CNN and the BBC World Service which is copyright and cannot be reproduced AEST = Australian Eastern Standard Time which is 10 hours ahead of GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) It was back to school for the Saints' this week with the playing group visiting over 45 schools across the Bayside Frankston and Mornington region.These included Yarrabah Special School Baxter Primary and Elizabeth Murdoch College Tuesday's visits marked the second and final day of the club's AFL Community Camps, which kicked off with a training session at Peninsula Grammar on Monday morning.The camps were a golden opportunity for the club to give back to the community while also allowing a future generation of Sainters to meet and greet their heroes. Here are a few highlights from the day “How many Weet-Bix does @RayConnellan40 eat for breakfast?”#AFLCommunityCamp pic.twitter.com/EswcIvu8ZO Can you #SpotTheSaints at Chandler Park Primary School? #AFLCommunityCamp pic.twitter.com/8qBOexD8HD The game: Octopus.The goal: Get past @TimMembrey ‍♂️#AFLCommunityCamp pic.twitter.com/Esfhlj1syf Koby’s a hit at St Joseph’s in Springvale #AFLCommunityCamp pic.twitter.com/p9AXVUatok they also found time to visit some hardworking community organisations Pancakes and plenty of smiles at @ScdHrtMission #AFLCommunityCamp pic.twitter.com/EM02LMh4BR It’s always a good time when we get to visit the team at Wallara Australia #AFLCommunityCamp pic.twitter.com/nbWVyD6Onm Click here to get your halo on in 2018. Jaimee Lambert has clinched her second Best & Fairest in St Kilda colours A considerable amount has changed between Jack Sinclair’s football career and his grandfather's white and black and an iteration of the famed club Crest have persisted A new era for St Kilda Football Club has begun with the club today unveiling its modernised club Crest to take the red Emerging Saint Hugo Garcia has been rewarded for a strong performance on Friday night Help us build a resilient community through various programs and initiatives championed by the Danny Frawley Centre Jack Macrae has polled a perfect 10 coaches votes in the Saints' big win over the Dockers on Friday night Lenny Hayes delivers Hugo Garcia the news of his Rising Star nomination Re-live all the goals from our huge win against Fremantle Senior coach Ross Lyon discusses the Saints' big win over the Dockers Cooper Sharman delivers an unforgettable performance with four goals featuring a towering speccy and a Goal of the Year contender St Kilda Football Club wishes to acknowledge the traditional owners of the land on which the club sits all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples whose lands and waters we work THE Frankston train line extension has been axed by the federal government The previous Coalition federal government committed $225 million to the project in 2018 opposition transport spokesman Anthony Albanese and Dunkley candidate Peta Murphy now the Prime Minister and member for Dunkley respectively announced that Labor would support the project if it won government The cost to electrify and duplicate the Stony Point line from Frankston to Baxter would have been up to $1.5 billion according to a business case completed before the COVID-19 pandemic The proposal included the construction of new stations at Frankston East The proposal was included in a review into uncompleted infrastructure projects ordered by the incoming Labor federal government shortly after its election The Frankston line extension is one of at least 50 projects expected to get the axe Federal infrastructure minister Catherine King said the federal government had made “necessary decisions to no longer provide funding at this time to some projects This includes projects that were not realistically going to be delivered with the funding available have made little to no progress over a significant amount of time and projects that do not align with Commonwealth or state and territory priorities.” “We also know that there continue to be significant cost pressures in the system and we will work collaboratively and proactively with the states and territories to manage these,” she said “The independent strategic review found that the Infrastructure Investment Program inherited from the former Coalition government was undeliverable.” The $225 million committed by the federal government to the Frankston line extension was nowhere near enough to get the project completed. Calls for the state government to put in money went unanswered (“Baxter rail extension could wipe out homes, historic sites” The Times 19/10/22) Last month Frankston Council called for the funds to be reallocated to other local transport projects if the electrification did not proceed Dunkley MP Peta Murphy said the $225 million “was for this specific transport project” “The independent panel has made the decision that the Baxter rail project does not stack-up economically and is significantly underfunded The federal government has accepted this advice and will not be proceeding with the proposed extension of the Baxter rail,” she said “I will work with the local community to identify other transport projects which the federal government can support “I look forward to working with my colleagues across all levels of government to identify local infrastructure projects which are deliverable in the current climate.” The Frankston line extension was not the only project in Dunkley or its surrounding electorates to be assessed The review