STPL News - Somerville Times & Peninsula Local

02/11/2025

Mornington Peninsula Shire Council is spending close to half a million dollars each year on memberships with advocacy and industry groups but often fails to participate....

Mornington Peninsula Shire Council is spending close to half a million dollars each year on memberships with advocacy and industry groups but often fails to participate.

30/10/2025

‘𝘽𝙖𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝘽𝙪𝙙𝙜𝙚𝙩 𝙄𝙨 𝙉𝙤𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙂𝙤𝙖𝙡’ — 𝗠𝗮𝘆𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝗼𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝗙𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗥𝗵𝗲𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗰 𝗮𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗹 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝟭𝟬-𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘀

Mornington Peninsula Mayor Anthony Marsh says the aim is not to balance the budget but to use financial resources properly — a major shift from the “financial emergency” messaging used earlier this year.

🗣️ The comment came as Mornington Peninsula Shire Council adopted its 10-year Financial and Asset Plans...

Read: https://stplnews.com.au/political-news/local-government/mornington-peninsula-shire-council/balancing-the-budget-is-not-the-goal-mayor-marsh/

29/10/2025

Mornington Peninsula Shire is progressing plans to expand the Morce Avenue car park in Sorrento following strong community feedback on proposed design options....

Mornington Peninsula Shire is progressing plans to expand the Morce Avenue car park in Sorrento following strong community feedback on proposed design options.

29/10/2025

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗪𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗱 $𝟲𝟬,𝟬𝟬𝟬? 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗼𝗻 𝗣𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗹𝗮’𝘀 𝗘𝗺𝗽𝘁𝘆 𝗦𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗔𝗩

Mornington Peninsula Shire Council spent $60,000 for a seat at the MAV State Council — but remained vacant. The no-show has fuelled frustration among ratepayers already concerned about transparency, budget cuts and leadership direction.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 $𝟲𝟬𝗸?

Read here: https://stplnews.com.au/political-news/local-government/mornington-peninsula-shire-council/mpsc-spent-60k-on-empty-seat-mav-state-council/

27/10/2025

𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗕𝗿𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗺 𝗮𝘀 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗣𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗼𝘀 𝗘𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗠𝗮𝘅𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗙𝗿𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗿 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁𝘆

Protesters braved wild weather outside Maxine Fraser’s Mount Eliza property, marking six months of demonstrations, after new photos by photographer and regular protester Carol Augustinus revealed another animal death.

Read: https://stplnews.com.au/community-news/mount-eliza-animal-cruelty-protest-six-months/

27/10/2025

𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗸𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗻 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗹 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝘄𝘀 𝗦𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗟𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗘𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘂𝗿𝘀

Frankston City Council’s mobile food van program is giving local entrepreneurs a chance to turn small ideas into thriving businesses, with success stories like Caravan Chai showing how community support can help start-ups grow nationally.

Read: https://stplnews.com.au/latest-news/frankston-council-supports-small-businesses-startups/

26/10/2025

𝗣𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗔𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗗𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿’𝘀 𝗡𝗲𝗮𝗿-𝗠𝗶𝘀𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗼𝗻

CCTV footage shows the moment a red Mazda sped through a red light on Nepean Highway in Mornington earlier this month, narrowly missing pedestrians.

Police from Somerville Highway Patrol are investigating and are urging anyone with dash-cam footage or who witnessed the near-miss to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or visit crimestoppersvic.com.au.

📍 Nepean Highway, Mornington
📅 Friday, 3 October, about 10.30 pm

Read more: https://stplnews.com.au/latest-news/police-call-for-witnesses-mornington-near-miss/

Police appeal for witnesses after a red Mazda sped through a Mornington crossing, missing pedestrians. Help needed to solve this high-risk incident.

25/10/2025

𝗠𝗮𝗻 𝗠𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗼𝗻 𝗪𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗔𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗕𝗼𝗮𝘁 𝗖𝗮𝗽𝘀𝗶𝘇𝗲𝘀

A major search is underway off Mornington Pier after a small boat capsized late Friday night. One man was rescued, while another remains missing as water police and Air Wing units continue their search.

Read: https://stplnews.com.au/community-news/man-missing-in-mornington-waters-after-boat-capsizes/

24/10/2025

𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗸𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗻 𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘄𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺 𝗮𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗹’𝘀 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗰𝘆 𝗣𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗢𝗳𝗳

Frankston City Council continues to prove its leadership on the state stage — securing five key wins at the Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV) State Council meeting.

From affordable housing and pushing against lobby groups, demanding stronger protections for emergency workers and advocating for reducing or removing stamp duty for first home buyers, Frankston’s consistent advocacy is delivering real results where others are still trying to be heard.

Read more 👉 https://stplnews.com.au/political-news/local-government/frankston-city-council/frankston-city-council-advocacy-success-mav-state-council/

23/10/2025

‘𝗖𝗮𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗼𝗻 𝗖𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗮’: 𝗕𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗿𝗴𝗼𝘄𝗿𝗶𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗻 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗱 𝗔𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗔𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗲𝗱 𝗔𝘁𝘁𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗼𝗻 𝗥𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝗦𝗮𝗳𝗲𝘁𝘆 𝗩𝗲𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗹𝗲

A Blairgowrie man faces multiple charges after allegedly assaulting a road safety camera operator and damaging the vehicle in Rosebud. Police say camera footage helped identify the suspect....

A Blairgowrie man faces multiple charges after allegedly assaulting a road safety camera operator and damaging the vehicle in Rosebud. Police say camera footage helped identify the suspect.

23/10/2025

𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗸𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗻 𝗠𝗮𝘆𝗼𝗿 𝗨𝗿𝗴𝗲𝘀 𝗖𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗧𝘄𝗼 𝗠𝗲𝗻 𝗦𝘄𝗲𝗽𝘁 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗣𝗶𝗲𝗿 𝗗𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗪𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿

Frankston City Mayor Kris Bolam has urged residents to stay clear of the pier and foreshore after two men died in extreme wind conditions on Tuesday afternoon. Council will increase lifeguard patrols and safety signage ahead of summer.

https://stplnews.com.au/community-news/frankston-mayor-urges-caution-after-two-men-swept-from-pier/

22/10/2025

𝗧𝘄𝗼 𝗠𝗲𝗻 𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗸𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗻 𝗕𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗰𝘂𝗲 𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

Police are investigating after two men were found deceased at Frankston Beach on Wednesday afternoon. Emergency crews responded around 5 pm after reports of two swimmers in distress.

Police are investigating after two men were found deceased at Frankston Beach on Wednesday afternoon. Emergency crews responded around 5 pm after reports of two swimmers in distress.