IT was as if the first day of winter was arranged by central casting. Right on cue, humpback whales appeared in Port Phillip and along the Phillip Island coast. A pod of killer whales was reported at Port Phillip Heads. In the know whale watchers have been awaiting the annual arrival of the marine mammals as they move from the wild Southern Ocean into warmer waters along Australia’s coastlines. For many years, Victoria mostly missed out on seeing these whales, however over the past decade, whale numbers have grown and the migration of humpback whales regularly spills into the coastal…
Author: Keith Platt
PENINSULA Aero Club is blaming “a small noisy anti-airport lobby group” for making it observe a “holy hour” ban on flying. The 9.30am-10.30am restriction on Sunday take-offs and landings from the Tyabb airfield has been ignored for more than 40 years. The All Saints Church, which the original flying ban was supposed to protect from noise, ended its Sunday services in the 1970s. But an unholy row lit up two weeks ago when the aero club suddenly withdrew its request for Mornington Peninsula Shire Council to delete the restriction from its permit. The council meeting to discuss the permit variation…
THE Arctic Circle may be a long way from Western Port, but activities this far south have an important role to play for birds that annually fly between these two areas. Boats and other watercraft in Western Port can have a dramatic effect on the capability of birds to survive the arduous seasonal trip. The wetlands that line Western Port are a major food source and place of protection for the birds before they take off for the Northern Hemisphere. However, their wetland feeding areas are also the hunting ground for people wanting to catch fish. The wester Port Biosphere…
TWO sitting MPs are among the nine candidates contesting the seat of Flinders in Saturday 18 May federal election. Liberal Greg Hunt, who has held the seat for 18 years, is being opposed by former Liberal colleague now independent Julia Banks, the MP for Chisholm, as well as two other independents and five party-aligned candidates. Two candidates, Susie Beveridge and Reade Smith, are former Mornington Peninsula Shire councillors. Candidates as they appear on the ballot paper: Harry Dreger, independent; James Persson, Animal Justice Party; Greg Hunt, Liberal; Reade Smith, Sustainable Australia; Josh Sinclair, Australian Labor Party; Nathan Lesslie, The Greens;…
The fence along the Esplanade at Mt Martha designed to cut off access to The Pillars cliff-jumping site will be pulled down after Easter. Although not entirely effective, the fence did lead to a large drop in numbers of people gathering on the cliffs, but it also saw police refusing to cross it in pursuit of anyone drinking alcohol in breach of the shire’s local laws. Mornington Peninsula Shire councillors will decide whether the fence is reinstalled in time for next summer after receiving a report from council officers. The 400-metre long fence effectively blocked a walking track along the…