also recommended axing the planned Mornington Peninsula Freeway upgrade $30 million for Ballarto Road in Skye will be retained as will $43.5 million for commuter car park upgrades on the Frankston line More than $141 million remains in the budget for the Hall Road upgrade and $57.5 million will stay in the budget for the Western Port Highway upgrade The review’s executive summary read “the ten-year pipeline of projects cannot be delivered within the $120 billion allocation even with current contributions from jurisdictions.” “The Australian government cannot afford within the current program settings nor add any new projects for delivery to the pipeline in the next ten years without significant changes taking immediate effect,” the review read “A number of projects were allocated a commitment of Australian Government funding too early in their planning process and before detailed planning and credible design and costing were undertaken.” Committee for Frankston and Mornington Peninsula CEO Josh Sinclair said the advocacy group is “disappointed to see once promised funding for [the Frankston line extension] now officially taken off the table.” “We want to work with the government on realistic and achievable solutions to improve public transport and accessibility on the peninsula,” he said “The committee will work closely with local government members of parliament and minister King to discuss what important infrastructure projects should be funded in our region instead Our priority remains keeping that funding in our region.” The retention of funds for car parking on the Frankston line will be welcomed by long-time supporters of the project. Construction finally began on a multi-storey car park at Frankston Station earlier this year (“Work underway on multi-storey station parking” The Times 14/8/23) Car park projects at Seaford and Kananook stations were scrapped in 2021 in the wake of an Auditor-General review into the urban congestion fund scheme. The previous federal government later re-committed to building parking at Kananook, and work has now begun (“Funding promised for station car park again” The Times 10/1/22) First published in the Frankston Times – 21 November 2023 Currently you have JavaScript disabled. In order to post comments, please make sure JavaScript and Cookies are enabled, and reload the page. Click here for instructions on how to enable JavaScript in your browser. Mornington Peninsula News Group (MPNG) is a locally owned and operated MPNG publishes five weekly community newspapers: the Western Port News Frankston Times and Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News MPNG also publishes two glossy magazines: Peninsula Essence and Peninsula Kids FRANKSTON MP Paul Edbrooke says that the Baxter rail extension will remain at a “standstill” until the business case is released The proposed rail extension would see the Frankston line duplicated and electrified to Baxter with two new stations at Langwarrin and Frankston East constructed The business case was handed to the federal government in October last year Mr Edbrooke said “our community understands that the project is at a standstill until the federal government releases the business case for consideration of the costs and benefits.” The News has twice asked the office of federal urban infrastructure minister Alan Tudge whether the case will be released In April Mr Tudge’s office said that “the Victorian government has completed the federally funded preliminary business case The federal government is currently considering the outcomes of the PBC … Currently there is no state commitment towards funding or towards the completion of a detailed business case which would be the requisite next step prior to the project moving into the construction phase We have $225 million committed towards its construction this is a 100 per cent federal Liberal Government broken promise on a billion dollar project they said they would build and didn’t even budget for” Mr Edbrooke did not answer when asked if the federal government had communicated with the state government about funding for a further business case Infrastructure Australia’s latest update of its priority list sees Frankston as a “priority initiative” Frankston line users continue to suffer through more cancellations than any other rail users More than 1500 Frankston line trains were cancelled last year 400 more than the next worst performing line First published in the Western Port News – 1 April 2020 Four weeks of suspense culminated in the demise of Victoria’s most controversial modern-day government in October 1999 James Murphy 16 October 2019 2382 words After the fall: premier Jeff Kennett leaves a press conference on 19 October 1999 after conceding his government’s defeat and announcing his resignation as leader Kennett had inherited a state hit hard by Paul Keating’s “recession we had to have.” Government debt had gone through the ceiling a state-owned bank and a major building society had collapsed the population was shrinking and all manner of services had been crippled by rolling industrial action Though Kennett dealt with these crises with brutality and even callousness and though many of his cures would later be seen as worse than the disease Victoria had performed a remarkable recovery by 1999 We might expect the electorate to reward the party presiding over such a recovery, regardless of how it had come about. That certainly seems to have been what the Liberals were banking