Author: Neil Walker

A COALITION of the willing will step in to fill the void left by the closure of City Life’s cafe and restaurant that provided free meals to Frankston’s homeless and vulnerable. Frankston Labor MP Paul Edbrooke announced last week that disability services organisation Wallara will work with charity Wintringham “to provide affordable housing, outreach services, meals production and training opportunities for people with disabilities” at Wintringham’s Angus Martin House in Frankston. Pastor Mark Whitby announced the closure of the Clyde St Mall cafe this month with construction on a $16 million five-storey apartment set to begin at the charity’s rented…

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A CLOSED meeting between five Frankston councillors took place last Wednesday (15 June) in an apparent attempt to silence four councillors who decided not to attend the meeting. The meeting was not listed on council’s website and councillors met behind closed doors to discuss changes to council’s media and communications policy. While communication was high on the meeting attendees’ minds last week, council was not willing to communicate the reason for the meeting. When asked for a copy of the Special Meeting agenda council’s media and communications department advised late on Friday that since the meeting was “a closed meeting”…

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A REDUCED grant has been approved for the Kingston Residents Association after councillors postponed a decision on whether to hand over $200 of ratepayers’ money to the community group. Some councillors at May’s public council meeting expressed concerns about Quick Response Grant funds being given to a residents group that may oppose council decisions (‘Grant response not so quick’, The News 11/5/16). The KRA had initially applied for a $2000 grant to print and mail out its newsletters but council officers recommended the grant should be reduced to $200. At the subsequent council meeting councillors unanimously backed the grant bundled…

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VOTERS bored with a seemingly interminable eight-week federal election campaign can now begin to focus attention on polling day on 2 July after the political runners were confirmed on Friday. The Australian Electoral Commission released the official list of candidates on Friday (10 June). A field of just four will contest the seat of Isaacs – stretching from Mordialloc to parts of Carrum Downs and including parts of Keysborough, Noble Park and Dandenong – and 11 candidates will battle to win the hotly-contested marginal seat of neighbouring Dunkley. Isaacs is held by incumbent Labor MP Mark Dreyfus, the former attorney-general,…

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THERE will be no extended sky rail from Mordialloc to Frankston along the Frankston line. Labor Transport Minister Jacinta Allan declared at the weekend “there has never been a plan for extended elevated rail on the Frankston line”. The state minister in the Andrews government decided to step in and end speculation about sky rail being built along the full rail line amid a doublecrossed.com.au flyer campaign, financed by the Liberal Party, in the federal seat of Isaacs urging voters to “put Labor last” and vote against federal MP Mark Dreyfus since “Labor is now planning to build Sky Rail…

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