One Nation’s Farrer breakthrough has added weight to warning signs already visible in Nepean, where the party topped several booths and exposed pressure on the Liberal primary vote. With Hastings held by Labor on a narrow margin, November’s Victorian state election could be far more volatile than expected.
The latest edition of the Somerville Times will be in distribution from Monday 11 May 2026, with free copies available across the usual collection points in Somerville, Tyabb, Hastings, Baxter, Langwarrin and surrounding areas.
Peninsula Aero Club has handed over $43,000 raised through the Tyabb Airshow to five local organisations, supporting mental health, emergency services and youth sport.
Mornington Peninsula Shire councillors will be asked to scale back the Emil Madsen Western Pavilion project, less than three months after the Marsh-led bloc of six backed a larger option that officers now say has a significant funding gap.
Local not-for-profit groups in Somerville, Tyabb and Mornington can apply for Peninsula Quarries Victoria’s 2026 community grants program, with $5,000 available for community projects and initiatives.
Seventeen volunteers braved wet and windy weather to remove four trailer loads of rubbish from areas around Somerville Railway Station as part of a Clean Up Australia event organised by Somerville Business Group.
Somerville overcame a 47-point first-quarter deficit to defeat traditional rivals Pearcedale in the Round 4 MPNFL Postcode Derby at Pearcedale.
Independent Tracee Hutchison has confirmed she will contest Nepean again at November’s Victorian state election, following Saturday’s by-election result. Anthony Marsh’s win also means Briars Ward residents will vote in a council by-election, with ratepayers expected to meet an estimated cost of about $200,000.
Mornington Peninsula Shire ratepayers are facing an expected $200,000 Briars Ward by-election bill after Anthony Marsh’s Nepean win leaves a council vacancy and ends his time as mayor.
The Liberal Party is projected to retain Nepean, but provisional results show a weakened primary vote, a strong One Nation result and a sizeable independent vote for Tracee Hutchison.
STPL News spoke with Nepean by-election candidates on election day, with candidates from Independent, Greens, Libertarian and One Nation campaigns taking part. Liberal candidate Anthony Marsh declined the opportunity.
Greens candidate Dr Sianan Healy has urged Nepean voters to back action on housing, climate and cost-of-living pressures, while questions remain over the detail behind the party’s local pitch.
Libertarian candidate Peter Angelico says the proposed Rosebud hospital should be funded without new taxes, arguing the Suburban Rail Loop should be cancelled to redirect infrastructure spending.
STPL News observed a calmer atmosphere at Rosebud pre-poll on Wednesday, 29 April, following the previous day’s reports, footage and photos showing confrontational scenes outside the early voting centre.
Frankston’s Australia’s Most Accessible Beach program will return next summer after strong demand during its first season at Frankston Foreshore.
Greens candidate Dr Sianan Healy has used the final days of the Nepean by-election campaign to call for a two-year rent freeze and stronger protections for renters.
Liberal campaign workers have been accused of harassing volunteers, voters and One Nation candidate Darren Hercus at Rosebud pre-poll, with STPL News supplied videos, photographs and audio showing repeated confrontations.
South Side Festival will return to Frankston from 8 to 17 May, with 10 days of arts, culture, neon installations, comedy, sustainability events and workshops planned across the city.
Players and supporters from Somerville and Bonbeach Football Netball Clubs paused before play at Somerville Recreation Reserve for an ANZAC Day commemoration, including a guard of honour and the Ode of Remembrance.
Liberal candidate Anthony Marsh is facing fresh signs of unrest in Nepean, with long-time Liberal supporters, public comments and a former party member’s full-page advertisement raising questions about his candidacy.
STPL News has put six questions to every Nepean by-election candidate, focusing on cost of living, crime, housing affordability, roads and Rosebud Hospital, and asking what they can realistically deliver from outside government before November.
Fresh anti-One Nation material is circulating in Nepean through letterbox flyers, authorised video and text messages, adding to concerns about an increasingly negative Liberal campaign centred on Rosebud Hospital ahead of the by-election.
Mornington Peninsula Shire has doubled down on its waste charge messaging, insisting there is no new charge to ratepayers despite draft budget figures showing a proposed combined annual waste bill of $570 for properties with kerbside collection.
Frankston Sharks BMX Club has been crowned Australia’s top BMX club after three of its riders won national titles at the 2026 AusCycling BMX Racing Nationals.
Liberal candidate Anthony Marsh has withdrawn from a sold-out Nepean candidates forum after attendee questions were circulated, with organisers telling STPL News his team pulled out about an hour after receiving direct questions for the candidate.