on ahead of that year’s election But despite the expectation of an effortless win Victorians took the opportunity to dispatch Kennett and replace him with Labor’s Steve Bracks It’s easy to forget just how surprising that result was. Bracks went on to be an incredibly popular premier, retiring well before the electorate had the chance to turn sour on him. The Labor Party still wheels him out when it is feeling nervous — as it was before the 2012 Melbourne by-election So it’s tempting to regard his rise as somehow inevitable Of course his low-key approach was more attractive than Kennett’s combative style; of course people felt bruised and weary after six years of relentless reform; of course rural Victoria felt neglected and was ready to shift allegiance But it wasn’t “time” in Victoria in the sense that it had been time for Labor’s Gough Whitlam in 1972 Bracks’s victory over Kennett very nearly didn’t happen; on election night and for four whole weeks following polling day on 18 September 1999 it wasn’t clear who would lead the state into the new millennium Victorians had no idea whether the state was taking a breath before plunging into another few years of Kennett-era hyperactivity or whether respite was coming with the more cautious Kennett had been soaring in the opinion polls before the election — so much so that Labor decided there was little mileage in attacking him personally — and the Coalition had a healthy margin of thirteen seats in an eighty-eight-seat chamber Channel Nine was so sure the election would be boring it decided to wrap its election night coverage around its Rugby League broadcast the Melbourne Storm were in the preliminaries for the first time this was footy-mad Victoria.) Journalist George Megalogenis reported that Bracks’s reaction to a poll in the Australian predicting a cliff-hanger result was a suspicion that “the Australian is on drugs.” Quite early in the evening, though, it was clear something had gone wrong for the Coalition. Voters had swung against the government, particularly in regional towns, to a totally unexpected degree: by 7.2 per cent in Ripon, by 8.1 per cent in Bendigo East, by 9.4 per cent in Gisborne. Labor’s targeting of the regions had been much more successful than even it had anticipated (“Victoria has a new Country Party,” said political scientist Brian Costar on ABC radio that night the future premier remained cautiously pessimistic suggesting victory was many steps away yet Kennett sounded remarkably like a man defeated “I think the public has decided to return a Labor government,” he told supporters at the Hilton Hotel “If that is the case I will accept that decision with grace and get on my white charger and ride into the sunset In accepting responsibility I have always said they either love Kennett or they hate him as journalist Peter Coster remarked in the Herald Sun had indeed been sucked out of the Kennett cowlick it was apparent that the game was by no means over Kennett said he was off the charger and back in his office where he could see “a fair range of options… from a close Coalition win to a hung parliament to a Labor win.” The papers were reporting forty-two seats for the Coalition and forty-one for Labor with forty-five needed for a clear majority A clutch of seats remained too close to call: Mitcham and Carrum in the suburban southeast arrived at his unit to find her husband had died of a heart attack overnight The fifty-six-year-old Liberal-turned-independent had been in high spirits on election eve: having managed to more than double his margin at the previous election he felt he could capitalise on public antipathy towards Kennett now that he had gone independent in that close marginal seat His death meant the electoral commission had to declare the Frankston East poll invalid By the end of the week following the election, it seemed possible that Kennett could be back with a majority. An independent — abalone diver and first-time candidate Craig Ingram — had taken Gippsland East with a whopping 22 per cent swing, but the Nationals were edging ahead of another independent (and notorious Australian Rules ruckman) Labor’s Ian Trezise was just twenty votes ahead of Kennett’s housing minister If the Coalition could hang on to both Swan Hill and Geelong it would reach forty-four seats and push Labor back down to forty Kennett could grab a miracle majority; even if he lost that seat Labor would find it impossible to form government without Geelong Labor’s best-case scenario seemed to be forty-four seats apiece That would almost certainly lead to a fresh election at which voters who had wanted to register a protest vote rather than change the government would with only fifteen overseas ballots left to arrive making it potentially a victory by just one vote the possibility of a Kennett majority was more or less foreclosed And so the state’s political correspondents shifted their gaze to the three crossbenchers who might hold the fate of the state in their hands Labor would not only need the support of all three — it would also need to win the Frankston East re-run Kennett needed just two of the crossbenchers — or one if he could somehow wrangle Frankston back to his column Those three independents — Susan Davies (Gippsland West) and Russell Savage (Mildura) and first-timer Craig Ingram — exploited their newfound importance to the hilt by negotiating as a bloc with Kennett and Bracks Steve Bracks gave a more-or-less immediate in-principle thumbs up