FRANKSTON City’s health sector is booming and the mayor, Cr Darrel Taylor, thinks the time is right for major health organisations to set up shop in the city centre.
“The shift in the industry has been so great it has now overtaken retail trade as the largest employer in Frankston with more than 7000 jobs,” he said.
“Whether it be private health providers or public agencies like the Department of Health or Peninsula Health, there are fantastic opportunities to set up health administration offices in the heart of Frankston’s growing Health and Education Precinct, recently defined under Plan Melbourne.
“Our city has the expertise in this industry and we need more white-collar jobs and more people working in the city centre. These types of organisations are a perfect fit.”
Frankston’s health sector has enjoyed 20 per cent growth in employment and revenue in recent years and by 2016 one-in-every-four jobs in the city is expected to be in the health industry.
“Frankston Private and Peninsula Private hospitals have announced upgrades totalling nearly $100 million, in addition to the $81 million upgrade to Frankston Hospital which is currently under way,” Cr Taylor said.
“With Monash University – Peninsula Campus and Chisholm TAFE offering courses like nursing, physiotherapy, paramedics, occupational therapy, pharmacy, dental and pathology, among others, we have more skilled local people with the expertise to fill these new jobs, and our future health professionals won’t have to travel long distances to study.”
Cr Taylor also said the council would like to work with Monash University to expand its local course offering to include medicine.
“Frankston City’s health precinct, which is next to Monash University, provides us enormous opportunities to leverage off the federal government’s proposed $20 billion medical research fund,” he said.
“The establishment of medical research organisations in Frankston will only strengthen the city’s place as a major health and education hub into the future.”
