A BOATING marina at the base of Olivers Hill is no nearer to becoming reality despite a petition with more than 2000 signatures being handed over to Frankston Council.
The petition signed by 2052 people asked council to commit funding to a “regional boating facility” at Olivers Hill but several councillors said other major projects – such as a waste transfer station – should take priority.
Consultants GHD previously presented four concepts for a marina to be built at Olivers Hill, with the estimated cost ranging from $38 million to $51 million.
At this month’s council meeting, Cr James Dooley said the marina “does not have a snowflake’s chance in hell of getting up”.
He said council “had the begging bowl” out to try to get a much-needed $12 million waste transfer station built and multi-million dollar projects requiring council funding should include “freeways and hospitals” not a marina.
“People do not like seeing false promises,” Cr Dooley said.
Cr Darrel Taylor argued council should not ignore “probably the largest petition we’ve ever had”.
“[They’ve] taken the time to say to us – quite loudly and clearly – that they want to see something done at the boating facility and the Coast Guard in this city.”
Cr Taylor said fishermen and boat owners said Frankston’s boating facilities were “at a stage of being overwhelmed” due to a lack of parking and launching space.
Deputy mayor Cr Glenn Aitken noted Frankston Coast Guard “does need proper accommodation and a proper and reasonable launching space” but any marina project should be “small scale” to solely meet this need.
Council CEO Dennis Hovenden admitted council is “not likely to go out and spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on this” in the short term.
A marina at Olivers Hill is “a lower priority” than other infrastructure projects, according to the CEO.
Cr Taylor said the existing Frankston Coast Guard building had, at best, “a decade left in it” and action will be needed by council to provide funding sooner rather than later.
Any marina to be built at Olivers Hill would also require federal and state governments’ approval and funding alongside council’s financial contribution.
