahead of another hot summer. They also know that beach safety is important to customers and visitors across the Mornington Peninsula.
United Energy has elevated its commitment to safety along the coastline and maximising the resources of the United Energy Centre of Excellence at Portsea with a shared purpose of keeping the people of Mornington Peninsula safe, which Director Henry Kiss is immensely thankful for.
“The program has been running for four years now and we’re only able to set it up through the support of United Energy, had to buy a lot of equipment, and the rashies aren’t just for looks they are a safety component. We run programs from Crib Point to Hastings, Tootgarook and urban areas like Dandenong, and the shires and councils in Kardinia, Bass Coast and Casey and so on – with the support of United Energy Portsea can now move from just being at the back beach to so much more of our neighbourhood and keep many more people safe.”
This successful program has now become generational, with Frankston High School students who have been learning skills for the past few years now training and teaching nipper aged school children along the coast on the dangers of water, the best way to rescue, safety with their friend and is much more.
Lainey Jones and Henry Code speaking on behalf of their high school class mates
“I can see myself in these kids, like when I was back there and younger starting this program, so it’s really nice to be able to pass on this tradition of safety and skills…because of the program I feel safer at the beach and that I can help because I know what to do in certain situations if I get in trouble but more importantly if others around me get in trouble like my family.”
Henry:
“Teaching other kids, I thought it was pretty cool but couldn’t imagine myself doing and now here I am doing exactly that right now –and so it is pretty cool.”
Primary school aged student Sophie Day agrees about learning the resuscitation technique and its motivated her to potentially grow up into a lifesaver or trainer like Henry and Lainey, and give back to her community.
“You know how to save a life because now you have the information, and I’d like to do it because you are always around the ocean, and you care for people and it’s fun – I find it inspiring and looking up to these Frankston High kids I would like to do what they do, they know it off by heart – maybe I could be doing this.”
Kiss is immensely proud that the sponsorship from United Energy allows his club to support the wider network area, sharing knowledge and expertise as a volunteer movement leader, helping smaller clubs create their own programs and opportunities, upskilling their teams.
“I love watching the Frankston High School step up and run the day, keeping everyone safe and engaged, and that’s the motivation behind the program - and we know that on the peninsula there is 170 kilometres of coast line and there is a 100% chance that someone will drown and 96% chance they are locals so we have to take care of each other.”
Chris Murn, Head of Network Control and Operations at United Energy, is proud of United Energy’s investment into the local community; “I live in Frankston and I’m part of this community, but I’m also a parent of two, and these random connections are amazing to think that it’s a real-life example of what the sponsorship means, and close to home.”
“This is a great way to engage with the community, and it’s great to see the impact and difference our sponsorship is making in the community and hopefully over the next 40+ years these students will all be able to keep giving back to our community with these skills … it’s like a ripple effect across generations and we are proud to be contributing to it.”
In fact, Murn and his family have experienced what this program can mean. A few years ago, Henry Code, a neighbour of Chris Murn, pulled Chris’s then 5-year-old son Alexander out of the pool after he fell into a pool fully clothed.
Henry said, “I would not have been aware of what to do without the program, so it was good I knew what to do to get in there and help him out.”
Lifesaving Victoria acknowledges the importance of this program and as always reiterates to be aware of conditions, read
safety signs and prepare by refreshing your water safety skills, including personal survival techniques, swimming skills, and water safety knowledge – many objectives that are reached by this unique partnership.
The United Energy/Portsea SLSC Schools Program develops confidence and self-worth - with students taking charge of their own wellbeing as well as those around them - and the lessons learnt throughout the program can be shared with friends and family - creating a ripple effect across the Mornington Peninsula community.
It’s a long-term financial commitment from United Energy that has allowed Portsea to host subsidised live-in water safety camps for high schoolers without the means to participate, has boosted the club’s nipper and starfish programs to include more children of all abilities, and a schools education program that sees nearly 1000 children receive education on life saving techniques, and overall life skills, this summer.
United Energy is doubling down on its corporate responsibilities to the power network and the region, as well as reinforcing Portsea SLSC’s direct involvement – so, maybe now is the time for you to get involved, and follow United Energy’s lead in helping protect your family and friends this coming summer.
It’s essential to be prepared for
extreme weather
At United Energy, we know your power is essential to you.
Extreme weather can damage the electricity network. Here is a friendly reminder that it’s important to stay prepared.
Peninsula faces fire risk
WITH hot and dry weather expected this summer, firefighters are urging Mornington Peninsula residents to prepare for the worst.
Forest Fire Management Victoria chief fire officer Chris Hardman says that this summer, experts have predicted a “higher potential for fire for most of western Victoria, as well as southwest Gippsland, Mornington Peninsula, greater Melbourne and north-east Victoria.”
“The potential has been assessed this way because of the dry conditions in those areas, the availability of vegetation to ‘fuel’ fires, high temperatures and the continuing lack of rainfall to bring moisture to the landscape,” Hardman said.
“The fire potential elsewhere in Victoria has been assessed as normal, but hot, dry and windy weather can still pose a risk in areas dominated by forests, woodlands, or dense, low shrubs.
“Summer is a festive time in Victoria. We often have opportunities to steal a bit of magic
as the year comes to an end – to come together with loved ones, to get away, to get in a bit more sleep – and a few more late nights, and to reflect on the year gone by. But opportunity is never without responsibility. Now is also the time to prepare yourself and your loved ones for the fire season.”
Hardman offered five tips to prepare for fire emergencies - he said “visit cfa.vic.gov.au to help you get started on a Bushfire Plan so you know what you will do in case of fire, download and get to know the VicEmergency app – then set up ‘watch zones’ and turn on notifications to be kept up to date wherever you are, get to know the Australian Fire Danger Ratings System –and work out what fire danger rating will trigger your Bushfire Plan, plan your travel – head to exploreoutdoors.vic.gov.au to help you stay safe when visiting state forests, and never leave a campfire unattended – if they are cool to touch, they are safe to leave.”
Picture: Gary Sissons
BAXTER, SOMERVILLE, TYABB, HASTINGS, BITTERN, CRIB POINT, BALNARRING, BALNARRING BEACH, FLINDERS
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CRADLED within its own astounding display of botanical beauty in Arthurs Seats’ hidden residential enclave, “Moondai” presents a distinguished architecturally crafted form that is as exceptional in scale as it is timeless in its lifestyle appeal, showcasing one of the area’s most unique and alluring properties with breathtaking bay and city vistas. Its spectacular gardens surround a collection of immersive, north-facing terraces where nature’s sights, sounds and scents are almost seamlessly integrated with the Frank Mason-designed five bedroom residence.
HOME ESSENTIALS
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conditioned studio offers a charming space that works equally well as a home office or bedroom. For those with a passion for DIY, the powered workshop is ready to accommodate any home handyman’s projects. Absolute quality is evident with Cedar-clad extended eaves, refrigerated heating and cooling, bespoke cabinetry, bathroom slab heating, a retractable alfresco awning, and premium carpets and powered blinds, while the practicality of separate boat/caravan parking, rear street access, several fruit trees and raised garden beds, CCTV, a 7.5kw solar
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system and approximately 160,000L of water storage ensures there’s nothing left to do but settle in and enjoy the views.
A hilltop position just metres from Seawinds and the Arthurs Seat summit is remarkably peaceful for those craving a life away from it all, just moments from Red Hill Village, Dromana shopping and schools, Mornington Peninsula Freeway access, award-winning wineries and epicurean experiences, and the shimmering hues of Port Phillip Bay.n
The Guide
TOP PICKS OF THE WEEK
FRIDAY
THURSDAY FAKE OR FORTUNE?
ABC TV, 9pm
Combining art history lessons, thrilling mysteries and the latest in forensic science, this intriguing series sees “art detectives” Fiona Bruce and Philip Mould decipher whether works of art are priceless pieces lost for decades or very crafty copies. This 11th edition commences in the Essex countryside on the trail of renowned British sculptor and printmaker Elisabeth Frink. The art detectives take the case to find out if a bronze sculpture is worth £10 or £60,000.
GARDENING AUSTRALIA
CHRISTMAS SPECIAL
ABC TV, 7.30pm
Getting out into the garden might be the perfect
SATURDAY
MAGICAL TRAIN JOURNEYS IN SWITZERLAND
SBS, 7.30pm
From astonishing alpine valleys to majestic mountain ranges, landscapes don’t get much more captivating than the wonders to be found in Switzerland. And there’s no better way to explore these memorable vistas than by rail. This mesmerising
SUNDAY TO
LESLIE
SBS WORLD MOVIES, 8.30pm
It’s risky business to make a film centred around an unlikeable character, but director Michael Morris takes that chance by introducing us to Leslie Rowland, played brilliantly by Andrea Riseborough. Set in a nondescript Texas town, this drama depicts Leslie’s unhappy life, plagued by alcohol addiction and aimlessness only six years after she won (and squandered) a $190,000 lottery prize. Refusing to make any positive changes in her life, Leslie proves her own worst enemy as family and friends turn on her, with only a sympathetic motel manager (Marc Maron) not beyond It’s an often grim but redemptive tale, which is worth seeing for Riseborough’s unforgettable performance.
Story. (R) 10.30 Back Roads. (PG, R) 11.00 Antiques Roadshow. (R) 12.00 ABC News At Noon. 1.00 Grand Designs Australia. (PG, R) 1.55 Anh’s Brush With Fame. (PG, R) 2.30 Take 5 With Zan Rowe. (PG, R) 3.00 A Bite To Eat With Alice. (R) 3.30 Long Lost Family. (PG, R) 4.15 Grand Designs: The Streets. (PG, R) 5.00 Antiques Roadshow. (R)
6.00 A Bite To Eat With Alice. 6.30 Hard Quiz. (PG, R) 7.00 ABC News. 7.30 7.30.
8.00 Grand Designs Australia: Newtown Impossible. (Final, PG) 9.00
The Streets. (PG, R) 12.05 Killing Eve. (MA15+v, R) 12.50 Long Lost Family. (PG, R) 1.35 Rage. (MA15+adhlnsv) 3.30 AI vs Human: The Creativity Experiment. (R) 4.30 Gardening Australia. (R) 5.30 7.30. (R)
China. (R) 9.20 For The Love Of Dogs. (PGa, R) 10.20 Paddington Station 24/7. (PGadlv, R) 11.10 The Bridges That Built London. (PG, R) 12.00 WorldWatch. 2.05 Such Was Life. (PG, R) 2.15 Lost For Words. (PG, R) 3.15 Plat Du Tour. 3.25 The Cook Up. (R) 3.55 Australian Fashion Past, Present, Future. (PGa) 5.05 Jeopardy! (R) 5.30 Letters And Numbers. (R) 11.30 Seven Morning News. 12.00 MOVIE: Candy Coated Christmas. (2021, PGa, R) 1.45 Motorbike Cops. (PGl, R) 2.15 Catch Phrase. (PG, R) 3.00 The Chase. (R) 4.00 Seven News At 4.
6.00 Mastermind Australia. (R) 6.30 SBS World News. 7.30 Going Places With Ernie Dingo. (PG) 8.30 Gods Of Tennis: Björn Borg And John McEnroe. (Ml, R) 9.30 Miniseries: Steeltown Murders. (Mal)
10.40 SBS World News Late. 11.10 DNA. (Return, MA15+a) 12.05 Blackout: Tomorrow Is Too Late. (Malv, R) 1.00 Miniseries: The Night Logan Woke Up. (MA15+ns, R) 2.00 Portillo’s Greatest Railway Journeys. (PGa, R) 2.55 Employable Me (USA) (Ma, R) 3.45 Fantastical Factory Of Curious Craft. (PG, R) 4.40 Bamay. (R) 5.00 NHK World English News Morning. 5.30 ANC Philippines The World Tonight.
The Chase Australia.
