A TWO-month operation targeting jet ski riders on Mornington Peninsula beaches has resulted in fines for 94 jet ski riders and boaties. 17 fines were issued for operating a vessel exceeding five knots within 200 metres of the water’s edge. Three people copped fines for speeding within 50 metres of swimmers, and one was caught too close to a structure in inland waters. Police officers from Rosebud, Dromana, Rye, and Sorrento, have been conducting the targeted operation since the start of December. They used drones alongside patrols by local police, the Public Order Response Team, Water Police, Transit officers, and…
Author: Brodie Cowburn
AFTER a decade of uncertainty, a long-term tenant has signed on to occupy the Frankston Yacht Club building. Since opening in 2016, the Frankston Yacht Club building has been a financial sinkhole for Frankston Council. Construction of the building and its maintenance has cost ratepayers at least $11 million, and it has largely been unoccupied over the last decade. Last week Frankston Council confirmed that Roccella Group had signed on to establish an Italian restaurant on the top floor of the building. It is the first tenant to sign a long-term lease for the top floor since the project was…
EXTRA water police officers have been rostered on to monitor dangerous jet ski behaviour. Victoria Police has confirmed that its water police squad has already responded to more than 500 incidents statewide this summer. With the weather heating up, more proactive patrols have been deployed to Victorian beaches. As part of Operation “Summersafe”, police will keep a closer eye on jet-ski riders to ensure they are not endangering swimmers. Police will also converge on boat ramps to conduct breath tests and licence checks, and carry out vessel inspections to check for lifejackets, torches and fire extinguishers. Over the Australia Day…
A PERSON has escaped unharmed after his boat caught fire off the coast of Carrum. The fire broke out in Port Phillip Bay before midday on 29 January. Victoria Police have confirmed that one person was evacuated from the vessel uninjured. “Emergency services were called to a boat fire off Chelsea Beach about 11.40am,” A Victoria Police statement read. “There was only one person on board the 12-metre vessel at the time and they were brought to shore by the occupants of a nearby boat. He has been checked by ambulance crews and has no injuries.” By 12.45pm, Vic Emergency…
RECORD crowds are turning out for this year’s Australian Open, but things may look different if not for a series of tournaments in Frankston nearly five decades ago. 45 years ago, a pair of international tennis Grand Prix events at an indoor centre in Frankston helped pave the way for the modern day iteration of the Grand Slam. Although it was founded in 1905, for many decades the top stars of tennis decided against competing in the Australian Open. The long travel times and proximity to Christmas were often cited by international stars as reasons to stay home. As the…