French Ambassador to Australia David Martinon will visit The Briars on Friday 23 October to view selected items from its Napoleonic Collection. Federal Member for Flinders Zoe McKenzie will join him, and the visit will be welcomed by Mayor Stephen Batty and Deputy Mayor Paul Pingiaro. The collection traces back to the Balcombe family, who befriended Napoleon during his exile on St Helena in 1815. The Homestead is set to reopen to the public later this year following restoration works, with the collection on display.
Mornington residents have expressed alarm over a state-funded telecommunications tower planned for 900 Moorooduc Hwy. The 900 MHz tower, part of the Connecting Victoria Mobile Program, is exempt from public review. Neighbours Tim Hannaford and Natalie Harper question the site selection, citing environmental and health concerns. Harper has requested the shire defer the application and demand further ecological evidence. The shire is currently reviewing the proposal and awaiting additional information from the applicant.
Mornington Lions Club has donated $5000 to the peninsula branch of the Blue Ribbon Foundation. The money helps pay for two new ultrasound machines at Frankston Hospital. The cheque was presented at Mornington Police Station on 16 October. The Lions Club raised the funds for Blue Ribbon Day, held on 29 September, which honours Victoria Police members who have died in the line of duty. Foundation president Rhon Nation said the donation helped the group reach its target. The foundation has given Frankston Hospital more than $1 million over fifteen years.
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Bunurong representative Zoe Upton will speak at an information session on the Victorian Treaty with First Peoples in Mornington on Saturday, 31 October, at 2pm. The event is hosted by the Southern Peninsula Allies at the Studio on Wilsons Road. Organiser Maureen Donelly said Upton's connection to the peninsula and her understanding of its history made her a valued speaker. Donelly said the Treaty, which commenced on 12 December 2025, gives First Peoples a say over policies affecting them and their families. Donelly said it also allows Aboriginal communities to deliver solutions in health, education, employment, justice and housing.
The boat ramp at Schnapper Point has reopened following upgrades designed to improve safety and access. Better Boating Victoria fully funded the work, which included new jetties, a rebuilt ramp, a concrete pedestrian area and accessible jetties with a hansa hoist. Councillor Paul Pingiaro praised the project for being delivered on time for the boating and snapper season. Mayor Stephen Batty said the facilities would let people of all abilities enjoy boating and fishing. Boardwalk reconstruction is due to start in late October and is expected to finish by Christmas, with temporary closures during construction.
Mornington Peninsula Shire will grant Freedom of Entry to HMAS Cerberus at a ceremonial parade in Mornington on Saturday 31 October. The parade starts at 9.30am and will be led by the base's commanding officers, accompanied by the Royal Australian Navy Band. Personnel will march along Main Street, with Victoria Police also taking part. The event is free and open to the public, and Main Street and nearby roads will be temporarily closed during the parade. Mayor Stephen Batty said the ceremony recognises the connection between the community and those who serve.
Mornington Tourist Railway has painted one of its locomotives pink to raise funds for breast cancer research. A community fundraiser at the railway on 17 October sent all proceeds to Breast Cancer Network Australia. The colour matches a pink livery the locomotive wore briefly 40 years ago, used in a mock V/Line training video. President Joe Skinner said the railway wanted to combine rail fan culture with a community cause. Volunteers painted the locomotive using paint donated by Haymes Mornington.
Dipsy, a six-month-old kitten, seeks a home where her playful and mischievous personality can flourish. She enjoys exploring, chasing toys, and engaging in light-hearted antics. The energetic feline, identified by microchip number 956000019056979, is available for adoption at the Mornington Animal Adoption Welfare (MAAW) shelter. The initiative is supported by Daylesford’s petstock and honours the memory of Rosie and Curly, previously adopted from the Peninsula RSPCA. Interested parties can contact MAAW at 5472 5277 or [email protected].
The Block homes in Mount Eliza are priced between $3.6 million and $3.9 million, but similar luxury properties nearby are available for less. A five-bedroom home a minute's drive away is listed for $3.2 million to $3.5 million, featuring a tennis court and swimming pool. The housing market downturn and interest rate rises are making it tougher to sell high-end properties in the area.
Mornington Peninsula Shire Council has settled its position on a proposed redevelopment of the former Bata site on Nepean Highway, Mornington. All but one councillor support the plan for 11 restricted retail premises. Because no decision was made in time, the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal will now decide whether the plans are appropriate. Councillor Pingiaro says the site suits the proposal and that road and pedestrian safety were considered. Councillor David Gill opposed the plan, citing safety, amenity and streetscape concerns.
Melbourne's lowest-priced homes have gained value faster than the rest of the market over the past 12 months, according to Real Estate Institute of Victoria data. Mornington led the rise, with its bottom quarter of sales up 12 per cent to a typical $920,000. Overall, the city's median house and unit prices fell 0.7 per cent in the September quarter, with steeper falls in affluent inner suburbs. REIV chief executive Toby Balazs linked part of the squeeze to a federal scheme offering 5 per cent deposits and landlords selling rental homes.