to the entire charter Though he offered what can only be described as humiliating concessions through the first weeks of October — to deal with the ambulance scandal that had played out on his watch; to restore powers to the auditor-general; and to moderate his behaviour and be more consultative — he stopped short of accepting changes to the Legislative Council Constitutional reform was not something electors had been voting on during the recent campaign he argued; there was no mandate for such a change Labor could not reform the upper house — where the conservative side of politics held a strong majority — either it appears that Kennett never thought he could win over the entire bloc His hopes rested on gaining the support of the two more conservative MPs in the group: Savage the self-described conservative from a Nationals area Susan Davies — a one-time Labor candidate who had described Kennett as a “bully” who needed to be stood up to — was never counted as likely to back Kennett especially of the politically inexperienced Ingram grew more and more intense through October promised to back Ingram’s wish for more water to be directed into the Snowy River Bracks managed to get Ingram into a meeting with NSW premier Bob Carr who had a key role to play in any Snowy deal the access seemed to impress the as-yet-unsworn MP Carr also released a letter from Kennett showing that not so long ago the Victorian premier had been less than enthusiastic about environmental flows for the Snowy anticipation built over the Frankston East re-run To have a hope of forming a minority government He ploughed his own funds into a campaign video — an actual VHS tape to be delivered to every household in the district The party dispatched a young Daniel Andrews from the state office to oversee the ground operations Steve Bracks’s face appeared on billboards up and down the shopping strip — something the man himself seemed visibly squeamish about when he visited the seat promised a $39 million funding boost for Frankston Hospital Members of Victoria Police’s 160-strong Force Response Unit were sent down to Frankston for high-visibility foot patrols eliciting outrage not only from Labor but also from Police Association assistant secretary Paul Mullett who told the Age that the timing was just a little too cute her late husband Peter had endorsed the Liberal candidate and a leaflet circulated quoting the freshly buried MP as saying The desperation in both campaigns was palpable Frankston East was a fairly natural if marginal Labor seat — but no one knew how local voters would respond to having the casting vote on which party would form government Would Sir James accept the crossbenchers’ written assurances that they would support Labor would he recognise the support of Craig Ingram Or would he feel it was safer to reconvene parliament and have the question tested on the floor If Kennett lost the seemingly inevitable no-confidence vote might he advise the governor to dissolve parliament and call a fresh election Would the governor refuse that request and commission Bracks or might he be tempted to turn back to the people Just a month ahead of the 1999 national referendum on the republic the fate of Victoria’s government looked like it might rest on the vagaries of vice-regal discretion Things very nearly didn’t turn out that way Perhaps Kennett could have swung a fresh election — and perhaps perhaps the Coalition could have retained government if Kennett had resigned the leadership; perhaps a different leader Tiny quirks of fate — the small group of voters who decided the result in Geelong; one man’s weak heart in Frankston East; a former abalone diver’s interest in the Snowy River; the latitude afforded to a memorandum of understanding by the chap in Government House — turned out to be as important as the large swing in the mood of the electorate effective fundraising — all these things are vital in politics James Murphy teaches politics at Swinburne University of Technology The request URL is over the maximum size allowed 5A Merilyn Way, Frankston South, featured a stunning pool and outdoor entertainment area A STUNNING new Frankston South home is believed to have sold for more than $2 million The property at 5A Merilyn Way positioned on a large block with a striking design and luxury finishes had plenty of interest from throughout Victoria “The five-bedroom home is a million-dollar build and has been extensively landscaped as well,” Mr Lea said Take in the tranquil views from the entertainment deck Three buyers submitted offers for the new property with a young couple from Parkdale winning the keys with an offer understood to be just above $2 million and a new benchmark for the street The previous highest sale price in the street was $915,000 for the house at 2 Merilyn Way The five-bedroom house features an infinity edge pool and landscaped grounds The buyers have sold up in Parkdale to upgrade to the luxurious house positioned on a 2705sq m block paying $410,000 for the land two years prior to building the luxury family entertainer The stunning home features multiple living and entertainment zones a hung fireplace in the living area and views towards Westernport Bay The property is part of a three-lot subdivision The house sits on a spacious 2705sq m block The sale was recorded at the end of March and followed by the $2.2 million sale of nearby 14 Merrigal Court under the hammer on April 22 Mr Lea said demand for $2 million prestige