Push for $10m federal cash to help pay for Nepean Highway transformation
Bid to turn Frankston’s Nepean Highway from a “rundown ghetto” into a grand tree-lined boulevard where locals and tourists can lunch and linger during the day and party after dark.
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A concrete corridor in Melbourne’s southeast dubbed a “rundown ghetto” could be transformed into a grand boulevard with palms, bike lanes, alfresco dining and a “world-class lookout” over Port Phillip Bay.
Frankston Council’s boulevard dream for Nepean Highway includes reducing part of the main drag from six lanes to four to make way for bikes, pedestrians and trees.
Extra lights will improve safety after dark and encourage night-time dining and entertainment.
An unused car park at Olivers Hill would be turned into a “world-class’ lookout and a historic toilet block currently offering hot showers to the homeless has been flagged for a new cafe with electric bike charging
The project has the support of Frankston traders and the region’s peak advocacy body Committee for Frankston and Mornington Peninsula.
Committee chief executive Josh Sinclair said it would help “Funkytown” realise its bold ambition of becoming “the capital of the southeast”.
“The benefits would be significant. Driving economic growth, encouraging opportunities for
diverse private sector investment, stimulating job creation, and growing a skilled local
workforce,” he said.
“It will showcase Frankston as a destination, not just a gateway.”
The Frankston Business Collective has started an online petition to gain further support for the plan.
“This is an opportunity to redefine our Nepean Highway. No longer just a concrete corridor, but a lively hub for housing, hospitality, retail, and open social spaces,” the group said.
Local Belinda King, who signed the petition said in its current state Nepean Highway “looks like a rundown ghetto”.
“We have some great restaurants and bars on Nepean Hwy, but they are surrounded by empty derelict buildings,” she said.
“Nepean Hwy is an embarrassment, and the longer it’s left, the worse it gets.”
The Nepean Boulevard Revitalisation Project is at the top of Frankston’s wish list for federal election cash with the council asking for $10m to help pay for some of the signature elements.
The recently launched Frankston City First advocacy initiative has three other priority projects needing federal money including $11.7m to encourage active transport via cycling and walking paths, $3.3m to redevelop Bruce Park Pavilion, $1.05m for mental health and $500,000 annually for emergency relief.
The council has already spent $2.05m on improvements along Nepean Highway, and has allocated $5.2 million more in the coming years towards additional works for the boulevard vision.
Frankston mayor Kris Bolam said the “transformative initiatives” would “shape the next chapter for Frankston”.
“The 2025 federal election is our opportunity to make these projects a reality,” he said.
The boulevard dream is part of the council’s controversial FMAC Structure Plan which seeks to set maximum preferred height limits of up to 16 storeys in parts of Frankston’s city centre.
Objectors believe the plan paves the way for Gold Coast style high rise apartments dubbed the “Great Wall of Frankston” that would block water views.
The new height limits have been sent to Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny for approval.