Frankston’s top priorities identified ahead of state election

FRANKSTON Council has identified the city’s top priorities that candidates should take notice of in the lead up to the state election.

n35fs411 Frankston generic pictures from the roof of the Peninsula Centre.

Armed with community feedback and appropriate research, Frankston Council has identified the municipality’s top priorities and is putting all candidates in the upcoming state election that they better take notice.

Rex Russell with scrap metal stockpiled at a waste transfer station.

Push for waste transfer station

THE lack of a waste transfer station has long been a bugbear for Frankston residents after the previous station was closed to make way for Peninsula Link three years ago. Resident complaints include being hit by higher fees when using transfer stations outside the municipality.

Council is now pushing for funding for a regional waste transfer station to serve both Frankston residents and the southeast region. It argues that Frankston’s central location is ideal to service the municipalities of Frankston, Casey, Kingston, Greater Dandenong and the Mornington Peninsula. Up to 10 staff will be employed at the station should it get the go-ahead and environmental benefits include prevention of rubbish dumping, improved opportunities to recycle and reduction in carbon footprint. Council is now doing a feasibility analysis to fund the facility. It estimates establishment and start-up costs for the station will be up to $12 million. Possible sites for the station are still being explored.

Basketball players at the Frankston Basketball Stadium.

Call for sport and recreational facilities

It’s a great sport, but Frankston’s basketballers are being forced to jump through hoops. Frankston Basketball Stadium is at bursting point and booked to such capacity that games are regularly starting after 11pm. Council is asking for support from all levels of government to kick start a massive $25 million expansion plan. Similarly, netball participation is skyrocketing and the facilities desperately need modernising. So rundown are the facilities at Jubilee Park it cannot host Victorian Netball League matches and our Peninsula Waves have to play home games elsewhere. With a master plan costed at $16.5 million, council wants the next state government to kick in $10 million. Both developments are intended to be rolled out in stages with stage one of the basketball stadium plan to include two courts — with court markings for other sports. Netball’s stage one allows for reconstruction of 13 crumbling courts to meet Netball Victoria safety standards, floodlights and shelters. The third element of the sport and recreation bid is the $3.5 million upgrade of Carrum Downs Recreation Reserve.

Frankston foreshore.

New foreshore set for quality finishes

Treasured for its seaside location, Frankston’s stunning beaches draw visitors from far and wide. And council’s Frankston Yacht Club redevelopment and Long Island master plan aim to build on that reputation. A major redevelopment of the yacht club includes demolition of the existing dilapidated building and construction of new club facilities, community rooms, cafe and function areas. Council has put $9.4 million towards the project and received $1.25 million from the Federal Government. It is now seeking $4.5 million funding from the state for the shovel-ready component of the plan, which includes three-way sea wall, boardwalk, a carpark and yacht club surrounds. Frankston Yacht Club commodore Meaghan Densley said members were rapt with the redevelopment. “It means better quality facilities — bringing in fresh members,” she said. “We’re looking forward to state-of-the-art facilities.” The Long Island master plan works dovetail with the yacht club redevelopment and works include the removal of roads, carparking and civil infrastructure, realignment of pedestrian paths, reinstatement of the dune topography, tree and understorey planting and picnic facilities. Long Island is a parcel of prime open space between Frankston CBD and the foreshore.

Frankston train station.

Transit interchange

Critics of the Frankston Train Station precinct have labelled it uninviting, a neo-industrial mess and just plain scary. Residents told a recent public forum that they didn’t feel safe in the area and urgent action was needed. A draft $13.8 million State Government plan for the precinct released earlier this year was widely derided locally as short on detail and largely cosmetic. Instead, the council wants the incoming government to spend $1.5 million on a business case for the precinct and another $1.5 million for a business case on electrification of the train line to Baxter. Mayor Darrel Taylor said about 40,000sq m of State Government and council land was available at the transit interchange. Cr Taylor noted the State Government had committed $13.8 million for works in Young St and basic changes at the station and bus areas. “This has not proceeded due to lack of agreement on the location of buses,” he said. “We are proposing that the $13.8 million be reserved until we can produce an overall master plan on a full redevelopment.” Cr Taylor said significant pre-planning work had begun, but acknowledged it was a 10-15 year project. “Council alone cannot put up the money required, nor can the State Government. It lends itself to a public/private partnership,” he said. A recent Property Council of Australia report into potential key projects — ripe for private sector investment — lists Frankston Train Station second behind Essendon on its list of transport projects. “Opportunities exist for high-density commercial and residential developments to occur around a redeveloped station,” the report stated. “Additional land may become available if electrification of the existing rail line between Frankston and Baxter were to occur. “This would enable Frankston to transition from an end of the line commuter-based station to a high-density transit oriented development.”

Health and human services hub

The large amount of drug replacement clinics in central Frankston is one of the most confronting issues facing the city. Frankston CBD, which consists of 0.5sq km, is an informal health hub with six pharmacotherapy clinics, a needle exchange and various mental health, counselling and family violence support services. Residents told a public forum recently that the behaviour of some people around these services had contributed to the area’s reputation as being unsafe. Figures released by the council show that Frankston has 675 pharmacotherapy clients — an increase of 384 clients in the past 10 years. Its figures also show that drug-related crime in Frankston is 45 per cent higher than the Victorian average for manufacture and cultivation of drugs and 74 per cent higher than the Victorian average for possession and use of drugs. To address negative images associated with these services, the council is pushing for a $9 million health and human services hub as part of the overall expansion of Frankston Hospital, funded by the State Government. Council argues that the high-density of clinics is evident in the “dead spaces and streets” in the city centre, increased drug-related crime and a perception of lack of safety by residents.