6.00 Seven News. 7.00 The Seven: 7NEWS — Year In Review. Takes a look at the stories that shaped 2024.
7.30 Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly. (PGa, R) Hosted by Graeme Hall.
8.30 MOVIE: In The Line Of Fire. (1993, Mlv, R) A US Secret Service agent, haunted by his failure to save President Kennedy, is taunted by a killer. Clint Eastwood, John Malkovich, Rene Russo. 11.10 Pam & Tommy. (MA15+lns) 12.10 Criminal Confessions. (Malv, R)
1.10 Travel Oz. (PG, R)
2.00 Home Shopping. (R)
4.00 NBC Today. 5.00 Sunrise 5am News.
5.30 Sunrise.
Pointless. (PG, R)
6.00 9News.
7.00 A Current Affair.
7.30 Great Getaways. (PG) The team cruises the Caribbean in style.
8.30 Emergency. (Mm) Dr Sarah Whitelaw treats a man whose foot was slashed by a lawn mower blade.
9.30 A+E After Dark. (Mlm) A patient is transferred to resus after a fall.
10.30 Captivated. (Premiere, Mal)
11.25 Resident Alien. (Mav)
12.15 Tipping Point. (PG, R) 1.05 Cross Court. (R) 1.30 TV Shop: Home Shopping. (R) 2.30
TEN (10)
Friday, December 13
ABC (2)
6.00 News Breakfast. 9.00 ABC News
Mornings. 10.00 Back Roads. (R) 10.30 I Was Actually There. (PG, R) 11.00 Royal Carols: Together At Christmas 2022. (R) 12.00 ABC News At Noon. 1.00 Shetland. (Mal, R) 2.00 Maggie Beer’s Big Mission. (R) 3.00 A Bite To Eat With Alice. (R) 3.25 Long Lost Family. (PG, R) 4.15 Grand Designs: The Streets. (Final, PG, R) 5.00 Antiques Roadshow. (R)
6.00 A Bite To Eat With Alice.
6.30 Hard Quiz. (PG, R)
7.00 ABC News.
7.30 Gardening Australia Christmas Special.
8.30 Shetland. (Final, Mal) Tosh and Calder try to unravel the mystery.
9.30 Question Everything. (Final, R) Presented by Wil Anderson and Jan Fran.
10.05 Hard Quiz. (PG, R)
10.35 The Cleaner. (Mdl, R)
11.35 ABC Late News. (Final) 11.50 QI. (Mls, R)
12.20 The Kingdom: The World’s Most Powerful Prince. (Final, Ma, R) 1.20 Rage New Music. (MA15+adhlnsv) 5.00 Rage. (PG)
SBS (3)
6.00 WorldWatch. 9.20 For The Love Of Dogs. (PGa, R) 10.20 Paddington Station 24/7. (PGal, R) 11.10 The Bridges That Built London. (PGa, R) 12.00 WorldWatch. 2.00 Such Was Life. (R) 2.10 Lost For Words. (PGal, R) 3.10 Plat Du Tour. 3.15 The Cook Up. (R) 3.45 Australian Fashion Past, Present, Future. (PGadln) 5.05 Jeopardy! (R) 5.30 Letters And Numbers. (R)
6.00 Mastermind Australia. (R)
6.30 SBS World News.
7.30 Every Family Has A Secret: Linda Lawless And Lisa Bird. (PGa, R) Presented by Noni Hazlehurst.
8.35 Sammy By Sammy: My Tale Of The 60s. Takes a look at Sammy Davis Jr.
9.35 Kennedy: The Brink Of War (October 1962-June 1963) Kennedy pursues diplomacy with the Soviets.
10.25 SBS World News Late.
10.55 Elvira. (Mal)
12.35 The Wall: The Orchard. (MA15+as, R) 3.00 Employable Me (USA) (Ma, R) 3.50 Heritage Rescue. (R) 4.40 Bamay. (R) 5.00 NHK World English News Morning. 5.30 ANC Philippines The World Tonight.
SBS VICELAND (31) 6am Children’s Programs. 6.20pm Bluey. 6.25 Paddington. 6.40 Pfffirates. 6.50 Ginger And The Vegesaurs. 6.55 Hey Duggee. 7.05 Andy And The Band. 7.20 Bluey. 7.30 Shaun The Sheep. 7.35 Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures. 7.50 Teen Titans Go! 8.00 Scooby-Doo And Guess Who? 8.25 Mythbusters “There’s Your Problem!”. 8.50 Robot Wars: Battle Of The Stars. 9.50 Doctor Who. 10.35 Late Programs.
3.00 Waabiny
3.25
SEVEN (7)
6.00 Sunrise. 9.00 The Morning Show. (PG) 11.30 Seven Morning News. 12.00 MOVIE: Last Train To Christmas. (2021, PGaln, R)
6.00 Seven News. 7.00 Better Homes And Gardens Summer. Clarissa Feildel shows off her potstickers.
8.30 MOVIE: West Side Story. (2021, Mv, R) In ’50s New York, a forbidden love affair blossoms amid the rivalry between the Jets and the Sharks, two street gangs of different ethnic backgrounds, over control of the San Juan Hill community. Ansel Elgort, Rachel Zegler, Ariana DeBose.
11.35 OzHarvest Unite To Feed Australia. (PGa, R) A onenight-only fundraising event. 2.00 Home Shopping. (R)
4.00 Million Dollar Minute. (R) 5.00 NBC Today.
NINE (9)
TEN (10)
6.00 9News.
7.00 A Current Affair.
7.30 Find My Beach House Australia. Hosted by Shelley Craft.
8.30 MOVIE: Bad Moms 2. (2017, MA15+als, R) Three unappreciated mothers rebel against the expectations of organising the “perfect” Christmas. Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell, Kathryn Hahn.
10.30 MOVIE: Fighting With My Family. (2019, Malv, R) A wrestler’s kids dream of a brighter future. Florence Pugh.
12.30 Tipping Point. (PG, R)
1.30 TV Shop: Home Shopping. (R)
3.30 World Aquatics Championships. Budapest 2024. Day 4. Finals.
6.00 Deal Or No Deal. (R) Hosted by Grant Denyer. 6.30 The Project. A look at the day’s news. 7.30 MOVIE: Daddy’s Home. (2015, Mlv, R) A man’s wife’s ex-husband causes problems. Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg. 9.30 Matlock. (PGa, R) Olympia and Julian get a second shot at a case regarding a tragic death due to contaminated baby formula. 10.30 10’s Late News. Coverage of news, sport and weather. 10.55 The Project. (R) A look at the day’s news. 12.00 The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. (PG) 1.00 Home Shopping. (R) 6am Morning Programs. 2.15pm Tiny Beautiful Things. 2.50 Make America Swift Again. 3.50 WorldWatch. 5.45 Joy Of Painting. 6.15 The Curse Of Oak Island. 7.05 Jeopardy! 7.30 NITV News: Summer Yarns. 7.35 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown. 8.30 A League Of Their Own: Mexican Road Trip. (Premiere) 10.20 Homeland. 12.55am Better Things. 2.45 King Of The Road. 3.35 Late Programs.
ABC FAMILY (22) 6am Time Bandits. Continued. (1981, PG) 7.10 Belle. (2013, PG) 9.05 The Young Victoria. (2009, PG) 11.00 Thelma & Louise. (1991, M) 1.30pm The Bookshop. (2017, PG) 3.35 The Wild Duck. (1983, PG) 5.25 Diana. (2013, PG) 7.30 The Zookeeper’s Wife. (2017, M) 9.50 The Queen. (2006, M) 11.45 Ordinary Happiness. (2019, M, Italian) 1.25am Late Programs. 5.50 Diana. (2013, PG) SBS WORLD MOVIES (32) 6am Morning Programs. 1.50pm Black As. 2.00 First People’s Kitchen. 2.30 The Cook
6am
World According To Grandpa. 3.35 Spartakus. 4.05 Cities Of Gold. 4.35 Motown Magic. 5.00 Our Stories. 5.15 Harlem Globetrotters. 6.00 Bamay. 6.30 Black As. 6.40 Great Parks Of Africa. 7.30 MOVIE: A Kiwi Christmas. (2017, PG) 9.05 MOVIE: Stand By Me. (1986, M) 10.45 Late Programs. NITV (34)
And Small. (PGa, R) 1.15 Miniseries: Douglas Is Cancelled. (Ml, R) 1.55 Question Everything. (Final, R) 2.25 Spicks And Specks. (PG, R) 3.15 Julia Zemiro’s Home Delivery. (R) 3.40 Solar System With Brian Cox. (R) 4.40 Headliners. (PG, R) 5.35 Landline. (R) 6.00 WorldWatch. 9.00 Destination Flavour China Bitesize. (R) 9.05 The Eco Show. (R) 10.05 Love Your Garden. (PGa, R) 11.00 Along Ireland’s Shores. (PG, R) 11.30 BBC News At Ten. 12.00 PBS NewsHour. 1.00 Surf Life Saving. Shaw and Partners Iron Series. Day 1. Round 1. 3.00 ABC World News Tonight With David Muir. 3.30 Plat Du Tour. 3.35 Ethnic Business Awards. 5.35 Weeks Of War. (PG, R) 6.00 NBC Today. 7.00 Weekend Sunrise. 10.30 Test Cricket: Pre-Game Show. 11.20 Cricket. Third Test. Australia v India. Day 1. Morning session. 1.20 Test Cricket: The Lunch Break. 2.00 Cricket. Third Test. Australia v India. Day 1. Afternoon session. 4.00 Test Cricket: Tea Break. 4.20 Cricket. Third Test. Australia v India. Day 1. Late afternoon session. From the Gabba, Brisbane.
12.25 All Creatures
James and Helen help some new farmers.
8.20 Vera. (Mv, R) A body is found on a pit on a farm.
9.50 Miniseries: Douglas Is Cancelled. (Ml, R) A TV presenter is cancelled.
10.30 Shetland. (Malv, R) 11.30 Rage FIFTY 2024 Special. (MA15+adhlnsv)
5.00 Rage FIFTY 2024 Best Of The Rest Special. (PG)
6.30 SBS World News. 7.30 Magical Train Journeys In Switzerland. (PGa) 9.25 The Great House Revival: Old Schoolhouse, Ballyoughter, Co Wexford. (PG) Presented by Hugh Wallace. 10.25 Great Australian Railway Journeys. (PGa, R) 11.35 Miniseries: The Dark Heart. (MA15+as, R) 1.20 Portillo’s Greatest Railway Journeys. (R) 2.20 Employable Me (USA) (Ma, R) 3.10 Make Me A Dealer. (R) 4.00 Heritage Rescue. (R) 4.50 Destination Flavour Down Under Bitesize. (R) 5.00 NHK World English News Morning. 5.15 France 24 Feature. 5.30 ANC Philippines The World Tonight.
6.00 Seven News. 7.00 Victorian Schools Spectacular. (PG) Coverage of the Victorian State School Spectacular from John Cain Arena, Melbourne. 10.00 NSW Schools Spectacular. (PG) Coverage of the Schools Spectacular from the Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney’s Olympic Park. 12.30 Taken. (Mav, R) Kilroy tracks a notorious hacker. 1.30 Harry’s Practice. (R) Information about pet care. 2.00 Home Shopping. (R) 4.00 It’s Academic. (R) Hosted by Simon Reeve. 5.00 My Greek Odyssey. (PG, R)
6.00 Garden Gurus. (R) 6.30 ACA. (R) 7.00 Weekend Today. 10.00 Today Extra Summer. (PG) 12.00 Surfing Australia TV. 12.30 Drive Safer. 1.00 Our State On A Plate. (PG) 1.30 My Way. (PG) 2.00 Great Getaways. (PG, R) 3.00 Eatwell Christmas With Emma Dean. (PG) 4.00 The Garden Gurus. 4.30 Helloworld. 5.00 9News First At Five.
