Mornington
GET YOUR
FREE TV GUIDE INSIDE!
Celebrating 20 years in 2026 Fighting for the community since 2006
An independent voice for the community
Your weekly community newspaper covering Mornington, Mount Martha and Mount Eliza
FREE
Tuesday 14 July 2026
For all advertising and editorial needs, call 03 5974 9000 or email: team@mpnews.com.au www.mpnews.com.au
Shire prepares submission over Cerberus sell-off Cameron McCullough cameron@mpnews.com.au
MORNINGTON resident Archie Hewett is all set to represent Australia at the upcoming Commonwealth Games. See ‘Mornington runner earns Comm Games call-up’ - Page 27. Picture: Yanni
MORNINGTON
FRANKSTON
HAMPTON PARK
BORONIA
MORNINGTON Peninsula shire officers have prepared a draft submission regarding the partial divestment of HMAS Cerberus, with councillors unanimously voting to put it out for public consultation. In February, Defence Minister Richard Marles announced HMAS Cerberus would be “partially divested” as part of a massive sale of 35,000 hectares of defence real estate – including some of the nation’s most historic barracks – that is expected to raise almost $2b (HMAS Cerberus to be ‘partially divested’ in defence land sell-off, The News 10/2/26). At the time it was stated that 1164 hectares of the 1500 hectares that make up HMAS Cerberus were marked for divestment. AN estimated crowd of well over 300 people, many unable to get inside, assembled at Crib Point Primary School on Wednesday 10 June for a community consultation over the government’s plan to sell off the land (Fiery meeting over Cerberus sell-off plans, The News 16/6/26). The assembled crowd appeared unanimous in their opposition to the proposed sale and a show of hands confirmed the lack of local support for the commercial sale, subdivision, or development of the land. Now, the shire has prepared a draft
submission that states its advocacy position for the preferred future use of the land is primarily for conservation purposes with limited recreation, tourism and aquaculture uses that protect and enhance the special ecological values of the site. Further, that at least five per cent of the divestment proceeds be used to deliver increased social housing stock on the Mornington Peninsula, within the Urban Growth Boundary. The draft document details reasoning for the shire’s advocacy position that focuses on long term conservation, including unsuitability for agriculture, susceptibility to coastal inundation, and unsuitability of surrounding infrastructure for urban development. At the shire’s 7 July council meeting, councillors were asked to consider a six-week period of community consultation on the draft submission commencing on 14 July 2026 and concluding on 25 August 2026. The motion was moved by Cr Michael Stephens and seconded by Cr Kate Roper. Roper told the meeting, “Along with councillors Stephens and Gill, I attended an information night where approximately 350 local residents voiced their concerns”. “Their feeling to retain the land as it is, was strongly registered. Continued Page 8