Southern Peninsula
Proudly published by Mornington Peninsula News Group Pty. Ltd
PHONE: 03 5973 6424 Published weekly
Circulation: 22,870
Audit period: Apr 2014 - Sept 2014
Source: AMAA; CAB Total Distribution Audit for further information visit auditedmedia.org.au
Journalists: , Mike Hast, Stephen Taylor, Neil Walker 5973 6424 Photographers: Gary Sissons, Yanni Advertising Sales: Ricky Thompson 0425 867 578 or ricky@mpnews.com.au Real Estate Account Manager: Jason Richardson 0421 190 318 Production/Graphic design: Maria Mirabella, Marcus Pettifer Group Editor: Keith Platt 0439 394 707 Publisher: Cameron McCullough REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS: David Harrison, Barry Irving, Peter McCullough, Stuart McCullough. ADDRESS: Mornington Peninsula News Group, PO Box 588 Hastings 3915 Email: team@mpnews.com.au Web: mpnews.com.au DEADLINE FOR NEXT ISSUE: 1PM ON THURSDAY 7 JANUARY 2015 NEXT ISSUE PUBLICATION DATE: TUESDAY 12 JANUARY 2016
An independent voice for the community We are the only locally owned and operated community newspaper on the Mornington Peninsula. We are dedicated to the belief that a strong community newspaper is essential to a strong community. We exist to serve residents, community groups and businesses and ask for their support in return.
NEWS DESK
Traders count cost of Saturday siege Stephen Taylor steve@mpnews.com.au RYE traders are counting their losses in the wake of a siege on Saturday 5 December when a man held two women hostage for almost eight hours. Police closed Point Nepean Rd between Weeroona and Weir streets and evacuated shops, including those at the Safeway shopping complex, when a 69-year-old man armed with lowcalibre weapons was seen entering the Little Beach Cafe, Point Nepean Rd, at 7.45am. While no one was injured, the same can’t be said for traders’ cash registers: Not only did they lose a day’s takings, ruined stock and wasted staff wages, but many are finding they cannot claim the losses on their insurance. Their policies honour claims only after 48 hours’ loss of trade – not eight hours – making the losses even more galling because that Saturday was tipped to be one of the busiest in the lead-up to Christmas. Anton Vigenser, of Freaky Tiki cafe, said he lost “a couple of thousand” on the day, as well as the cost of ruined stock. “We were 15 minutes into being open with all the food out of the fridge
and serving customers when we got the call to leave,” Mr Vigenser said. “Don’t get me wrong, it was a serious situation and the police were there doing their job – but it was frustrating for traders.” He said he had to “press a police woman to speak with her supervisor” so that he could return to his shop to turn off the oven. “It would not have been ideal to leave all that food burning and possibly causing a fire in that situation.” Mr Vigenser said 13 shops were affected by the siege shutdown, including Woolworths, whose management said the store was closed for 10 hours. A spokeswoman for the insurance company (which did not want to be identified) where many of the traders have policies, said the wording of the policy was crucial. “To be successful, a claim for business interruption insurance has to be the result of an actual or physical threat to the property, such as a storm, fire or bomb threat,” she said. The policies contain a 48-hour excess period. “Traders need to prove that the threat is to their property, and that it covers prevention of action over that time,” she said. She admitted the clauses contained “grey areas” and said some traders had
discussed claiming compensation from the gunman, but predicted this would be unlikely to succeed. Meanwhile, Mr Vigenser is lamenting his lost day’s trade. “We hung about,” he said. “We went to the indoor market hoping it would all blow over in a couple of hours, but then I was again told I wasn’t allowed in, so I went home. “Later I called a staff member after it was all over and we went down and closed up. It was a totally wasted day.” Police commander Inspector Karen Nyholm, described the siege as a “volatile situation” on the day. She later issued an open letter thanking the public for “their understanding and support of our need to keep the area shut down at what should have been a busy Saturday morning for local traders, residents and visitors.” At the height of the siege, about 80 officers – including heavily armed members of the special operations group – were stationed outside the shop where the hostages were being held. At least one shot is alleged to have been fired into the ceiling of the cafe during the stand-off, which ended when two women were released through the front door at about 3.20pm, followed shortly after by their alleged captor.
SUPERL CI2A SPE 6 until 1/ /1 valid
IN x 12IN 2FT x 12 nk fish ta
.50 only $29
Fish - Tanks Professional Pet & Accessories Grooming Accessories
DIY Dog Hydro Bath
1212089-LN52-15
OPEN 7 DAYS 9am - 5pm. WE ARE OPEN OVER CHRISTMAS
PETORIUM PET & AQUARIUM SUPPLIES Shop 5/177 Mornington-Tyabb Road, Mornington Phone: 5975 4847 | Email: sales@petoriummornington.com.au PAGE 8
Southern Peninsula News 22 December 2015