Early voting opens Wed for the Nepean District by-election, with voters able to cast their ballot before election day on Saturday 2 May. Here is where to vote, the full list of candidates, postal voting deadlines and election day voting centre details.
Liberal Nepean candidate Anthony Marsh is facing fresh scrutiny after Victoria’s transport department began reviewing a complaint over a campaign pothole stunt, adding to earlier questions over road funding claims, Liberal unrest, political independence and the state-appointed monitors at Mornington Peninsula Shire Council.
Pauline Hanson’s appearance alongside Darren Hercus in Rosebud drew a packed crowd and added visible momentum to One Nation’s push in the Nepean by-election.
Pauline Hanson has appeared beside Nepean candidate Darren Hercus at a sold out One Nation event, with more updates expected later tonight.
Mornington Peninsula Shire is attempting to quell backlash over a proposed $570 waste charge, arguing the public cleaning component is not a new fee despite sharp concern from residents.
Frankston MP Paul Edbrooke has joined Victoria’s cabinet in a reshuffle of the Allan government, with former mayor Kris Bolam welcoming the promotion as a significant moment for the city.
Leslie Moorhead Pre-School in Mornington has opened a new nature-based playground following a $739,000 redevelopment funded through the Victorian School Building Authority.
Peter Angelico has accused Anthony Marsh of “blatant hypocrisy” over roads messaging in the Nepean by-election, using both a campaign video and an STPL News interview to challenge Marsh’s credibility, honesty and handling of the issue.
Fire restrictions have eased in Frankston and on the Mornington Peninsula, with CFA confirming the Fire Danger Period ended at 1am on Tuesday 7 April 2026. The change means some private burn-offs can resume, but safety rules still apply.
Frankston City Council has launched its 2026 Community Satisfaction Survey, with 800 residents to be interviewed across the municipality as part of a six-week door-to-door survey program.
Frankston seniors are being encouraged to register for a free two-part escorted train travel program starting on April 21, 2026, with sessions covering train safety, station navigation, myki tips and a guided trip to Melbourne to see the new Metro Tunnel.
Greens candidate for Nepean Dr Sianan Healy has made cost of living and public transport central to her by-election campaign, arguing Peninsula families are being squeezed by rising everyday costs.
Tracee Hutchison has hit back at a Liberal-authorised flyer targeting her in the Nepean by-election, calling it a dishonest attack and a sign of Liberal desperation.
A second Liberal-authorised attack flyer has surfaced in the Nepean by-election, this time targeting independent candidate Tracee Hutchison as the Liberals widen their negative campaign.
Somerville Football Netball Club is heading into the 2026 season with confidence, strong recruitment and a clear focus on success both on and off the field.
The Liberal Party is being labelled desperate after copies of an anti-One Nation flyer, authorised by the party itself, began circulating across the Nepean electorate.
Anthony Marsh is under fresh scrutiny after campaign-period social media comments appeared to conflict with his earlier public position on Mornington Peninsula Shire’s municipal monitors.
Frankston City Council is bringing Party in the Park back to Cruden Farm on Sunday 12 April, with superhero-themed entertainment, family activities, rides, stalls and school holiday fun.
STPL News is seeking support to expand its independent coverage of the Nepean by-election, with funds to go towards reporting, travel, fuel, print distribution or digital coverage.
Somerville Highway Patrol has nabbed two motorbike riders after police allegedly detected them travelling at 144km/h and 130km/h, including one rider on a learner permit.
Police have released CCTV images as they investigate a hit-run collision on the Peninsula Freeway at Rosebud, where a driver allegedly fled the scene on foot before the offending vehicle was driven away.
Anthony Marsh is facing fresh scrutiny after appearing to mark a pothole on White Hill Road, a state-managed 80 km/h arterial road, without visible hi-vis gear or traffic control. STPL News has contacted Roads Minister Melissa Horne for comment.
Frank Schiefler has been chosen by the Liberal Party for endorsement as its candidate for Hastings at the November Victorian state election, with a formal public announcement still pending.
The Victorian Liberal Party appears to have repeated in Hastings the same top-down preselection play used in Nepean, raising fresh questions about rank-and-file members being shut out and the political cost of party arrogance.
Three girls were arrested after an allegedly stolen hatchback was tracked across Melbourne’s southern and eastern suburbs before being stopped in Mount Waverley, according to Victoria Police.
One Nation candidate Darren Hercus has blasted both Liberals and Labor over Rosebud Hospital, backing a PPP rebuild plan and questioning why voters should trust more election promises.
A Frankston man and a Rosebud man are among three people charged following an alleged armed robbery at a Berwick jewellery store and two other alleged incidents on the same day, according to Victoria Police.
