Frankston Citizen of the Year joins battle to stop 12 storey towers along the waterfront

Warwick Exton has loved Frankston for 100 years and he’s had plenty to say about a council plan to allow high rise towers along the waterfront. See the mayor’s response.

A campaign to Stop the Great Wall of Frankston is gaining momentum despite the local council saying it does not reflect a long term vision for the city. Picture: supplied

A 100-year-old man honoured for his work in protecting the environment has joined the fight to stop the ‘Great Wall of Frankston’.

Warwick Exton recently took the local council to task over its vision for the beachside municipality’s city centre which would raise height limits for buildings along Nepean Highway from 32m (nine-storeys) to 41m (12-storeys).

The council has already approved a 14 storey residential tower on the beach side of Nepean Highway and is expected to soon consider another 16 storey development in the same strip.

Locals fear Frankston’s prized waterfront views will be hidden behind a row of high rise buildings.

Mr Exton, who in January was named Frankston’s citizen of the year, asked the council to stop the “long term planning disaster”.

“It’s your own view and your own conscience but I ask you to think about it very carefully,” he told councillors.

Mr Exton has spend decades working to protect Frankston’s Sweet Water Creek and has a walking trail through the reserve named in his honour.

He was given three minutes to present his views to the council but ended up speaking for more than seven.

Mayor Nathan Conroy said as the citizen of the year, Mr Exton deserved extra time.

“I hope no one was offended,” Mr Conroy said.

He went on to passionately defend the structure plan which he said would provide the foundation and strategic direction to “build a city that every single person is proud of”.

Cr Conroy said the plan was a “golden opportunity” to create a 20 year vision that would make it possible for people to live and work in the CBD.

“We want the safety, the vibrancy, the atmosphere,” he said.

“We will get all of that when we have people living and working right in the city centre.”

However, Cr Conroy acknowledged concerns about height limits and assured residents the plan was not a “done deal”.

The council last week heard a total of 15 submissions about the draft Frankston Metropolitan Activity Centre (FMAC) Structure Plan.

A total of 17 written submissions have been received and a further 500 people have taken part in information sessions including pop ups, workshops and a walking tour.

More than 2500 people have signed an online petition against the plan.

Another Frankston resident, Reverend Tim Costello is backing the campaign and urged the council to stop the iconic waterfront being “irrevocably changed”.

Mr Costello, who was also a former St Kilda mayor, said he hoped the council had learned its lesson after handing over public park for South East Water’s eight storey “brutalist structure that visually blights Frankston”.

He said if further high rises were allowed to block views of the bay Frankston beach would become a “generational eyesore”.

“The overshadowing in the bay in the morning from these massive towers will reach deep into the sea.”

The council said all feedback would be considered when the final FMAC Structure Plan was presented to council for a decision in June 2023.