6.00 9News Saturday. 7.00 A Current Affair. 7.30 MOVIE: Elf. (2003, G, R) A man raised as an elf searches for his father. Will Ferrell, James Caan. 9.30 MOVIE: Candy Cane Lane. (2023, PGls) A man makes a pact with an elf to help him win his neighbourhood’s annual Christmas decorating contest. Eddie Murphy, Tracee Ellis Ross. 11.50 MOVIE: Blue Canaries. (2023, MA15+alv, R) 1.50 My Way. (R) 2.00 The Incredible Journey Presents. (PGa) 2.30 TV Shop: Home Shopping. (R) 3.30 World Aquatics Championships. Budapest 2024. Day 5. Finals. From Hungary. 5.30 Helping Hands. (PG, R)
6.30 Bondi Rescue. (PGlv, R) Jack rescues a drunk swimmer. 7.00 MOVIE: The Lion King. (1994, PGa, R) A young lion cub leaves his pride for a life in exile. Matthew Broderick, Jeremy Irons. 9.30 The Dog House Australia. (PGa, R) A pair of Shih Tzu crosses are the last of the five dogs who came into the shelter after their owner died. 10.30 Ambulance Australia. (Mdlm, R) Follows dispatchers and paramedics. 11.40 Shark Tank. (PGa, R) A mum pitches her solution to untangling kids’ hair. 12.50 Ambulance UK. (Ma, R) 2.00 Home Shopping. (R) 5.00 Hour Of Power. 6am Morning Programs. 12.05pm Scrubs. 2.10 Beyond Oak Island. 3.00 Jungletown. 3.50 BBC News At Ten. 4.20 ABC World News Tonight. 4.50 PBS News. 5.50 The Mega-Brands That Built The World. 7.35 Impossible Engineering. 8.30 Icons Unearthed: Harry Potter. (Premiere) 10.20 Hudson & Rex. Midnight The X-Files. 2.45 NHK World English News. 5.00 Al Jazeera Newshour. SBS VICELAND (31) 6am Children’s Programs. 5.35pm Peter Rabbit. 5.45 Kiri And Lou. 5.55 Octonauts. 6.05 Interstellar Ella. 6.20 Bluey. 6.25 Ben And Holly. 6.40 Pfffirates. 6.50 Ginger And The Vegesaurs. 6.55 Hey Duggee. 7.05 Riley Rocket. 7.20 Bluey. 7.30 Teenage Boss: Next Level. 8.00 The Crystal Maze. 8.45 Fresh Off The Boat. 9.30 Speechless. 9.50 Officially Amazing. 10.20 Teen Titans Go! 10.40 Late Programs. ABC FAMILY (22) 6am Diana. Continued. (2013, PG) 7.55 I Capture The Castle. (2003, PG) 10.00 The Lost King. (2022, M) Noon The Zookeeper’s
Sunday, December 15
6am Morning Programs. 10.00 Secret Science. (PG, R) 10.30 World This Week. (Final, R) 11.00 Compass. (PGa, R) 11.30 Praise. 12.00 News. 12.30 Nigella’s Christmas Bites. (R) 1.20 Gardening Australia. (Final, R) 2.35 Nigella’s Christmas Kitchen. (Final, R) 3.05 Long Lost Family: What Happened Next. (PGa, R) 4.00 Fake Or Fortune? (R) 5.00 Antiques Roadshow. (R)
6.00 Grand Designs Australia. (Final, PG, R)
7.00 ABC News.
7.30 Muster Dogs: Where Are They Now.
8.00 Miniseries: Douglas Is Cancelled. (Ml)
8.45 Love Me. (Mdls) Clara goes on a date with Peter.
9.30 Spicks And Specks. (PG, R) Hosted by Adam Hills.
11.05 Take 5 With Zan Rowe. (Ml, R) 11.35 You Can’t Ask That. (Mal, R) 12.40 New Leash On Life. (R) 1.10 Rage Vault. (MA15+adhlnsv)
3.05 Australia Remastered: Forces Of Nature. (R) 4.00 Gardening Australia. (R) 5.00 Pilgrimage: The Road Through North Wales. (PG, R)
ABC FAMILY (22)
6.00 WorldWatch. 7.30 France 24 English News. 8.00 DD India News Hour. 9.00 APAC Weekly. (R) 9.30 PBS Washington Week With The Atlantic. 9.55 Ascot Kayaking. (PG, R) 10.00 FIFA World Cup Classic Matches. 12.00 Speedweek. 1.00 Surf Life Saving. Shaw and Partners Iron Series. Day 2. Round 1. 3.00 Figure Skating. ISU Grand Prix 7. Highlights. 5.30 Weeks Of War. (PG, R) 6.00 NBC Today. 7.00 Weekend Sunrise. 10.30 Test Cricket: Pre-Game Show. 11.20 Cricket. Third Test. Australia v India. Day 2. Morning session. 1.20 Test Cricket: The Lunch Break. 2.00 Cricket. Third Test. Australia v India. Day 2. Afternoon session. 4.00 Test Cricket: Tea Break. 4.20 Cricket. Third Test. Australia v India. Day 2. Late afternoon session.
6.30 SBS World News. 7.30 After The Sky Fell On Lockerbie. (PG) A look back at Lockerbie bombing. 9.20 Jonathan Ross’ Myths And Legends: Wales. (PGa, R) Jonathan Ross explores Wales, a country filled with hidden and intriguing legends. 10.15 Curse Of The Ancients: Pagans. (PGav, R) 11.10 The Forest Maker. (PGa, R) 12.45 Portillo’s Greatest Railway Journeys. (PGas, R) 1.45 Employable Me (USA) (Mal, R) 2.35 Make Me A Dealer. (PG, R) 3.25 Heritage Rescue. (R) 4.15 Bamay. (R) 4.55 Destination Flavour Down Under Bitesize. (R) 5.00 NHK World English News Morning. 5.15 France 24 Feature. 5.30 Al Jazeera News.
SBS VICELAND (31) 6am Children’s Programs. 5.15pm Octonauts. 5.35 Peter Rabbit. 5.50 Kiri And Lou. 5.55 Octonauts. 6.10 Interstellar Ella. 6.20 Bluey. 6.25 Peppa Pig. 6.35 Ginger And The Vegesaurs. 6.40 PJ Masks Power Heroes. 7.05 Riley Rocket. 7.20 Bluey. 7.30 MOVIE: A Shaun The Sheep Movie: Farmageddon. (2019) 8.55 Fresh Off The Boat. 9.35 Speechless. 10.00 Doctor Who. 10.45 Late Programs.
6.00 Seven News. 7.00 Cricket. Big Bash League. Match 1. Perth Scorchers v Melbourne Stars. 10.30 Big Bash League Post-Game. Post-match coverage of the game.
11.00 7NEWS Spotlight. (R) A look at Prince George’s future.
12.00 Miniseries: Patrick Melrose. (Mals, R) Patrick spirals back into his destructive behaviour.
1.15 Travel Oz. (PG, R) Presented by Greg Grainger.
2.00 Home Shopping. (R)
3.30 Million Dollar Minute. (R) 4.00 NBC Today. 5.00 Sunrise 5am News. 5.30 Sunrise.
7TWO (72)
6.00 Hello SA. (PG, R) 6.30 A Current Affair. (R) 7.00 Weekend Today.
6.00 9News Sunday.
7.00 2024 The Year That Was. (PGv) Presented by Amelia Adams. 8.00 John Farnham: Celebrating 60 Years. (Ml, R) A celebration of John Farnham. 9.50 MOVIE: The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend A Broken Heart. (2020, Ml, R) An exploration of the Bee Gees. Barry Gibb, Maurice Gibb.
12.00 Maritime Masters: Expedition Antarctica. (PG, R)
1.00 Helloworld. (R)
1.30 TV Shop: Home Shopping. (R)
3.30 World Aquatics Championships. Budapest 2024. Day 6. Finals. From Hungary. 5.00 Today Early News. 5.30 Today.
6.00 The Sunday Project. A look at the day’s news.
7.00 Harry And Meghan: The Rise And Fall. (PGa) Looks at Harry and Meghan’s life.
8.30 The Graham Norton Show. (Ml) Graham Norton is joined on the couch by guests including Billy Crystal, Hugh Bonneville and Michael Kiwanuka. 9.40 FBI. (Mav) After a park ranger is shot dead by a masked assailant, the team discovers a string of connected crimes. 10.40 FBI: International. Wes’ former colleague enlists the team’s help. 11.30 The Sunday Project. (R) 12.30 Home Shopping. (R) 4.30 CBS Mornings. 6am Morning Programs. 1.40pm Jeopardy! 3.45 France 24 English News. 4.15 PBS Washington Week. 4.40 Scandinavian Star. 5.50 The Engineering That Built The World. 6.40 Abandoned Engineering. 8.30 Charge Around Australia. 9.40 WWE Legends. (Return) 11.15 Hoarders. 12.55am The X-Files. 3.40 NHK World English News. 5.00 Al Jazeera Newshour.
6am
Belle. Continued. (2013, PG) 6.55 Much Ado About Nothing. (1993, PG) 9.00 Mrs Lowry And Son. (2019, PG) 10.40 Ordinary Happiness. (2019, M, Italian) 12.25pm The Queen. (2006, M) 2.20 Diana. (2013, PG) 4.20 Mosley. (2019, PG) 6.10 Sabrina. (1995, PG) 8.30 To Leslie. (2022, M) 10.45 El Planeta. (2021, M) 12.15am The August Virgin. (2019, MA15+) 2.40 Late Programs. SBS WORLD MOVIES (32) 6am Morning Programs. 2pm Football. First Nations Indigenous Football Cup. Men’s. SA All-Stars v Qld Balla Boys. Replay. 3.30 Rugby League. Qld Murri Carnival. Finals. Women’s. Replay. 4.30 Jarjums. 4.35 Ub40 Feat. Ali Campbell Live Concert. 6.15 NITV News: Summer Yarns. 6.25 Wild West. 7.35 The First Inventors. 8.30 Lee Fields, Faithful Man. 10.05 Desert Hikoi. 10.20 Late Programs. NITV (34)
Monday, December 16
12.00 ABC News At Noon. 1.00 Vera. (Mv, R) 2.30 Back Roads. (PG, R) 3.00 A Bite To Eat With Alice. (R) 3.25 Long Lost Family. (PG, R) 4.15 Grand Designs: House Of The Year. (R) 5.00 Antiques Roadshow. (R)
6.00 A Bite To
of
6am Morning Programs. 11.00 Escape To The Country. Noon I Escaped To The Country. 1.00 Better Homes. 2.00 South Aussie With Cosi. 2.30 The Great Australian Doorstep. 3.00 The Highland Vet. 5.00 I Escaped To The Country. 6.00 Taste Of Aust. 6.30 Heathrow. 7.00 St John Ambulance Carols By Candlelight. 9.30 St John Drive-A-Thon. 10.00 The Highland Vet. 11.00 Late Programs.
Touch. 8.00
Journey. 9.00
(Final, R)
The Forest. (PG) Looks at the story of ecologist Tom Crowther.
