Ready, set for sports ground opening
Between the flags: Lyla, Trent Maxwell (Maxi) and Jonny at Moorooduc Primary School. Picture: Gary Sissons
Bondi life saver visits Moorooduc THE glamour of Sydney’s iconic Bondi Beach could be felt at Moorooduc Primary School last week when veteran lifeguard “Maxi” spoke to students about water safety. Maxi – Trent Maxwell – is a veteran of 11 seasons on Channel 10’s Bondi Rescue and ranks as one of its most popular personalities. He is the youngest professional lifeguard to work at Bondi. He spoke about water and beach safety, the importance of swimming
between the flags, how to identify a rip, how to safely get out of a rip, how to call emergency services and use floatation devices to rescue those in trouble. Maxi spoke about his experiences as a lifesaver at Bondi – one of the most visited beaches in the world – and some of the rescues in which he’s been involved. He is also a professional firefighter in Sydney and has written children’s books based on his life integrating
water safety messages into the narratives. Teacher Jodie Redman said the students were “really engaged with the presentation and asked lots of questions and were eager to participate”. “They were thrilled to have an opportunity to have their photo taken with Maxi and get their books signed,” she said. Moorooduc is the first school in Victoria that Maxi has visited.
Call to limit road speeds Stephen Taylor steve@baysidenews.com.au
A INCREASING road toll has reinforced Mornington Peninsula Shire Council’s call for blanket speed limits rather than just on specific roads. Former mayor Cr David Gill said an 80kph limit should be trialled in dangerous areas in a bid to reduce road deaths which have spiked on the peninsula over the past 12 months. So far this year the toll stands at 13 dead and 100 seriously injured. The deaths include six drivers, a motorcyclist, four passengers and two pedestrians on freeways and country roads. Last year there were two deaths in line with the long-term average. Cr Gill wants 80kph speed limits on all narrow and unmade roads throughout the peninsula. “Mornington Peninsula Shire was the first council in Victoria to sign up to the Towards Zero campaign,” he said. “We have 330 kilometres of dirt roads and lots of them are narrow and winding. “We have 6.3 million tourists annually wandering around from tourist site to tourist site and that means we have a huge problem.
“Half the deaths so far this year have been on rural roads and half of them have been tourists, and we are coming to the most dangerous time of the year so that figure will go up.” Among the peninsula’s most dangerous roads are Coolart Road, which has an 80kph limit, Tubarubba Road, Shoreham Road, and Frankston-Flinders Road which the former mayor described as “very dangerous”. There are also concerns about Limestone Road, Boneo. Cr Gill said the road danger increased when drivers crossed the intersections of roads with different speed limits. Stumpy Gully Road, which he labelled the “most dangerous dirt road on the peninsula” has a 100kph limit but crosses made roads, such as Bungower Road, which has an 80kph limit. Balnarring Road with its 80kph limit is also crossed by roads that have 100kph limits. “Why not bring the limit down on all these roads to 80kph over a wide area, because it’s the area that is dangerous,not just the individual roads,” Cr Gill said. Dirt roads are not signed meaning the default limit is 100kph. “VicRoads says people drive to the conditions, but that is simply not true:
ask the tradie rushing to an appointment, or truckies on a deadline,” he said. Cr Gill led a TV news crew along Stumpy Gully Road to illustrate his point. “I was driving at about 50 kilometres an hour. When we stopped, I told them the road actually has a 100 limit and they said they’d thought it was dangerous driving at 50.” The peninsula runs the gamut of roads: hilly, narrow, dirt, coastal, scenic and freeways. “We are ideally suited to the Towards Zero campaign, but we need to find more innovative ways to achieve it,” Cr Gill said. Roundabouts, while effective, are costly, with the cheapest costing $2 million or more. Cr Gill said the proposed Balnarring five-ways roundabout would cost more than $8 million. “We need to come up with innovative road treatments that cut the road toll but don’t cost an arm and a leg,” he said. The TAC, police and emergency services, such as the SES and CFA, support a reduced speed limit, Cr Gill said. “They know our roads are dangerous, with dirt shoulders and trees only metres off the road; if you hit a tree that’s the end of it.”
CIVIC Reserve, Mornington’s new synthetic 400-metre athletics track and four-pitch soccer centre will be opened on Saturday 30 November. The ceremony will be 11-11.30am but those interested are welcome to stay to watch athletes using the sports grounds at 350 Dunns Road, Mornington. A community open day with a free sausage sizzle hosted by Mornington Peninsula Shire Council will celebrate the event and show off new facilities. The reserve’s newest member clubs: Mt Martha Soccer Club, Mornington Little Athletics Centre and Mornington Peninsula Athletics Club will make their debuts. “Let’s all get together as a community and celebrate the fantastic new sporting facilities at Mornington’s Civic Reserve,” the mayor Cr Sam Hearn said. “The Mt Martha Soccer Club has grown significantly over the past few years and now has over 400 players. The four soccer pitches provide a more suitable home facility for the club.” The facilities will help athletes compete at higher levels of competition as well as providing permanent homes for the user groups, Cr Bev Colomb said. The $7 million project was supported through a $3 million federal government community development grant, with the council contributing $4 million. The works also include 243 car parking spaces, paths, stormwater basin, landscaping, electrical upgrades and a roundabout for easier access.
Choir ready to sing loud THE university of the Third Age Frankston’s choir will perform at High Street Uniting Church on 21 November. Donations will be accepted at the door to go towards researching MS. The U3A choir formed in 1995, and currently has 90 members. Their conductor is Luke Severn, who also conducts for the Bendigo Symphony Orchestra. The choir performs at 2pm. After the performance, an afternoon tea will be held. For more details contact Liz on 0417 517 498. CONDUCTOR Luke Severn with the U3A choir. Picture: Supplied
Sculptor Rudi Jass
Wind sculpture in art show MORNINGTON Art Show has signed up German-born sculptor Rudi Jass for its January Art show. In his Mornington Peninsula studio, Jaas designs and crafts sculptures characterised by clean-flowing lines and elegant forms. Working mostly in stainless steel, corten steel, and copper, his sculptures are often combined with accents of glass or stone. The pieces are all handmade in small or limited editions and are sought after by architects and landscape designers. Jass’s designs are displayed in small courtyards, gardens, balconies or amid modern architecture in urban and commercial developments. His kinetic sculptures move in the wind, adding movement to gardens or patios in seemingly random patterns. All works on display at the art show will be for sale. They will add another dimension to the paintings, photographs and glasswork also on display and for sale. The 48th annual art show, one of the largest in Victoria, has its opening night on Thursday 16 January. It will then open daily 10 am-5pm at
Peninsula Community Theatre, corner Nepean Highway and Wilsons Road, Mornington. All proceeds of the art show will support Mornington Rotary’s program of local and international humanitarian projects. Entries are now being received by artists via the Gallery 247 site.
Frankston Times
19 November 2019
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