MORE than 300 protesters against any form of elevated rail along any part of the Frankston line marched to show their dismay at level crossing removal plans released this month. No Sky Rail: Frankston Line marchers walked from Chelsea to Edithvale on Sunday (18 September) to protest against rail over road being built at any Frankston line crossings. The Level Crossing Removal Authority has announced rail over road ‘rail bridges’ are only feasible at Frankston (Skye/Overton Rd) and Carrum (Station St and Eel Race Rd). The LXRA has also released ‘rail trench’ and ‘rail bridge’ options for level crossings at…
Author: Neil Walker
A COUNCILLOR who breached the Local Government Act’s councillor code of conduct with “aggressive” behaviour towards two council employees has also been censured for “the use of profanity” in an email to a fellow councillor. Arbitrator, Justitia lawyer Sarah Rey, noted that an email from deputy mayor Cr Hampton to Cr Darrel Taylor clearly directed invective at Cr Taylor. The email was copied in to all nine Frankston councillors. Ms Rey, was originally hired by Frankston Council to investigate a complaint lodged by mayor Cr James Dooley against Cr Taylor, but found no merit in the mayor’s complaint about an…
THE LANGWARRIN Hotel has cleared the final hurdle to install 10 more poker machines at its Cranbourne-Frankston Rd premises. The Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) last month decided to overrule Frankston Council’s refusal of a planning permit to increase the number of pokies at the Langwarrin Hotel from 52 to 62 after the venue operator appealed council’s decision. The hotel’s bid for more pokies made national headlines after The Times first revealed the hotel operator Beretta’s linked the installation of the electronic gaming machines to planned upgrades to a children’s play area at the venue (“Kid’s play cover a win…
MENTONE’S historic train station is under threat as part of the state government’s plans to remove the Balcombe Rd level crossing on the Frankston line. A new train station will be built and the heritage-listed station, constructed in 1913, may be used as “an entrance” to the new station or a history centre or cafe, according to Level Crossing Removal Authority (LXRA) documents. Two options for Mentone – rail over road or rail under road – were released by the LXRA last week for public consultation closing at the end of October. The government will then announce which of the…
DUMMY council candidates will find it tougher to run at council elections next month after an 11th-hour state legislative change banned postal ‘how to vote’ cards ahead of next month’s council elections. ‘Dummies’ have no intention of winning ward elections to represent their community but instead put their name up to funnel preferences to legitimate candidates, often in agreement with candidates seeking election. Such preferences can get council candidates over the line if they do not win enough votes in their own right. “The armies of dummy candidates lining up to run in this year’s council elections will have to…