9.35 The Rise And Fall Of Boris Johnson. (Ml, R) Scandals from Boris Johnson’s private life emerge.
10.25 A Life In Ten Pictures. (PG, R) 12.10 Grand Designs: House Of The Year. (R)
12.55 Long Lost Family. (PG, R) 1.45 Rage. (MA15+adhlnsv) 3.30 Lily’s Life Hacks. (R)
4.30 Gardening Australia. (R) 5.30 7.30. (R)
6.00 WorldWatch. 9.10 For The Love Of Dogs. (PGa, R) 10.10 Paddington Station 24/7. (PGal, R) 11.00 Earth’s Sacred Wonders. (PGa, R) 12.05 WorldWatch. 2.00 TradFest: The Fingal Sessions. 2.30 Plat Du Tour. 2.35 French Atlantic. (PG, R) 3.05 The Cook Up. (R) 3.35 Australian Fashion Past, Present, Future. (PGn) 5.05 Jeopardy! (R) 5.30 Letters And Numbers. (R)
6.00 Mastermind Australia. (R) 6.30 SBS World News.
7.35 Costco At Christmas. (R) 8.30 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown. Hosted by Jimmy Carr.
9.25 Never Mind The Buzzcocks. (M) 10.05 Australia Uncovered: The Truth About Anxiety With Celia Pacquola. (Mad, R) 11.15 SBS World News Late. 11.45 Dead Mountain: The Dyatlov Pass Incident. (Mahv) 1.35 Portillo’s Greatest Railway Journeys. (PG, R) 2.30 Legacy List With Matt Paxton. (R) 3.35 Make Me A Dealer. (R) 4.25 Peer To Peer. (R) 4.55 Destination Flavour Scandinavia Bitesize. (R) 5.00 NHK World English News Morning. 5.30 ANC Philippines The World Tonight.
6.00 Sunrise. 9.00 The Morning Show. (PG) 10.30 Test Cricket: Pre-Game Show. 11.20 Cricket. Third Test. Australia v India. Day 3. Morning session. 1.20 Test Cricket: The Lunch Break. 2.00 Cricket. Third Test. Australia v India. Day 3. Afternoon session. 4.00 Test Cricket: Tea Break. 4.20 Cricket. Third Test. Australia v India. Day 3. Late afternoon session.
6.00 Seven News. 7.00 Cricket. Big Bash League. Match 2. Sydney Sixers v Melbourne Renegades. 10.30 Big Bash League Post-Game. Post-match coverage of the game between the Sydney Sixers and Melbourne Renegades.
11.00 Murder In A Small Town. (Mav) Cassandra’s life is in danger. 12.00 Satisfaction. (MA15+ads, R) Neil and Grace confront their infidelities.
1.00 Travel Oz. (PG, R) Hosted by Greg Grainger.
2.00 Home Shopping. (R)
4.00 NBC Today. News and current affairs.
5.00 Sunrise 5am News.
5.30 Sunrise.
6am Morning Programs. 1.20pm Derry Girls. 2.20 Nuts And Bolts. 2.45 Munchies Guide To Oaxaca. 3.35 WorldWatch. 5.45 Joy Of Painting. 6.15 Curse Of Oak Island. 7.05 Jeopardy! 7.30 NITV News: Summer Yarns. 7.35 8 Out Of 10 Cats. 8.30 The UnBelievable With Dan Aykroyd. 9.20 The Misadventures Of Romesh Ranganathan. 10.25 The Weekly Football Wrap. 10.55 Late Programs.
SBS VICELAND (31) 6am Children’s Programs. 5.15pm Supertato. 5.20 PJ Masks Power Heroes. 5.35 Peter Rabbit. 5.45 Kiri And Lou. 5.55 Octonauts. 6.05 Kangaroo Beach. 6.20 Bluey. 6.25 Paddington. 7.05 Andy And The Band. 7.20 Bluey. 7.30 Shaun The Sheep. 7.35 The Inbestigators. 7.55 Operation Ouch! 8.25 Hard Quiz Kids. 8.55 Teenage Boss: Next Level. 9.25 Poh’s Kitchen. 9.50 Doctor Who. 10.35 Late Programs. ABC FAMILY (22) 6am Morning Programs. 8.50 Agatha Christie’s Crooked House. (2017, PG) 11.00 Post Coitum, Animal Triste. (1997, M, French) 12.50pm Tuesday Club. (2022, M, Swedish)
Morning Programs. 7.30
8.30
9.30
Shop. 10.00 Thunderbirds. 10.30 My Favorite Martian. 11.00 Building Icons. Noon MOVIE: Silent Dust. (1949, PG) 1.40 MOVIE: The Big Country. (1958, PG) 5.00 M*A*S*H. 7.00 World Aquatics Championships. Budapest 2024. Day 6. Heats. 9.00 MOVIE: A View To A Kill. (1985, M) 11.35 Late Programs. 9GEM (92)
6am MOVIE: LOL Surprise: The Skate Dance Movie. (2024) 7.00 Children’s Programs. 12.30pm Basketball. WNBL. Adelaide Lightning v UC Capitals. 2.30 Surfing Australia TV. 3.00 Motorway Cops: Catching Britain’s Speeders. 4.00 MOVIE: Mr Mom. (1983, PG)
6.00 Today. 9.00 Today Extra Summer. (PG) 11.30 9News Morning. 12.00 MOVIE: Christmas In The Highlands. (2019, G) 2.00 Pointless. (PG, R) 3.00 Tipping Point. (PG, R) 4.00 9News Afternoon. 5.00 Tipping Point Australia. (PG, R) 6am Morning Programs. 7.30 Farm To Fork. (R) 8.00 Neighbours. (PGa, R)
6.00 9News.
7.00 A Current Affair.
7.30 RBT. (Mal, R) 8.30 Australian Crime Stories: The Investigators: Undercover. (MA15+dlv, R) The story of Keith Banks. 9.40 A Killer Makes A Call: Dixon. (Ma) A look at the case of Julie Dixon.
10.50 Chicago Med. (MA15+amv)
11.40 First On Scene. (Mv) 12.05 Tipping Point. (PG, R) 1.00 Drive TV. (R) 1.30 TV Shop: Home Shopping. (R) 2.30 Global Shop. (R) 3.00 TV Shop: Home Shopping. (R) 4.00 Believer’s Voice Of Victory. (PGa) 4.30 A Current Affair. (R) 5.00 Today Early News. 5.30 Today.
6.00 Deal Or No Deal. (R)
6.30 The Project. A look at the day’s news. 7.30 Wheel Of Fortune Australia. (PGs) Hosted by Graham Norton. 8.30 Matlock. (PGal) Matty works on a case with Julian. Olympia learns a secret about Julian’s past. 9.30 Five Bedrooms. (Mals) Liz bears the brunt of Harry’s anger and grief and, in an effort to rescue their friendship, asks someone for help. 10.30 10’s Late News. 10.55 The Project. (R)
Tuesday, December 17
ABC (2) SBS (3)
SEVEN (7)
NINE (9) 6.00 News. 9.00 News. 10.00 Teenage Boss: Next Level. (Final, R) 10.30 Secret Science. (PG, R) 11.00 Antiques Roadshow. (R) 12.00
ABC News At Noon. 1.00 Headliners. (PG, R) 2.05 Anh’s Brush With Fame. (PG, R) 2.30 Back Roads. (R) 3.00 A Bite To Eat With Alice. (R) 3.30 Long Lost Family. (PG, R) 4.15 Grand Designs: House Of The Year. (R) 5.05 Antiques Roadshow. (R)
6.00 A Bite To Eat With Alice. 6.30 Hard Quiz. (PG, R) 7.00 ABC News.
7.30 7.30.
8.00 Headliners. (Final, PG)
8.50 Solar System With Brian Cox: Strange Worlds. (Final) Explores the solar system’s weirdest worlds.
9.50 Believing In Australia. (PG, R) 10.45 Joanna Lumley And The Human Swan. (R) 11.35 Ithaka: A Fight To Free Julian Assange. (Mlv, R) 12.35 Keep On Dancing. (PG, R) 1.35 Grand Designs: House Of The Year. (R) 2.25 Long Lost Family. (PG, R) 3.10 Rage. (MA15+adhlnsv) 3.30 Matt Okine Is Going To Die. (PGa, R) 4.30 Gardening Australia. (R) 5.30 7.30. (R)
ABC FAMILY (22)
Programs. 5.55pm Octonauts. 6.05 Kangaroo Beach. 6.20 Bluey. 6.25 Peppa’s Christmas. 6.40 Aliens Love Underpants And Panta Claus. 7.05 Andy And The Band. 7.20 Bluey. 7.30 Shaun The Sheep. 7.35 The Inbestigators. 7.50 Operation Ouch! 8.20 Deadly 60. 8.50 Croc Watch With Steve Backshall. 9.35 Doctor Who. 10.25 Mythbusters “There’s Your Problem!”. 10.50 Late Programs.
6.00 WorldWatch. 9.00 For The Love Of Dogs. (PGa, R) 10.00 Paddington Station 24/7. (PGal, R) 10.50 Earth’s Sacred Wonders. (PG, R) 12.00 WorldWatch. 2.00 TradFest: The Fingal Sessions. 2.30 Plat Du Tour. 2.40 French Atlantic. (R) 3.10 The Weekly Football Wrap. (R) 3.40 The Cook Up With Adam Liaw. (R) 4.10 The Supervet. (PGa, R) 5.05 Jeopardy! (R) 5.30 Letters And Numbers. (R)
6.00 Mastermind Australia. (R)
6.30 SBS World News.
7.35 Britain’s Scenic Railways At Christmas. (R) A festive look at Britain’s scenic railways.
8.30 Who Do You Think You Are? Lesley Manville. (PG) Lesley Manville explores her roots.
9.35 London Zoo At Christmas. (PG, R) Behind the scenes at London Zoo.
10.30 SBS World News Late.
11.00 Babylon Berlin. (MA15+v)
12.55 Miniseries: Safe Home. (Malv, R) 2.50 Legacy List With Matt Paxton. (PGv, R) 3.50 Make Me A Dealer. (R) 4.40 Bamay. (R) 5.00 NHK World English News Morning. 5.30 ANC Philippines The World Tonight.
6am Morning Programs. 11.20 Cricket. Third Test. Australia v India. Day 4. Morning session. (Please note: alternative schedule may be shown due to changes to cricket coverage). 1.20 Test Cricket: The Lunch Break. 2.00 Cricket. Third Test. Australia v India. Day 4. Afternoon session. 4.00 Test Cricket: Tea Break. 4.20 Cricket. Third Test. Australia v India. Day 4. Late afternoon session. 6.00 Today. 9.00 Today Extra Summer. (PG) 11.30 9News Morning. 12.00 MOVIE: The Nine Kittens Of Christmas. (2021, G, R) 2.00 Pointless. (PG, R) 3.00 Tipping Point. (PG, R) 4.00 9News Afternoon. 5.00 Tipping Point Australia. (PG, R)
6.00 Seven News. 7.00 Cricket. Big Bash League. Match 3. Sydney Thunder v Adelaide Strikers. 10.30 Big Bash League Post-Game. Post-match coverage of the game.
11.00 Motorway Patrol. (PGad) Officers patrol the freeways of New Zealand. 11.30 Highway Cops. (PGa) A breakfast beer ruins a driver’s day.
12.00 Criminal Confessions: A Killer App. (Mav, R) A look at the case of Jason Dalton.
1.00 Satisfaction. (MA15+ads, R)
2.00 Home Shopping. (R) 4.00 NBC Today. 5.00 Sunrise 5am News. 5.30 Sunrise.
TEN (10)
6.00 9News.
6.00 Deal Or No Deal. (R) 6.30 The Project. 7.30 Deal Or No Deal: Celebrity Jackpot. (PGa) Hosted by Grant Denyer. 8.30 Just For Laughs Montreal. (Mls) Tommy Little presents sets from the world’s famous stand-up stars, backstage action and a few surprises. 9.30 The Graham Norton Show. (Mlv, R) Celebrity guests include Paul Mescal. 10.30 10’s Late News. 10.55 The Project. (R) 12.00 The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. (PG) 1.00 Home Shopping. (R) 4.30 CBS Mornings. 6am Morning Programs. 2pm Derry Girls. 3.00 The Pizza Show. 3.50 WorldWatch. 5.45 Joy Of Painting. 6.15 The Curse Of Oak Island. 7.05 Jeopardy! 7.30 NITV News: Summer Yarns. 7.35 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown. 8.30 The UnXplained Mysteries Of The Universe. 9.20 Hoarders. 10.55 Two Weeks To Live. 11.55 Viva La Vulva. 12.55am Dark Side Of The ‘90s. 1.45 Hamilton’s Pharmacopeia. 2.35 Late Programs. SBS VICELAND (31) 6am Children’s
7.00 A Current Affair.
7.30 The Hundred With Andy Lee. (PGls) A special Christmas episode. 8.30 The Grand Tour. (Ml, R) The presenters head to Kakslauttanen, Finland, deep within the Arctic Circle.
