Frankston Council hitting landlords with fines, court action, in city clean up campaign
A Melbourne council is cracking the whip to stop its city centre from becoming “skid row” by forcing the owners of up to 65 “unsightly” CBD buildings to lift their game.
South East
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Landlords are being slapped with fines and threatened with court action as a bayside council fights to stop its city centre from becoming “skid row”.
Frankston Council is also buying cops new wheels and giving them access to CCTV on their mobile phones as part of an ongoing plan to make its notorious transport hub safer.
The clean up campaign revealed 65 commercial properties in the CBD were in breach of Frankston’s local laws, including allowing buildings to become “unsightly” by failing to repair damage and remove graffiti.
Property owners who did not bring their buildings up to scratch are now being fined and may also be taken to court by the council.
Mayor Kris Bolam said the despite the council offering significant support to businesses and landlords to help improve the local economy and streetscape, some property owners were not doing their bit to keep the city presentable.
“We don’t want skid row, we want commercial shopfronts that inspire confidence,” Mr Bolam said.
“It’s imperative, at this juncture in Frankston’s transformation from a seaside town to a regional city, that local business owners play their part.”
Councillor Nathan Butler, whose ward includes central Frankston, said it was time property owners matched “heavy” government and private investment in the city.
In April the Federal Government committed $50 million towards Nepean Highway improvements, including upgrades to the Overton Road and Nepean Highway intersection.
Mr Bolam also revealed at a recent council meeting a deal with Victoria Police for bicycles and mobile phone access to CCTV was “days from being signed and sealed”.
The agreement would see the council spend $100,000 on the new technology and bikes in return for continuing dedicated patrols around the troubled transport hub.
A Victorian Police spokeswoman said police would be in a position to elaborate on the deal once the agreement had been signed.
However, she said it was not unusual for police to work with local councils on arrangements that enhanced community safety.
The police deal is part of the council’s ongoing campaign to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour in the Young Street precinct.
Patrols by rapid response teams launched by the council in May 2024 are continuing to target people breaking local laws including smoking and drinking alcohol in public.
The council also removes graffiti as part of daily street cleaning and has added 3,723 more plants to Young St.
Frankston Business Collective chief executive Bernadine Geary said well maintained streetscapes played an important role in attracting both customers and investors.
“Our buildings and shop fronts are part of the CBD experience – if we want more people to visit and spend money in our city centre, then property owners must do their bit to maintain our streetscapes,” Ms Geary said.