NEWS DESK
Monkey bikes ban goes postal Continued from Page 1 Frankston mayor Cr Sandra Mayer said the regular fortnightly meeting with police on Monday last week confirmed community awareness and education about monkey bikes is “vitally important”. “Council and Victoria Police officers discussed the recent tragic event that involved the illegal use of monkey bikes and the success of the ongoing strategies in place that have resulted in numerous monkey bikes being seized and crushed over the past few years,” she said. “We will need to work together to get the word out that monkey bikes are unsafe. And parents will need to realise that everyone, in particular children, are unsafe riding monkey bikes in public as they have less awareness of risks and limited knowledge of road rules.” Council’s community development director Gillian Kay said council will impound illegal monkey bikes and owners will be charged a release fee of $757. Bikes will be impounded for six months for a first offence and 12 months for a second or subsequent offence. Riders of unregistered motorcycles may also be charged with being unlicensed and having an unroadworthy vehicle. “In addition, we are writing to the Minister for Police and Emergency Services expressing our concern and seeking more support to address the issue,” she said. Social media was scathing about the earlier lack of police response to their complaints about hoons riding monkey bikes. Many claimed to have
been laughed at or ignored. Frankston resident Tony Martin said he “gave up” calling police after five attempts. “All the response I got was that they were ‘going to send a car around’ but nothing came of it. “They won’t follow up on kids.” Senior Sergeant Ron Barbury, of Carrum Downs police, said calls to police were “always attended to” but those deemed to be not as serious as others are pushed down the list. “They are always attended to, either by patrols or by catching the offenders,” he said. “The decision [of which call to attend to first] is made by a supervisor.” He said an emphasis on community awareness and educating offenders, and their parents, was a key to solving the problem. “The parents are the ones who purchase these bikes which are prohibited under law,” he said. Senior Sergeant Barbury said Frankston authorities had achieved “enormous success” in highlighting the dangers of monkey bikes. Frankston
was the first council – in 2007 – to ban the bikes and have offender’s bikes crushed. “Everyone else is looking at Frankston now to see what it is doing now because it leads the way on the issue. Then it’s up to us [police] to enforce the law.” The Carrum Downs man charged with knocking down Mrs Lehane was refused bail at a hearing at a Melbourne Magistrates’ Court hearing last Wednesday. Caleb Jakobsson, 18, is charged with culpable driving causing death, dangerous driving causing death, failing to stop after an accident, failing to render assistance after an accident, unlicensed driving and driving an unregistered vehicle. Magistrate Frank Holzer reportedly told the court Jakobsson could face a lengthy prison sentence if found guilty of culpable driving. He will reappear in the same court next year.
Tributes after tragedy: The community rallied round to show support for the Lehane family in the wake of Andrea Lehane’s death by laying flowers, above, and attending a vigil, above left, at Carrum Downs Regional Shopping Centre. Pictures: Gary Sissons
Aaron’s catch tops the scale FETE & OPEN DAY SATURDAY - 1oth OCTOBER 2015 9:00 am - 2:00 pm Proudly presenting the
‘Eat Ya Greens’ Folk Group, Australian Welsh Male Choir, Ian Smith Jazz Quartet, Mt Erin College Music Dept
Cakes Art/Craft Plants Pottery Second-hand Books Hot Dogs, Egg & Bacon Sandwiches Trash & Treasure Sausage Sizzles Devonshire Teas Dutch poffertjes Come along and enjoy the croquet and spinning wheel demonstrations
The whole family will enjoy the Animal Farm Face painting Jumping castle S.E.S & C.F.A Displays with Activities for the children
And to bring back those memories of days long gone a must see is the
Classic Car & Classic Motor Cycle Display... Featuring a Grand Parade commencing at 12.00pm
WHAT’S claimed to be a Victorian record blue fin tuna was caught just outside the Heads by a Mornington angler Wednesday. Abalone diver and keen fisherman Aaron Crocombe hooked his 163.65kg catch using a Pakula Mouse lure 9.30am and had it in the boat 20 minutes later. The regular big gamer – a member of Snapper Point Angling Club - was with mates on a Pro-line Charters boat out of Sorrento when the fish struck. “I knew it was a big one but it’s hard to know how big until you get it in the boat,” he said. “We put it up against another tuna already on board and realised it was a beauty. I was using a harness and I’m still a little sore.” Fishing since he was “knee high…” – and a serious game angler since 2009 – Mr Crocombe isn’t one to rest on his laurels: he was packing Thursday for a trip to tuna-haven Robe, South Australia, “where the big ones are”. Snapper Point Angling Club’s John Beasy said the tuna was the first caught from a boat out of Sorrento. He told TheTimes another fishy story: “The story goes that a larger one was hooked, fought for two hours, broke the rod and was lost at the boat the previous Sunday”. Mr Crocombe is happy his was the one that didn’t get away. Stephen Taylor
VILLAGE UNITS AND FACILITIES OPEN FOR INSPECTION Retirement Village Living in a Caring Community
8 Robinsons Road, Frankston South, Vic 3199. Telephone: 5971 1349 Parking available at Mt Erin School Programme and Map available on the day PAGE 10
Frankston Times 5 October 2015
Record haul: Mornington angler Aaron Crocombe couldn’t hide his smile when he landed this possibly-record-breaking blue fin tuna Wednesday.