9.50 Resto My Ride Australia. (R) The crew restores a XW. 10.50 Transplant. (MA15+m)
11.40 Prison. (Mal, R)
12.30 Tipping Point. (PG, R)
1.30 TV Shop: Home Shopping. (R)
2.30 Our State On A Plate. (R) 3.00 TV Shop: Home Shopping. (R) 4.00 Believer’s Voice Of Victory. (PGa) 4.30 A Current Affair. (R) 5.00 Today Early News. 5.30 Today.
9GEM (92)
6am Morning Programs. 7.30 Harry’s Practice. 8.00 Million Dollar Minute. 9.00 Left Off The Map. 9.30 NBC Today. Noon Better Homes. 1.00 Escape To The Country. 2.00 Creek To Coast. 2.30 My Greek Odyssey. 3.30 Left Off The Map. 4.00 Animal Rescue. 4.30 Better Homes. 5.30 Escape To The Country. 6.30 Bargain Hunt. 7.30 Call The Midwife. 8.45 Inspector George Gently. 10.45 Late Programs. 6am Morning Programs.
TV Shop. 10.30 Pointless. 11.30 My Favorite Martian. Noon Days Of Our Lives. 12.55 The Young And The Restless. 1.50 Explore. 2.00 Dales For Sale. 3.00 Antiques Roadshow. 3.30 MOVIE: Steptoe And Son Ride Again. (1973, PG) 5.30 The Travelling Auctioneers. 6.30 Antiques Roadshow. 7.30 New Tricks. 8.40 MOVIE: Licence To Kill. (1989, M) 11.25 Late Programs.
3.00 Jarjums. 4.05 Cities Of Gold. 4.35 Motown Magic. 5.00 Our Stories. 5.15 Harlem Globetrotters. 6.00 Bamay. 6.30 NITV News: Summer Yarns. 6.40 Guardians Of The Wild. 7.30 Piri’s Tiki Tour.
6am The Kid From The Big Apple 2. (2017, PG, Mandarin) 8.10 Sabrina. (1995, PG) 10.30 To Leslie. (2022, M) 12.40pm El Planeta. (2021, M) 2.10 A Hero. (2021, PG, Farsi) 4.30 Oka! (2012, PG) 6.30 Remi Nobody’s Boy. (2018, PG, French) 8.30 Home Song Stories. (2007, M) 10.25 High Ground. (2020, MA15+) 12.25am Unclenching The Fists. (2021, M, Russian) 2.15 Late Programs. SBS WORLD MOVIES (32) 6am Morning Programs. 2pm First People’s Kitchen. 2.30 The Cook Up.
8.30 Pro Bull Riding USA: Unleash The Beast. 9.30 Hunting Aotearoa. 10.30 MOVIE: Muru. (2022, MA15+) 12.20am Late Programs. NITV (34)
7TWO (72) 6am Children’s Programs. Noon Hart Of Dixie. 1.00 I Dream Of Jeannie. 1.30
Wednesday, December 18
ABC TV (2) SBS (3)
6.00 News Breakfast. 9.00 ABC News Mornings. 10.00 Nigella’s Christmas Bites. (R) 11.00 Antiques Roadshow. (R) 12.00 ABC News At Noon. 1.00 The Forest. (PG, R) 2.00 Simply Nigella. (R) 3.00 A Bite To Eat With Alice. (R) 3.25 Long Lost Family. (PG, R) 4.15 Grand Designs: House Of The Year. (R) 5.00 Antiques Roadshow. (R)
6.00 A Bite To Eat With Alice.
6.30 Hard Quiz. (PG, R)
7.00 ABC News.
7.30 7.30.
8.00 Neighbours Does Hard Quiz. (Final) Presented by Tom Gleeson. 8.30 The Yearly With Charlie Pickering. A look back at 2024. 9.30 The Cleaner. (Ml, R) Wicky attends the
Last Leg. (R)
11.15 Summer Love. (PG, R)
12.20 Grand Designs: House Of The Year. (R) 1.10 Long Lost Family. (PG, R) 1.55 Rage. (MA15+adhlnsv) 3.30 Monsters Or Medicine?
(PGm, R) 4.30 Gardening Australia. (R) 5.30
7.30. (R)
ABC FAMILY (22)
6.00 WorldWatch. 9.05 For The Love Of Dogs. (PGa, R) 10.05 Paddington Station 24/7. (PGl, R) 10.55 Earth’s Sacred Wonders. (PGa, R) 12.00 WorldWatch. 2.00 TradFest: The Fingal Sessions. 2.30 Language Of Light. (Premiere) 3.00 Plat Du Tour. (PG, R) 3.10 French Atlantic. (R) 3.40 The Cook Up. (PG, R) 4.10 The Supervet. (PGa, R) 5.05 Jeopardy! (R) 5.30 Letters And Numbers. (R)
6.00 Mastermind Australia. (R) Presented by Marc Fennell. 6.30 SBS World News.
7.30 Wham! Last Christmas Unwrapped. A look at Wham!’s Last Christmas
9.30 The Night Manager. (R) A hotel night manager receives a plea for help from a well-connected guest.
10.35 SBS World News Late. 11.05 Maxima. (Mals)
12.00 Pagan Peak. (Return, Mas)
3.00 Legacy List With Matt Paxton. (PG, R) 4.05 Make Me A Dealer. (R) 4.55 Destination Flavour Down Under Bitesize. (R) 5.00 NHK World English News Morning. 5.30 ANC Philippines The World Tonight.
(7)
6am Morning Programs. 11.20 Cricket. Third Test. Australia v India. Day 5. Morning session. (Please note: alternative schedule may be shown due to changes to cricket coverage). 1.20 Test Cricket: The Lunch Break. 2.00 Cricket. Third Test. Australia v India. Day 5. Afternoon session. 4.00 Test Cricket: Tea Break. 4.20 Cricket. Third Test. Australia v India. Day 5. Late afternoon session.
6.00 Seven News. 7.00 Cricket. Big Bash League. Match 4. Melbourne Stars v Brisbane Heat. 10.30 Big Bash League Post-Game. Post-match coverage of the game. 11.00 Unbelievable Moments Caught On Camera. (PGa, R) Footage of headline-grabbing moments.
12.00 Criminal Confessions: She Never Came Home. (MA15+alv, R) A look at the case of Kenia Monge.
1.00 Stan Lee’s Lucky Man. (MA15+av) A hitman takes out an entire charter plane.
2.00 Home Shopping. (R)
4.00 NBC Today.
5.00 Sunrise 5am News.
5.30 Sunrise.
6.00 Today. 9.00 Today Extra Summer. (PG) 11.30 9News Morning. 12.00 MOVIE: Destination Christmas. (2022, PGa) 2.00 Pointless. (PG, R) 3.00 Tipping Point. (PG, R) 4.00 9News Afternoon. 5.00 Tipping Point Australia. (PG, R)
6.00 9News.
7.00 A Current Affair.
7.30 Taronga: Who’s Who In The Zoo: Chimp Challenge. (PGm) 8.30 Budget Battlers. Hosted by Jess Eva and Norm Hogan. 9.30 Space Invaders. (PG, R) A couple are drowning in clutter.
10.30 Millionaire Holiday Home Swap. (PG)
11.30 The Equalizer. (MA15+v, R) 12.20 Tipping Point. (PG, R) 1.20 Talking Honey. (PG) 1.30 TV Shop: Home Shopping. (R) 2.30 Global Shop. (R) 3.00 TV Shop: Home Shopping. (R) 4.00 Believer’s Voice Of Victory. (PGa) 4.30 A Current Affair. (R) 5.00 Today Early News. 5.30 Today.
6am Morning Programs. 7.30 Farm To
6.00 Deal Or No Deal. (R) Hosted by Grant Denyer.
6.30 The Project. A look at the day’s news. 7.30 Jamie Oliver: Christmas. Jamie Oliver hosts a Christmas party. 8.30 NCIS. (Mv) Torres receives intel from an informant regarding top secret naval information that is at risk of being sold.
9.30 NCIS: Origins.
10.30 10’s Late News. Coverage of news, sport and weather.
10.55 The Project. (R) A look at the day’s news.
12.00 The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. (PG) 1.00 Home Shopping. (R) 4.30 CBS Mornings. 6am Morning Programs. 1.20pm Derry Girls. 2.20 Queer Sports. 3.15 The Weekly Football Wrap. 3.45 WorldWatch. 5.45 Joy Of Painting. 6.15 The Curse Of Oak Island. 7.05 Jeopardy! 7.30 NITV News: Summer Yarns. 7.35 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown. 8.30 MOVIE: The Goonies. (1985) 10.35 MOVIE: Johnny Mnemonic. (1995, M) 12.25am Letterkenny. 2.05 NHK World English News. 5.00 Al Jazeera. SBS VICELAND (31) 6am Children’s Programs. 5.35pm Peter Rabbit. 5.45 Kiri And Lou. 5.55 Octonauts. 6.05 Kangaroo Beach. 6.20 Bluey. 6.25 Thomas. 6.40 Piney: The Lonesome Pine. 7.05 Andy And The Band. 7.20 Bluey. 7.30 Shaun The Sheep. 7.35 The Inbestigators. 7.50 Operation Ouch! 8.20 Doctor Who. 9.50 Mythbusters “There’s Your Problem!”. 10.15 Operation Ouch! 10.45 Late Programs.
2pm First People’s Kitchen. 2.30 The Cook Up. 3.00 Jarjums. 4.05 Cities Of Gold. 4.35 Motown Magic. 5.00 Our Stories. 5.15 Harlem Globetrotters. 6.00 Bamay. 6.30 NITV News: Summer Yarns. 6.40 Guardians Of The Wild. 7.30 Philly DA:
6am Remi Nobody’s Boy. (2018, PG, French) 8.00 Whale Rider. (2002, PG) 9.55 The Falcons. (2018, PG, Icelandic) 11.50 Juliet, Naked. (2018, M) 1.40pm Lola. (1961, PG, French) 3.15 Magnetic Fields. (2021, PG, Greek) 4.50 Viajeros. (2022, PG, Spanish) 6.25 Heidi. (2015, PG, German) 8.30 The Nugget. (2002, M) 10.20 Long Story Short. (2021, M) 12.05am Falling. (2020, M) 2.10 Late Programs. SBS WORLD MOVIES (32) 6am Morning Programs.
Days Of Our Lives. 12.55 The Young And The Restless. 1.50 New Tricks. 2.50 Antiques Roadshow. 3.20 MOVIE: Piccadilly Incident. (1946) 5.30 The Travelling Auctioneers. 6.30 Antiques Roadshow. 7.30 To The Manor Born. 8.35 MOVIE: GoldenEye. (1995, PG) 11.15 Late Programs. 9GEM (92) 7TWO (72) 6am Children’s Programs. 6.30 MOVIE: L.O.L. Surprise! The Movie. (2021) 7.30 Children’s Programs. Noon Hart Of Dixie. 1.00 I Dream Of Jeannie. 1.30 Bewitched. 2.00 The Golden Girls. 2.30 The Nanny. 3.30 Seinfeld. 4.30
Love what you have - Cliff
Christmas approaches, zooming as always, likely my last.
Another fine year of letters courtesy of this classy local newspaper.
