FRANKSTON’S proposed new war memorial will not be completed in time for next year’s Anzac Day centenary commemorations amid councillors’ concerns about the project’s cost.
The mayor Cr Darrel Taylor told The Times the new memorial “will not be available” by April next year and funding already committed to the project was in jeopardy due to missed construction date deadlines.
Record crowds are expected at next year’s ceremonies and the existing Davey St site cannot cope with the high number of attendees, with insufficient car parking spaces being a major problem.
Councillors unanimously agreed to give the project the go ahead at a council meeting eight months ago but, at the time, a council officers’ report noted: “it is envisaged construction of the war memorial will be funded by others”.
Since the initial discussions, the memorial’s projected cost has risen from $300,000 to about $1.4 million.
Cr Taylor has pledged $5000 from his mayoral discretionary fund towards the project, the federal government has promised $100,000 and Frankston RSL will contribute $10,000 annually for 10 years, mainly for “maintenance” costs.
“Final costings haven’t been confirmed for the proposed war memorial in Beauty Park, however the total project – to be delivered over four stages subject to available funding – is expected to cost approximately $1.4 million,” Cr Taylor said.
“To date, around $650,000 has been committed or pledged by council, Frankston RSL and a range of grant schemes including $100,000 from MP Bruce Billson, meaning stage 1a is currently funded but the remaining three stages still require further funding.”
A further discussion by councillors about the memorial due to take place at Wednesday’s council meeting has been “deferred” and Cr Taylor said councillors did not know when it would be back on the agenda.
Last year’s report by council officers stated: “For the war memorial and avenue of honour to be completed for the centenary service, a preliminary time estimate indicates that construction of the project should begin in July/August 2014.”
The Times understands councillors are now divided, mainly due to fears about how much the relocation of the memorial will ultimately cost and differences of opinion about the new memorial’s design.
Frankston resident Leanne Hodolic, a self-described “time poor mother”, has rallied Facebook troops to highlight council’s apparent about turn, setting up a ‘New War Memorial’ Facebook page to gather support for the memorial relocation.
“I’ve always had a passion for honouring our service men and women who have served our great country and feel passionate about the relocation of the war memorial to the Beauty Park site,” she said.
Ms Hodolic said she was “outraged” that councillors were now haggling over who should stump up the cash to relocate the memorial after unanimously backing the project late last year.
Ms Hodolic told The Times she had contacted Frankston’s nine councillors to find out if they had changed their minds about supporting a new memorial.
She said five councillors – James Dooley, Rebekah Spelman, Suzette Tayler, Michael O’Reilly and Darrel Taylor – had responded.
Cr Dooley said the initial proposal for the war memorial carried a $300,000 price tag and this had since ballooned out to about $1.6 million.
“Everyone agrees we need a new war memorial, but it has to be done properly and not rushed,” Cr Dooley said.
“There’s concerns about the design of the new memorial itself which has been presented to councillors as a ‘fait accompli’ and from an oversight point of view we have to ask whether council should be funding about 90 per cent of this project.”
He said the Commonwealth, state government and the RSL should be the “main stakeholders”, especially since “many people” reckon councils should “stick to funding roads and rubbish collections”.
“There will be a lot of criticism, but councillors have a duty of care to ensure ratepayers’ money is appropriately used.”
Cr Dooley expressed misgivings about the “concrete slab” design of the proposed new memorial and said it “won’t resemble a memorial”.
He is concerned the new design has “no cross, no flame and no cenotaph”.
Cr Taylor said “council is committed to supporting the concept of the new memorial” but acknowledged some councillors had concerns about council picking up the lion’s share of the costs.
Cr Dooley believed the RSL in particular should contribute more to the project “up front” since the organisation rakes in millions of dollars of pokies revenue annually in Frankston.
The mayor agreed and said it was his personal view that council, federal and state governments and the RSL should make a joint effort to fund the war memorial.
When contacted by The Times, Frankston RSL president Brent Clyne said it is not “in the RSL’s charter” to fund memorials.
“We assist as a custodian and work to facilitate commemoration events,” he said.
“We’ve already promised $125,000 – a significant sum – and we won’t be pushed towards contributing more.”
“It’s unfortunate that a couple of councillors make comments but don’t realise the terms of the RSL’s charter.”
Mr Clyne expressed disappointment that the war memorial would not be on this month’s council agenda.
Dunkley MP Bruce Billson said there had already been “a lot of collaboration” and he was keen “to see people get on with the project”.
“The $100,000 committed [by the federal government] is not in doubt – it’s an important project,” he said.
Mr Billson made the $100,000 promise as part of his pre-election manifesto and it was confirmed as a funding commitment in last month’s federal budget.
“I’d like to think that there is a lot of goodwill to work together to see the new memorial built,” he said.
“It would be terrible to allow council strife and petty politicking get in the way.”
Mr Billson said anyone who had attended this year’s Anzac Day commemoration at Davey St could understand the need to move the memorial from its present location.
“It would clearly be the best outcome for a larger memorial site to become a reality.”
