Author: Neil Walker

AN appeal against St Kilda Football Club’s continued use of pokies at its Moorabbin premises may delay a $28.4 million redevelopment of the AFL team’s “spiritual home” until the second half of next year. Objectors to the club’s ongoing use of 83 electronic gaming machines at the Linton St venue are concerned children will be regularly visiting the premises since the revamped oval and building will also host Kingston sporting clubs and junior football training sessions. The Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal has agreed to hear an argument that the Saints must reapply for the club’s pokies licences since the…

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A FEDERAL politician has responded to a Kingston Council request for submissions on a proposed conversion of the Mentone Hotel in an apartment complex. Federal Isaacs Labor MP Mark Dreyfus says any plan to allow a four-storey development “is understandably troubling” to many residents. “I am concerned that if this amendment is granted that it would set a dangerous precedent for the overdevelopment of other properties along Beach Rd,” Mr Dreyfus said. “The Edgy is an icon of the Mentone and Bayside communities. It is one of Melbourne’s last remaining historic pubs and this should be preserved wherever possible.” In…

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PEACE, love and mutual admiration was in the air at last Monday evening’s first public outing for Frankston Council’s newly elected nine councillors in a stark contrast to two previous years of bitter infighting between councillors. The nine attended a public statutory meeting last Monday evening (7 November) to be sworn in as councillors and vote for a new mayor and deputy mayor to lead council for the first 12 months of a new four-year council term. Councillors unanimously backed re-elected Cr Brian Cunial at the public meeting to be mayor and all pledged to put past grievances aside for…

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THE state government body responsible for managing the separation of road level crossings from rail lines across Victoria denies any final decisions on elevated rail along sections of the Frankston line. Level Crossing Removal Authority CEO Kevin Devlin suggested elevated rail may be the “best outcome” as keynote speaker at a Committee for Economic Development function about cities and infrastructure this month and his comments were reported by The Age. Mr Devlin noted many bayside residents oppose any form of raised rail on the Frankston line. “They’re concerned about elevated rail solutions on the Frankston line, and we need…

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MORE open space could be made available to Mentone residents as part of a proposal by the Mentone Bowling Club to lease part of its land to Kingston Council. Bowling club chair Addy Wetzler confirmed the club has approached council to talk about making unused land on the corner of Balcombe Rd and Swanston St. “It’s a third small green that we haven’t used for the best part of ten years,” he said. “It’s about making better use of some of the land we’re not using at the moment. “We have a strategic plan as a club to work with council…

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