A mix of all sorts. Right and left wing, the clever, not so clever, the consistently painful types, and the occasional gem.
Self expression is good for the soul, no matter your opinion. In the end nothing matters but seeing it out there in print can at least contribute to the inevitable ups and downs of our daily lives.
Ignore the fear tactics (cost of living) and have a happy Christmas.
Love what you have.
Overpass error
Cliff Ellen, Rye
I sympathise with the Friends of Cape Schanck and their efforts to improve safety (Urgent safety calls grow for Boneo Rd, The News 5/12/24). The problems are only going to get worse if the ill-conceived calls for a Jetty Rd overpass are heeded. Drivers headed to Cape Schanck will probably have to stop at the lights near Yawa and Bunnings but these are minor irritations compared with the huge line of cars waiting to cross Browns Rd at peak times, sometimes stretching back to Bunnings.
If the overpass is built, the wait to pass through the roundabout at the west end of the freeway extension will be even worse than that. McKenzie and Groth have been informed about the solution to traffic flow which does not involve an overpass at Jetty Rd.
Drivers headed to Cape Schanck from the freeway would use the freeway extension, along with those headed to the Rosebud Industrial Estate. Drivers headed towards Portsea would turn left at Jetty Rd to Old Cape Schanck Rd and right at Boneo Rd, where intelligent traffic lights would ensure that no more than about two cars would be waiting to turn right. Browns Rd would be elevated over Boneo Rd so that drivers on both roads don’t need to stop at the intersection.
The money needed to build the overpass at Jetty Rd, which would only move the gridlock front to Boneo Rd, would be used to greater effect in the aforementioned Browns Rd elevation and a new road to overpass Truemans Rd, linking with the freeway reservation. Those headed toward Cape Schanck and Portsea would enjoy a virtually non-stop drive to their destination.
Ray Gibb, Rosebud
Trumpism concern
Gerard Heijden (Rise in Trumpism, Letters 3/12/24) is rightly concerned by the rise of Trumpism in Australia.
Peter Dutton’s Coalition and a number of minor right wing parties are embracing the fact free rhetoric because they have seen that it is a vote winner.
Gerard also notes that recent polls have
shown that only 34 per cent of Australians trust political parties. Here I must dispute the figure. I cannot believe that it is that high.
I do agree with Gerard though that the only way to get any authenticity and trust back into our government is to give more independents a try, it cannot be any worse than the present.
Ross Hudson, Mt Martha
Stick to local issues
I didn’t realise that calling for local issues to be the focus of the letters pages in the local paper was such a controversial idea (Letter guidance, Letters 19/11/24.
As rhetoricians all the way back to Aristotle have pointed out, sarcasm is cheap talk and reflects poorly on the person who deploys it rather than the supposed target.
At the risk of repeating myself, there are a myriad of platforms for someone to air their opinions and concerns about state, national and international issues. But there are very few avenues to discuss local affairs.
Indeed, here on the Mornington Peninsula we are incredibly lucky to have a local paper – it is a privilege very few around Victoria are afforded. The Portland area are about to lose their local papers, and many other regions have already lost these important community assets. Whether they are complaints or compliments, (Letters a vital part of community discourse, Letters 27/11/24) the local paper is an important adjunct to the democratic process.
For example, the news story about the likely maldistribution of funds raised by the short stay levy (Levy takes from peninsula, to give elsewhere, The News 5/11/24). Indeed, I am surprised that no-one has commented on it in the letters pages as yet. Personally, I was appalled to read about it and I hope that our new council and the new shire executive are able to lobby effectively for the travesty to be righted. So long live our local paper! And discussions, complaints and compliments about local matters.
Bianca Felix, Bittern
Meanwhile, in Israel...
I would like to respond to recent letters in your newspaper (IDF shame, Letters 19/11/24) and (Don’t talk about it, Letters 19/11/24).
I understand why one is horrified by the devastation in Gaza. Each day we see horrifying images of dislocation and suffering. But where is the balance?
We never see the impact of war on Israeli people in our unbalanced news reports. We do not see the heartbreak of the families of the hostages, the 60,000 displaced Israelis in the north who can’t live in their homes because of the constant bombardment, the terror of the population running from the thousands of missiles invading the skies.
I am so disappointed in our ABC and other reliable news sources failing to report without bias.
Support Local Independent Journalism
Instead of always blaming Israel, I wish to remind readers that Israel did not start this terrible war. It didn’t massacre, rape, mutilate, and destroy the lives of 1600 with over 100 still in captivity. Hamas is a terrorist organisation that wants to destroy Israel. They knew that Israel would retaliate with force. Hamas does not care about the Gazans. They build their tunnels and store weapons under homes, schools, hospitals, which puts them in harm’s way. If they cared for the Gazans they would not steal their aid which allows their leaders to live luxurious lives in Qatar.
I’ll quote Brendan O’Neil from The Australian: “the truth is that Israel is not executing a genocide in Gaza - it is fighting a war. And like every war in history it is awful… and it is a war that Hamas now refuses to end by returning the hostages and laying down weapons”.
Please stop blaming a country trying to survive an aggressor which aims to repeat 7 October again and again.
Mina Levy, Balnarring Beach
Still in the Middle East...
As much as many would like to blame 7 Oct on the “Palestinian Freedom Fighters” to justify the genocide occurring in Gaza and Lebanon, it is worth while to keep in mind that Israel have been murdering Palestinians and stealing their land since The Nakba or “catastrophe,” which in 1948 saw militias drive 750,000 Palestinians from their homes, carry out more than 70 massacres and seize 78 percent of historic Palestine.
These actions have returned on steroids while too many look the other way, or do not look at all.
What planet do people live on when they call Israel a “democratic stabilising force” in the Middle East?
The “democratic stabilising force” argument has been used by the US for decades of support for Israel while since 1948 they continue to illegally steal land, displace, and murder Palestinians.
Joe Lenzo, Safety Beach
Bushfire danger
Thank you for the important reminder that the fire danger period is upon us (The Fire Danger Period fast approaching, The News 3/12/24).
The Australasian Fire and Emergency Service Authorities Council’s (AFAC) latest Seasonal Bushfire Outlook states that, after a dry winter and spring, “temperature means continue to be above average”.
In particular, the AFAC has earmarked the Mornington Peninsula as a region at increased risk of fire.
As our climate continues to warm, we must be more vigilant and prepared for fires than ever. And, to protect people, property, forests, and wildlife, governments should be investing much more in bushfire management.
Brave CFA volunteers should not be driving trucks over 30 years old – they need modern fire trucks, tankers, drone technology – the works.
Amy Hiller, Kew
Protect women
I participated in the Respect Victoria Walk to Stop Violence Against Women march in Morn-
ington on 1 December.
It was encouraging to see the number of people who attended and the support from the community as we walked along Main Street. It was also encouraging to hear those in attendance wholeheartedly support the motion proposed by Prof Helen Keleher (MC) that the urgent need for purpose–built crisis and permanent accommodation for women and children seeking refuge from family violence and for women who are sleeping rough on the Mornington Peninsula be acknowledged and actioned.
It is the responsibility of all of us; the community and all levels of government, to ensure our women and children live without fear, in stable and supportive long term accommodation and have a safe place to lay their heads in times of crises.
A fish tale
Susan Hillman Stolz, Rye
During the hurries of December my daughter and I found ourselves driving down a one-way street when we saw an older gentleman standing next to a ute waving a fluoro arm around. I rolled the car to a stop and apprehensively lowered the passenger side window to speak to him.
His car had a flat battery and he needed a jump start.
Perfectly capable of being able to provide a jump, and speaking over my daughter out the window, I fumbled through explaining my crazy European battery issues (“you should see how many clips the housing has!”), and time constraints. The man, sensing my blemished excuses, told us to never mind.
I did want to help, but I also felt like I couldn’t be bothered. We drove off.
But soon after decided that where we had to be could wait and that we had to go back and help the man.
My daughter emphatically agreed.
Less than ten minutes later we’re back on the one-way street. The gentleman was now sitting in his car with the engine humming. Again, we speak through the passenger window, “Just doubling back to make sure you’re ok. We rethought it, and we’re sure we can figure out the battery’s hiding spot and get you going”.
He insisted it was ok and that a young couple already stopped (and did what we should have done in the first place).
But he was still thankful for us coming back. We chatted for a few more minutes and he gifted us a recently caught snapper from a cooler in the back of his ute.
That man taught my daughter and I a lesson, and we left with full hearts.
Merry Fishmas.
Nate Avidan, Rosebud
PUZZLE ZONE
Locates
Give birth (of dog)
SCHOOL OF ROCK
PLOS Musical Productions has announced details of the cast and creative team for its January 2025 season of the musical based on movie – School of Rock.
School of Rock will open at the Frankston Arts Centre with a special New Year’s Eve performance for a limited season.
This year’s production really is a family affair continuing the tradition of involvement of a local family who have been involved in local music theatre since the opening of the theatre 30 years ago.
Young Chase Kendall who is playing the role of Billy the Horace Green Prep School student with a flair for fashion and the bands stylist.
Chase is joined on stage by his uncle Clint Wood in the role of Dewey Finn, the failed, wannabe rock star who decides to earn a few extra bucks by posing as a substitute teacher at a Billy’s school.
Chase’s family are no stranger to PLOS with both his parents Kristy and Lawrence having performed onstage with the company, as has his Aunt Jodi. His mother also choreographed productions with the company. His grandfather Mark has both performed with the company and directed productions. Chase’s Grandmother Jannette has also been heavily involved behind the scenes especially in the area of costuming.
Based on the 2003 hit film, School of Rock is adapted for the stage with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber with lyrics by Glenn Slater and the book by Julian Fellowes.
School of Rock follows PLOS’ well received productions of Chicago, The Boy from Oz and Strictly Ballroom and Catch Me if You Can –The Musical.
Tickets available www.plos.asn.au
SHORT STORIES
Notes from Table 29
By Stuart McCullough
WE were excited. We unexpectedly found ourselves shortlisted for some songwriting awards and were invited to attend a swanky ceremony in Sydney. We had to go. Not that travelling to Sydney is easy.
I am a terrible flyer. Usually, I’m the only one taking notes during the safety demonstration. I’m definitely the only person asking questions. While some might consider this level of attention to detail admirable, it tends to annoy other travellers. But I had no choice but to fly. Partly because I was travelling with Katrina, who certainly expected to fly; and partly because there wasn’t enough time to take my preferred mode of transport – walking – and get back to Melbourne before Christmas.
We had no idea what to expect from the ceremony. There was the promise of a red carpet. I assumed a ‘red carpet’ would involve a trail of plush, crimson Axminster leading to the entrance, framed by flashing bulbs and shouting reporters. In actual fact, it was a space about two metres square. It was more a ‘red rug’. And instead of a pack of photographers, there was one; albeit it was Tony Mott, who is undoubtedly the most renown photographer of musicians in the country.
(You know you’re in for an unusual night when you’re starstruck by the person taking your photo. It’s possible I embarrassed myself by mumbling something along the lines of ‘you’re amazing’ which, based on the photo he took, Tony didn’t hold against me.)
As first-time attendees, we weren’t sure what to expect. We certainly didn’t expect to find a program on our table announcing the winners before the ceremony had started. And so it was that we learned we’d lost before we’d had a chance to take our seats.
If the Oscars operated like this, it'd be a much shorter night. They could, at least, have added the words ‘contains spoilers’ to the cover. Nevertheless, there was still the possibility of being called onto the stage, and on that basis, I decided to make a strategic trip to
THE ECOLOGIES PROJECT
MORNINGTON Peninsula Regional Gallery celebrates the first summer in the Bunurong calendar with the stunning and thought-provoking exhibition, The Ecologies Project: How Climate Changes Culture. The Ecologies Project features over 60 works covering a variety of media including photography, installation, video and sound work from artists Maree Clarke, Aunty Netty Shaw, Megan Cope, Sue Ford, Jill Orr, Rosemary Laing, Linda Tegg, Joseph Beuys, Jacobus Capone, Nicholas Mangan and more.
