WORK has finally begun on the construction of a new Frankston War Memorial at Beauty Park.
The project has been mired in a funding controversy over the past year but councillors finally gave approval last month for a scaled back $480,000 memorial instead of a $1.4 million memorial and avenue of honour originally proposed.
Councillors disagreed about the scope of the construction project but agreed to the latest design which has the potential to have further stages added, including an avenue of honour, if funding is available.
New mayor Cr James Dooley attended a sod turning ceremony last Monday (16 November) with federal Dunkley Liberal MP Bruce Billson and representatives from the Frankston and Seaford RSLs.
Departing mayor Cr Sandra Mayer said last week that is pleasing that the community rallied to help fund the new war memorial, needed because of overcrowding on Anzac Day at the existing Davey St memorial.
“In addition to organisations and government departments partnering to make this happen, significant contributions towards the project have come from community fundraising efforts, driven largely by the Women for Frankston War Memorial who have raised thousands of dollars for the project.”
The $480,000 construction of the new memorial, to be built between Baxter and Spring Streets, has been funded by council ($323,000), the federal government ($120,000), Frankston RSL ($25,000), community donations and Cr Darrel Taylor via his discretionary ward grants ($15,000).
Frankston RSL will also contribute $10,000 annually towards the war memorial’s upkeep.
All features from the current war memorial at the Frankston Civic Centre – such as plaques, badges, obelisk and the eternal flame – will be part of the new design, while as an ongoing project, names of returned Frankston servicemen and women will be engraved on the new memorial, starting with 200 World War I veterans.