homes in the suburb was strong but supply was limited there is still a huge shortage to meet the strong demand from buyers,” he added SEE SUBURB PROFILE FRANKSTON SOUTH third parties have written and supplied the content and we are not responsible for it completeness or reliability of the information nor do we accept any liability or responsibility arising in any way from omissions or errors contained in the content We do not recommend sponsored lenders or loan products and we cannot introduce you to sponsored lenders We strongly recommend that you obtain independent advice before you act on the content realestate.com.au is owned and operated by ASX-listed REA Group Ltd (REA:ASX) © REA Group Ltd. By accessing or using our platform, you agree to our Terms of Use. inviting outdoor areas and sparkling pools are key ingredients for summer This trio of beauties offer these features and more for a comfortable family lifestyle in good locations 9 Dunmore Close, Langwarrin, has two outdoor zones and landscaped garden surrounds THE HOME: This spacious home offers two alfresco areas and an inviting heated pool with landscaped gardens transport and shopping and well-presented for family living The interiors feature a beautiful formal lounge room central kitchen with adjoining family room The parents’ bedroom features an ensuite with a spa bath and also a walk-in robe SEE SUBURB PROFILE LANGWARRIN THE HOME: Offering a luxurious resort lifestyle this impressive residence is designed for entertaining inside and out Play tennis on the floodlit court or relax in the pool Outdoor entertaining is easy with a pizza oven or fully integrated barbecue kitchen a children’s retreat and an office with pool views Also included are evaporative cooling and ducted heating SEE SUBURB PROFILE FRANKSTON SOUTH 7 Gweno Ave, Frankston has an elevated position for stunning views THE HOME: The main bedroom of this well-positioned home opens to a merbau deck and looks over the inviting pool The house offers stunning views of the water and hills from its elevated beachside location The charming property also has two street frontages and was previously updated with ducted heating It has a versatile floorplan and spacious interiors plus landscaped gardens SEE SUBURB PROFILE FRANKSTON 51/325 Nepean Highway is a landmark in central Frankston close to the beach A LONG-neglected wedding chapel in a prime Frankston spot has been renovated and restored ahead of being sent to auction The 500sq m 51/325 Nepean Highway site has two levels and 10 parking spaces It is adjacent to a former reception centre and the former Ambassador Hotel turned apartment block Last purchased in March 2017 by investors for $462,000 the property has been renovated and fitted out to suit a variety of uses It also sold in 2009 for $440,000 and the vendors are seeking a sale in the $1.25 million price range “This is a unique offering and the property had been vacant and dilapidated for some years,” Hocking Stuart Frankston agent Anthony Sansalone said “The owners have retained the shape of the building and also the original decorative windows.” Mr Sansalone said the double-storey building had multiple uses and now had a separate title to the former reception centre The space could be turned into medical or professional suites medical suites or offices to take advantage of a central location close to shopping Mr Sansalone said the site was an iconic landmark at the gateway to Frankston and came with main road exposure and features such as a winding staircase with decorative windows Seven of the parking spaces are covered and the property can return $90,000 a year with low overheads 20-22 Overton Rd, Frankston, occupies a prime spot in the heart of the automobile precinct ONE of bayside’s largest car dealerships is attracting foreign investor interest The 20-22 Overton Rd, Frankston, block on 8800sq m has long been used by Jeff Wignall Ford Frankston with a lease to ASX-listed AHG Group The site has won a series of prestigious dealership awards and is a Ford flagship location “Ford Frankston forms a key part of the Ford sales and service offering in the bayside suburbs,” CBRE listing agent Sandro Peluso said The property is being offered with a five-year net lease and an initial annual income of $760,000 It is located in the heart of Frankston’s automobile precinct and includes a 2800sq m building with first-floor office MORE: Frankston and Langwarrion prestige homes sell quickly Foreign buyer snaps up Mornington bank site The sale via expressions of interest closes on September 13 with a elling price of more than $10 million expected Such a large commercial landholding is rare in Frankston already attracting local and foreign investor interest The property is owned by private investor Andrew Cross CBRE has seen several recent auctions in the Mornington Peninsula bayside and eastern suburbs fetch strong prices well above the reserve prices “The campaign has been very well-received and there are no similar landholdings available in Frankston for a car dealership,” Mr Peluso said AHG sells and services several popular car and truck brands and has new and used car dealerships across Melbourne Mornington Peninsula and throughout Victoria CBRE has been heavily promoting commercial investments among local and foreign Asian investors BALLOT packs are being mailed out this week for the council election There were 35 nominations for Frankston Council this year Worth noting that I’ve served 2 terms