Curated by new MPRG Director Dunja Rmandić and Acting Curator Exhibitions Leah Ferguson, the exhibition asks ‘how does a changing ecology change our culture?’. Considering the Mornington Peninsula as a starting point, many of the works featured were chosen as reference points for the ongoing climate conversation of how what we create now, as a response to climate change, will change our culture in the long run.
Ten thousand years ago the Mornington Peninsula did not exist. The Bunurong / BoonWurrung people were People of the River not People of the Sea and their traditional lands extended to what is now the top of the north-west/central Tasmania. The current climate calamity differs from previous mega-changes in that it has come from us; our colonial and capitalist culture that has changed the climate.
A program of events will run alongside the exhibition including a Long Table discussion, workshops, education and kids’ events and a series of writings. This free exhibition runs until 16 March at
the gents before our category – ‘Best Comedy / Novelty Song’ came on.
The room was cavernous. But on either side of the stage, there was an illuminated sign that, in no uncertain terms, told you where to go. Carving my way through the crowded room, I turned down a small hallway. The first door I reached had a brass plaque that said ‘Performers’.
‘How quaint,’ I thought, reasoning that the organisers had decided to use this nomenclature in the same way some bars prefer label their comfort stations ‘Fillies’ and ‘Colts’. I confidently burst through the door, at which point I was confronted by the sight of a sad and dishevelled cubicle. It barely seemed sufficient to meet the needs of a busload of people, much less a room of five hundred, many of whom were drinking.
Perhaps I was a little overawed by the occasion. Maybe I was keen to get back to my seat before our category came up. But whatever the case, I strode purposefully forward towards the sad little cubicle. After three metres or so, the wall to my left came to an end, revealing a room with couches and a mirror. And people. Standing in front of me was an older gentleman with a long, white beard dressed as a cowboy. He looked like Santa Claus if, indeed, Santa had decided to go undercover to infiltrate a gang of cattle rustlers. I should have stopped. I should have turned around and left. I should have done anything other than press ahead.
As the door to the cubicle slammed
shut behind me, I realised I was not in ‘the Gents’ but somebody’s dressing room. I could hear murmuring and chatter outside. Doubtless, they were trying to determine who was currently residing in what might once have been referred to as ‘the Executive washroom’.
Then there was the matter of an exit. As soon as possible, I peeled back the door and walked quickly without making eye contact. I was back on my seat just in time to hear the name of the winner read out, rather than our own. As the applause died down, the ceremony moved along and they brought out a very special guest. As people whooped and hollered, Undercover Cowboy Santa appeared on stage and took a seat, ready to be interviewed. I was mortified.
It turns out that I’d just used the private bathroom of a revered singersongwriter responsible for hundreds of memorable songs, including the theme song from the TV show, ‘Prisoner’. Which, given that I’d just been ‘on the inside’ of his dressing room, was kind of fitting. I withered in my seat, hoping the guest of honour didn’t decide to regale an eager audience with an amusing anecdote from backstage. Had I been standing on the red carpet/rug at that moment, I’d have blended right in, such was the scale of my humiliation. But Allan, as I now knew him, was too much of a class act to use me for comedic fodder. And for that, at least, I can be grateful. stuart@stuartmccullough.com
Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery.
JILL Orr, Walking on Planet Earth, 1989, ink jet print. Courtesy of the artist.
No Confidence Motion Discussed At Council
Compiled by Cameron McCullough
DURING the monthly sitting of the Council on Friday last, what may be termed as the aftermath of the monster indignation meeting which eventuated in the Frankston Palais, on November 14, 1924 was conveyed in a communication under the signatures of Mr. T. J. McMurtrie (chairman) and Mr. L. J. Ward, secretary.
The letter in question sounded forth the indisputable mandate of “John Citizen,” passed by resolution, viz.:-
“Owing to the DEPLORABLE STATE into which the finances of the Shire have been allowed to drift, this meeting of ratepayers of the Shire of Frankston and Hastings, have no longer confidence in their representatives at the Council table.”
There was a brief pause in the Chamber of Horrors and strange happenings, when Cr. Alden took the initial plunge into the abyss and vortex of controversial element, by saying: “I move that this letter be referred to the ‘Economic Committee’.”
Cr. Gray said that in all seriousness he would move: “The request contained in the letter be complied with.”
It was very evident, he contended, that in consequence of the “muddled state of affairs” in the Shire arena, the ratepayers had lost confidence in the council. It might be alright in the criterions of some of the councillors to try and make a comic opera out of the recent meetings in the local Palais, but could any councillor cite a bigger gathering of indignant rate-
payers than that which had transpired on Friday evening, November 14 last?
Cr. Alden: You know very well the motion won’t be carried. That’s why you’re moving it, added the Tyabb representative. (Sensation).
Cr. McCulloch sneeringly retorted that Cr. Gray was fortified by reason of the resolution passed at the Mt. Eliza meeting of ratepayers, as he (Cr. Gray) knew his seat was safe.
Cr. Gray denied the safe impeachment, and again referred to the Palais meeting.
Cries of how many voted for the motion and further interruptions followed Cr. Gray being challenged on the score that he was out of order, whereupon he made an appeal to the chair.
The President: Cr. Gray is quite in order.
Cr. Gray (proceeding): The people who did not vote acquiesced in the resolution, and I would like to again point out it was the biggest meeting ever held in Frankston.
Cr. McCulloch: The previous week’s meeting was quite as large.
Cr. Gray: It was referring to the meeting at which Mr. McMurtrie had been unanimously voted to the chair. A big meeting, and people were there from all parts of the Shire.
Cr. J. Unthank: Not from our end.
Cr. Gray: I saw a lot of people from all parts present.
Cr. Alden: Yes, out of curiosity.
Cr. Gray: I know some of the councillors are going to burlesque my motion because they are afraid of their skins. (Uproar).
Cr. Brown rose to a point of order.
Cr. Gray’s allusion was “quite uncalled for.”
Cr. Gray: I withdraw the word “skins”; but I’m moving a distinct resolution in view of the number of people who voted at that big meeting.
“I did not know until I saw the advertisement in the paper that a meeting was being called, and I refused to speak at the second one.
Cr. McCulloch: How many people voted for the no confidence motion ?
Cr. Gray: I cannot tell you, but I repeat that even those who did not vote acquiesced in the terms of the resolution.
Cr. Miles: Were they ratepayers?
Cr. Gray: I cannot say, but that has no bearing on the case. The question is that a motion was carried at the big public meeting which stated the ratepayers had no further confidence in the councillors. The people at that meeting had either reason for their action or they had not. I had nothing to do with the organising of the meeting; I simply went there as one of the ratepayers, and one of the councillors who had been condemned.
At all events, the no confidence motion should not be burlesqued; we must give the people some consideration, and believe their intentions are in the direction of helping the Shire along.
“That is the view I am taking,” said Cr. Gray, “and, in any case, those people who were opposed to the no confidence motion should have voted against it. They should have got up at that meeting; never mind what they stated afterwards in the street and elsewhere. The council, as a body, has been condemned”.
***
Frankston High School – Mr. Wm O’Grady’s Generous Donation –Form Shield To Be Purchased
Not so long ago, Mr. Wm. H. O’Grady, J.P., of “Dulce Domum,” Melbourne road, Frankston, who is a most popular citizen of the town, generously donated ten guineas towards the local High School.
Incidentally, it may be mentioned that at the time, the fact was duly recorded in the columns of “The Standard.”
The headmaster, Mr. R. E. Chapman, then put forward the admirable suggestion that a Form Shield be purchased, and this idea has been adopted by the committee.
The shield will be of wood, 241 by 181 inches, and mounted in silver. It will be awarded monthly to the successful form, and the merits of award shall be adjudicated on the “highest aggregate marks obtained.
It is anticipated that this fine shield will be presented by the donor on Speech Night, Thursday, December 18.
***
The Mt. Eliza Riding – Cr. Gray’s Resignation – Filling the Vacancy
Through the medium of our advertising columns to-day, Mr. J. J. Neville announces that in response to a requisition, he has pleasure in placing his services at the disposal of the ratepayers for the seat in the council rendered vacant by reason of the unexpected resignation of Cr. Gray, who up to Friday night last, represented the interests of the people of Mt. Eliza, not only with distinctive merit, but sterling and conscientious
regard for their welfare.
Unhesitatingly, it may be said that his retirement from the active sphere of municipal life will be widely regretted.
He always proved himself a grand fighter for the cause of justice to all.
With regard to the prospective candidate, Mr. Neville, he was born at Gisborne in 1882, and for a period of 42 years was a valued employee in the service of the railways until he retired three years ago.
During the sensational break of the land boom about 1904, and when Frankston was in the throes of the debacle, Mr. Neville came to the town as R.S.M.
Since then he has been a frequent visitor. For the past three summers he has been a permanent resident in our midst, and being now a man of leisure, will be able to devote his full time to civic affairs, while, in addition, a systematic training in administrative work is an asset in his favour.
On the other hand, we are credibly informed that Mr. J. B. Jolly, the well-known and progressive citizen of Frankston,, has also been asked to allow himself to be nominated for the vacancy.
We understand that Mr. Jolly is considering the position, and will announce his decision in the course of a few days.
It is rumoured that Mr. J. R. McComb may enter the field and go to the barrier.
***
From the pages of the Frankston and Somerville Standard, 10 & 12 Dec 1924
scoreboard
Final wicket stand saves Heatherhill
By Brodie Cowburn
PROVINCIAL
AN excellent final wicket partnership between Shaun Miller and Liam Glennie may have saved Heatherhill from defeat against Pines on Saturday.
Heatherhill was sent in to bat first on day one at Eric Bell Reserve. They struggled from the outset, as Pat Jackson tore through the top order.
Miller and Glennie, batting at number 10 and 11 respectively, helped restore some pride. Miller starred with an impressive unbeaten 52 from 72 deliveries.
Glennie deserves credit for his supporting role - he scored one run from 53 deliveries.
Heatherhill ended up all out for 155. Pat Jackson did most of the damage for Pines. He took 5/49 from 22 overs. Pines faced 12 overs before stumps. They lost Declan Jackson’s wicket and scored 20 runs. Lachlan Jackson and Connor Jackson will take to the crease on day two.
Langwarrin set a formidable target for Dromana to chase down at Lloyd Park last weekend.
Langwarrin scored 265 runs on Saturday. Opener Matthew Prosser topscored with 84 from 129 deliveries. Skipper Ricky Damiano scored 42. Sorrento was bowled out for 160 by Red Hill on day one of their clash last
weekend.
Sharks opener Jedd Falck was his side’s best contributor, scoring 74 from 170. He was eventually run out.
A middle order and tail end collapse left Sorrento in a precarious position. Red Hill scored 21 runs without losing a wicket before stumps.
Baden Powell scored 221 runs on Saturday against Old Peninsula.
PENINSULA
MT ELIZA are on their way to a win over Mornington at Emil Madsen Reserve.
Mornington had a horrid day on Saturday. They were bowled out for just 96 runs.
Charlie Parker top-scored for the Bulldogs with 41 from 159 balls.
Tom Baron bowled brilliantly for Mt Eliza. He bowled 31 overs, taking 3/36. His 13 maidens helped restrict the Bulldogs’ run rate.
Reuben Higgins took 4/22 from 14 overs.
Mt Eliza faced 18 overs before stumps, they lost two wickets and will start day two from 2/21.
A century from opener Luke Rowe has put Somerville in a strong position against Seaford Tigers.
Rowe smashed 112 runs from 136 deliveries, including seven fours and four sixes. His knock helped Somerville reach a final total of 4/295.