A coronial inquest into the deaths of six children at Hillcrest Primary School in northern Tasmania in 2021 is expected to hear evidence from a US dust devil expert. Counsel assisting the coroner, Maree Norton SC, told a Hobart case management hearing that she is looking to engage Dr Ralph Lorenz, a planetary scientist and aerospace engineer. Ms Norton said he would give his opinion on pressure drops and the interaction between the dust devil and the castle structure. The six children died when a wind gust lifted a jumping castle at an end-of-year celebration.
A 37-year-old man from Ravenswood has been charged over the alleged theft of fuel worth more than $74,000 in the state's north. Police allege the fuel was bought using a stolen fuel card. They arrested the man on Friday evening and recovered 4600 litres of stolen fuel. He faces multiple charges, including 60 counts of using a computer with intent to defraud, breach of bail, driving offences, possession of stolen property and minor drug offences. He was detained and is expected to appear in the Launceston Magistrates Court on Saturday.
Farmers in Tasmania's Northern Midlands are benefiting from an irrigation scheme that took almost 10 years to come online. Farmer Richard Burbury said the scheme arrived at a very timely moment, as this year has been exceptionally dry. The network of underground pipelines spans 150 kilometres and will deliver 25 billion litres of water each year. Tasmanian Irrigation says the scheme is expected to support about $54 million a year in economic activity across the region.
A man in his 60s died on Tasmania's west coast while waiting for an ambulance that took nearly 80 minutes to reach him. He called Triple Zero from the Zeehan area on Saturday, reporting chest pains and breathing problems. The Zeehan ambulance was unstaffed because of an unfilled roster gap, and nearby crews were attending other calls, so an ambulance from Burnie was sent. It arrived about 78 minutes after the call, but the man had already died. The Department of Health offered its condolences and said a comprehensive investigation will be held.
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Peter Maloney, who lives with dementia, says spending time in nature has helped him feel more grateful and content. He takes part in a gardening program at the Chigwell Community Garden in Hobart's northern suburbs with his wife, Madeleine. The program is run by the University of Tasmania's Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre and funded by Primary Health Tasmania. Researchers say outdoor activities can help people with dementia stay active, socialise and feel a sense of purpose. The Chigwell lab is funded until June 2027.
CHOICE and Super Consumers Australia have released an original investigative podcast series. It examines the collapse of the Shield and First Guardian Master Funds, which the organisations describe as Australia's biggest superannuation scandal. More than 11,000 people across Australia were affected.
Tasmanian Labor says it will introduce a bill to cap how much anyone can spend in a state election. Labor Leader Josh Willie and Shadow Attorney-General Ella Haddad made the announcement. The party says many Tasmanians feel the system is not working for them.
Hobart has unveiled a permanent replacement for a toppled statue of colonial figure William Crowther in Franklin Square. The design includes a native garden and a bronze ring inscribed with three writers' contributions on Crowther, William Lanne and statues. Lord Mayor Anna Reynolds said the project followed more than five years of community consultation and gave a fuller picture of the city's history. Protesters and councillor Louise Elliot opposed the replacement. The original statue has been restored but remains in storage.
Twenty-eight parents of transgender and gender diverse children have written to Tasmanian MPs, urging them to support a Greens bill that would ban conversion practices. Conversion practices are any attempt to change, suppress or eradicate a person's sexual or gender identity. The bill is set to be debated in the House of Assembly tomorrow. It needs 18 votes to pass, and the Greens, Labor and independent Kristie Johnston hold 15. Several Liberal MPs have said they will vote against it, and the Liberals have been granted a conscience vote.
A new exhibition in Hobart explores the stories of ten of Australia's first women to travel south to Antarctica and the sub-Antarctic. The Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies announced the exhibition in a media release dated 26 October 2026.
Foodbank Tasmania's Hunger Report 2026 has found that more than one in three Tasmanian households are struggling to put food on the table. An estimated 200,000 Tasmanians are living in households experiencing food insecurity, reflecting strong financial pressure across the state.
Tasmania's Conversion Practices Prohibition Bill 2026 is due to be debated in parliament from Wednesday. The Greens bill would ban conduct aimed at changing, suppressing or eradicating a person's sexual orientation or gender identity. Consent would not be a defence under the bill. Labor has said it will support the bill, and the Tasmanian Liberals will allow a conscience vote. The bill needs 18 votes to pass. Equality Tasmania's petition closes on Monday, October 26.
Tasmania's Labor opposition plans to table a private members' bill this week to introduce election spending caps for the first time. The bill would limit parties to $50,000 per candidate, and independents to $60,000. Leader Josh Willie said the reform would stop elections being decided by who has the biggest bank balance. He expects the Liberal government and One Nation to oppose the bill. An expert warned that caps could greatly favour incumbents.