on Council previously However I discontinued my association two or three years ago There’s probably several issues not to mention of course the one we are all facing at the moment how do we rebuild after COVID 19 how do we inject life back into the Frankston CBD and what we can do as a Council to support some of our residents who are doing it tough especially with the rollback of Jobkeeper and Jobseeker What do you hope to achieve if you are elected to council Rebuilding the Frankston CBD into an environment that attracts and supports businesses Including addressing the Timed parking issues around the Frankston CBD to the benefit of all shoppers and retailers The renovations at Karingal shopping centre will be great for local retailers however I do see a detrimental affect to the Frankston CBD I am an Administration Officer but currently unemployed I strongly believe that the issues in this election are the following  I work in Langwarrin South as a High school teacher.  I disclose that I have voted Labor in the lower house and Democrat in the upper house in nearly Though in a couple of elections I have cast my ballot for the greens in the upper house I live in beautiful Langwarrin where my family and I have purchased our home and are raising our family.  Over the next 4 years Frankston will be faced with the pain of recovery We will be making meaningful decisions about how this must be done How do we get people back to work and support families and keep food on the table The decisions of council will be important We must be willing to work with every level of government and industry and business to have plans in place for the quickest To do this we must have a council that can be trusted to listen The council must be deeply connected to the people of Frankston to best understand the needs We must be willing to listen to the experts to make sure that the plans reflect the best practice and resources get to where they are needed I am a Senior Property Manager/ Business Development looking after tenants and landlords which has been very demanding during Covid-19 because of loss of income for many Biggest issue is getting businesses back on their feet after the pandemic and creating more jobs for locals through council projects bringing investors to Frankston and work with the State Government to support Frankston initiates I also believe we need to seriously look at homelessness mental illness and affordable housing in partnership with the State Government Firstly I like to work with council and State Government to initiate programs to enable businesses to get back on their feet and look seriously at how we can upgrade shop fronts to entice investors to Frankston I would also investigate our homeless situation keeping in mind no Councillor can make change alone it is the majority of council that decides the outcome We need experienced people with business acumen to bring about change and make our city vibrant again I would also have regular North East Ward meetings with the community to address issues in Langwarrin Self-employed business owner operator in the Health and wellness industry with 25+ years professional experience as a Community Development Practitioner working for Health Not for Profits and across 3 LGAs including Frankston City and Mornington Peninsula Shire I am not a member of a political party.  The Councils biggest issue at this point in time and in the short – medium term will be fiscal management with a challenged budget recovering from the impacts of COVID 19 at the same time continuing to maintain business and community supports sustaining continued service delivery and organisational operations The opportunity to role model and celebrate culture difference whilst demonstrating leadership with integrity in collaboration with colleagues and in partnership with the North East Ward residents and broader community The presence of a newly elected council will create change in itself my presence will show a capacity to work respectfully in solidarity to demonstrate good governance in the Chamber along with Enhanced communication with and between council and the community For 25 years I ran Norman James Printing in Frankston and then Seaford with my wife Nancye We have since retired and I now spend most of my time working as a councillor for my community I am a life member of the Labor Party and in the 20 odd years as a councillor have managed and financed my election campaigns without any outside help I have worked with all councillors no matter their political persuasion I have lived in Frankston for the last 50 years What was your proudest achievement of this council term The huge upgrade of facilities at Wedge Road sporting ground Carrum Downs and also the upgrade of facilities at Lloyd Park Langwarrin All of these upgrades have made them all female friendly What was your biggest regret of this council term Having the Monitor brought into Council by the State Govt because of the actions of a few councillors What do you hope to achieve in your next council term to get our community back to where it was prior to the COVID-19 pandemic and Rupinder Singh did not respond to emailed questions by deadline *Editor’s note: Some answers have been abbreviated A light magnitude 2.9 earthquake occurred in the Bass Strait near the coast of Victoria,  Australia 2018 at 10.55 am local time (Australia/Melbourne GMT +10) The quake had a very shallow depth of 9.6 km (6 mi) and was felt by many near the epicenter.