Somerville declared with 14 overs left to play in the day. Seaford Tigers dug in at the crease, and finished the day at 1/57.
Long Island’s run chase is off to a poor start at RF Miles Reserve. Seaford set them a target of 138 to chase down - Long Island responded by scoring 3/32 before stumps was called.
Moorooduc batted all day long against Rosebud on Saturday. Rosebud have been tasked with scoring 177 to win.
DISTRICT
CARRUM Downs are on their way to a win over Main Ridge. After winning the toss, Main Ridge chose to bat first at Carrum Downs Recreation Reserve. After a few early stumbles, Praveen Fernando came in at number five and steadied the ship. He scored 49 from 89 deliveries to help his side reach a final total of 125.
Carrum Downs made a big dent in their target before stumps. They finished the day at 1/54.
Crib Point had a day out at BA Cairns Reserve last Saturday, scoring a whopping 343 runs.
Every Crib Point batter made an impact last weekend - Matthew Blake and Angus Cripps were top-scorers with scores of 78 and 76 respectively. Cripps finished unbeaten, and scored his 76 runs from just 43 balls.
Flinders has a huge task ahead of them to get anything out of the game on day two.
Balnarring scored 166 runs against Baxter before being bowled out last weekend. Baxter scored 26 runs in reply, and managed to avoid losing a wicket before stumps.
Boneo set Carrum a target of 165 to score to win at Roy Dore Reserve on Saturday.
SUB DISTRICT
GOOD knocks from Bailey Daffy and Daniel Streker helped Delacombe Park put a decent total on the board against Tootgarook last weekend.
Daffy came in at number five and scored 51. Daniel Streker scored 46 from 105 deliveries batting at number eight.
Delacombe Park was bowled out for 173 runs. Tootagrook survived three overs before stumps without losing a wicket.
Skye set Rye a target of 180 to chase down at Skye Reserve on Saturday.
Patrick Beckham scored a halfcentury, putting 56 runs on the board.
David Dervan also contributed 49 runs to the total.
Frankston YCW bowled Tyabb out for 150 on Saturday. Mt Martha bowled out Ballam Park for 176.
WOMENS DIV ONE
BRIANNA Watson and Catherine Donlon starred in Balnarring’s win over Carrum Downs on Sunday. Carrum Downs batted first on their home deck last weekend. Off the back of good knocks by Carley Walford and skipper Lauren Richards, Carrums Downs put 99 runs on the scoreboard in their 30 overs.
Balnarring reached their target without any trouble at all. Openers Watson and Donlon scored 45 and 50 not out respectively.
Balnarring wrapped up a dominant 10 wicket win after 15 overs.
An unbeaten half-century from Aimee Mellford helped Tooradin pick up the points against Crib Point last weekend.
Crib Point was bowled out for 116 runs by Tooradin. Aimee Mellford starred with the ball too - she took 5/3 off four overs, Mellford backed up her brilliant bowling with an unbeaten score of 56. Her innings was a huge factor as Tooradin grabbed a six wicket win. Somerville had to work hard to chase down Delacombe Park’s target of 94 last Sunday. Somerville reached their target with three overs to spare and five wickets in hand.
Mornington melt: Mt Eliza bowled Mornington out for just 96 runs on Saturday. Picture: Paul Churcher
Three wins from three outings
THE Mornington Peninsula veterans had a good win in their over 60s game against Endeavour Hills on Sunday (8 December).
Having first use of the turf wicket at the Sydney Pargeter Reserve, Endeavour Hills scored 118 runs for the loss of ten wickets in 33 overs. The main destroyer of the opposition was Jeremy West with four wickets for 35 runs from eight overs that won him the man of the match award. Going into bat the Mornington Veterans, after a slow start, accelerated the scoring reaching the target in the 38th over. The main contributors were Mark Hale who scored 23 in 30 balls, Trevor Burt 20 off 30, Jeremy West 18 off 23 balls, and Graeme Wilson 23 off 27 balls. Anyone interested in playing veterans cricket visit their website at www.mpvcccom.au
The Mornington Pirates put the Blackburn Orioles to the sword on Sunday in their round ten match at Wilson Reserve, winning convincingly 11-3. The 2nds also had a strong win dominating their match from start to finish winning 13-1. The Pirates next home game is on Sunday 19 January.
On Saturday 7 December Hobsons Bay in conjunction with the Royal Yacht Club of Victoria and Mornington Yacht Club held it's annual distance race to Mornington. Approximately 45 yachts sailed the course from port Melbourne to Mornington. Local yacht Javelin (M9), pictured left, came second for line honours behind Arcadia (S17) and Kioni (0477) in forth.
Pictures: Alan Dillon
Picture: Craig Barrett
Mornington Peninsula surfer Hayden Forrest pulls a great “Grab Rail” air at Gunnamatta.
Picture: Paul Churcher
WESTERN PORT scoreboard
Vickery drives Langy juggernaut
SOCCER
By Craig MacKenzie
EARLY this year Rob Vickery was set to scale down his involvement with Langwarrin but by the end of October he’d started his first year as president of the biggest soccer club in Frankston and the peninsula.
The 56-year-old says it was the realisation of Langwarrin’s place in the community that triggered his backflip.
“I sat through a presentation and had a moment when I realised this is a massive part of our community with over 750 players and we simply can’t afford to stuff this up,” Vickery said.
“I’d done a lot of work in many different areas of the club and felt that I had the knowledge to be a good president.
“I went home and spoke to my wife and we knew it was a big commitment but we agreed that I should do it.”
Vickery had decided to grasp the helm of a club edging towards a $1 million turnover while continuing to run the Dandenong-based Horsepower Factory – Australia’s largest performance vehicle workshop – that he owns in partnership with wife Jenny.
He’d also faced a serious health issue in recent years that forced him to step down from the Langwarrin committee so his decision to now add to his workload wasn’t taken lightly.
It was James Bretnall’s decision to relinquish the president’s role at a time when many other committee members were standing down that gave Vickery cause for concern.
“I’d accepted the offer to return to the club as treasurer early this year but I knew that there was going to be a big change on the committee just when the club had grown so quickly.
“To give you an example our junior program has grown by 48 percent in two years.
“I’d put in a lot of work throughout the year to get us financially stable and put things in place for the future and I was concerned that if people without the right skills set were put into certain roles we could quite quickly get into trouble.
“You have to understand the nuances of the club and how the various parts all fit together.”
You also have to understand how to surround yourself with expertise and here Vickery proved extremely adept.
“Part of it was speaking to James and swapping roles with him to continue having his support – that was important to me.
“Then I went about assembling a committee that I thought would
be highly functional with businessminded people and I’m confident that we’ve got that.
“Having John Heskins as vicepresident was another important part of the puzzle for me – he has so much knowledge of the history of the club and I can always call on him to find out what happened with something in the past to better understand the issue.”
Vickery has outlined to the committee the policy agenda he wants to pursue and has changed some outdated practices at Lawton Park.
This is part of what he called the five pillars in a presentation to his committee with the first pillar being financial stability.
“We have employed a bookkeeper to handle all our accounts and we now have one email for all our suppliers to send invoices.
“That might seem like an obvious thing but traditionally there were emails going to people’s personal accounts and invoices could get missed so we wanted to put a stop to that.
“What we’ve done is put in place a lot of things that we needed in order to manage a club of this size and our reporting and budgeting is now more in line with how you run a business.”
The second pillar of Vickery’s or-
ganisational template focusses on an inclusive playing program with two clearly defined pathways running throughout the club.
The community juniors have been rebranded as the development stream where players will potentially feed into Langy’s Bayside teams and the academy stream where the players’ pathway feeds into the club’s junior boys NPL and senior men’s programs.
“Both streams will have the same amount of training and each stream will have a technical director overseeing them.”
The third policy pillar of the Vickery regime focusses on improving engagement with members and Vickery has reflected on the impact of becoming an NPL club.
“When the JBNPL came in it ushered in major change at the club and we want to better engage with our members.
“It may never get back to what it was but we can still be a great family club.”
The fourth policy pillar revolves around member support in the field of mental wellness and awareness.
“It’s something I am passionate about and we have a lady on the committee called Patricia Diano who is qualified in that space.
“We have a member protection officer but I don’t think it’s a position we take seriously enough.
“I think we should and that is something we will focus upon.”
Vickery’s fifth and final policy pillar centres on the management of the club’s communication documents.
“We’ve just implemented Microsoft Exchange across the club and put all our documents into SharePoint so we’ve got file storage and structure.
“For example, if the football department needs specific documents or programs that we want coaches to be able to access we can easily share them out as central documents to everyone.
“It’s all about tidying up that admin back-end and getting it functioning properly in line with the organisation we are now.”
Vickery points to a number of key performance indicators under which the success or failure of his leadership will be judged and principal among them is player retention.
“It’s one of your big KPIs across every program.
“We already know we have high retention levels but how can we maintain and/or improve on them?
“And shortly we’ll release a member survey that will cover football, communication and member support and it will be data-driven so we can get ratings.
“That’s something we’ll release each year so we can see how we’re performing in all these areas.
“Financially our priority is to get to the end of our financial year having achieved our budget and from a football point of view, well, I’m a bit reserved to talk about that as I don’t want to add to the pressure on the (senior) players and coaches.
“But if we can finish in the top four that’s where we would hope to finish.
“I’m a big believer that our senior program is our aspirational program.
“I often say when we were established in 1964 we had a senior team and that is what established everything you see in front of you now.
“We have to put that on a pedestal – it’s the highest level in the club and that’s what draws a lot of people here.”
Vickery reserved special praise for the work of senior coach Jamie Skelly and Adam Poole now the club’s technical director and head of football.
“The work Adam and Jamie have done in that junior space is absolutely exceptional and they are a big reason our junior program has grown as much as it has.
“It’s highly unusual to have a senior coach with so much involvement
in the junior program and who understands every aspect of it.
“When the football program is going so well we need to get the off-field stuff in order and if we do that this club will absolutely fly – we’ll just keep progressing and that’s our aim.”
In State 4 news Baxter has been rocked by the sudden resignation of head coach Hayden Taylor after recently announcing that he had signed on for next season.
Taylor would only cite personal reasons for his decision and has dismissed suggestions that the club failed to meet the conditions he laid down recently as prerequisites for him to stay.
“Baxter’s been as good as gold, they really have,” Taylor said.
“I’m continuing to work with the club and players to find a suitable replacement.
“My decision wasn’t made lightly as football is an integral part of my world but I feel this is the best decision for us all moving forward.”
Taylor’s close friend Jamie O’Halloran will continue as the club’s football operations manager but specialist goalkeeping coach Peter Blasby has resigned and stepped down from the committee.
Taylor’s decision caught Baxter president Bray Hodgkinson off-guard as he had announced on 18 November that Taylor had agreed to become head coach for the 2025 season.
“I was surprised but also disappointed for Hayden as I was really excited for him having his chance at senior level,” Hodgkinson said.
“But we support his decision entirely.
“We’re incredibly grateful for his service to our club and want to thank him for that.”
Taylor took over as interim head coach in the back half of last season when his father Kevin “Squizzy” Taylor stepped down from the position. Meanwhile two local clubs featured in friendlies last weekend.
Langwarrin lost 1-0 to a late Dandenong City goal while Skye had many triallists in its 4-2 loss to Bayside Argonauts.
Here are this week’s friendlies: Thursday, 7.30pm Chelsea v Langwarrin U23s, Edithvale Recreation Reserve Saturday, 6pm Langwarrin v Dandenong Thunder, George Andrews Reserve (U19s 11.30am, U23s 2.30pm) Sunday, 11am Skye Utd v Mazenod, Carrum Downs Recreation Reserve
Tough at the top: New Langwarrin president Rob Vickery pictured in front of the Gus Macleod Stand at Lawton Park. Picture: Supplied Sudoku and crossword solutions
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