KINGSTON Council will spend $2.3 million to give the shopping strip along Nepean Highway in Edithvale a facelift.
The stretch of shops between Bank Road and Carrington Street are due to benefit from the upgrade. The funds for the project were originally designated for works at the nearby level crossing, but were redirected after the state government agreed to stump up more cash for maintenance on LXRP projects.
Kingston mayor Steve Staikos said that the funding would improve the shopping strip and bring in more shoppers. “We are excited to be able to help improve the Edithvale shopping strip to boost local business and make it a more attractive and accessible place for our community,” he said.
“Kingston has been working closely with the state government throughout the LXRP process, and the additional $2.3 million in funding will enable us to make a huge difference to the Edithvale business community as they recover from the challenges posed by the pandemic. We’re looking forward to partnering with the Edithvale Collective, business owners and the broader community to finalise the upgrades.”
The Edithvale Collective is a community group working to improve the Edithvale area. The group’s spokeswoman Kirralee Ashworth-Collett said that the idea to revitalise the area first formed five years ago, and was now coming to life.
“We came to together as a small group of passionate locals in 2017 to help breathe new life into our suburb, which had been badly neglected for far too long. The strip’s footpaths are uneven, unsightly and downright dangerous, and the public amenities have fallen into a sorry state of disrepair,” Ashworth-Collett said. “This is all about people power. It’s been a long, hard slog but I’m so proud of how this community has stood up to make sure our voice is heard. Edithvale village is a stunning little slice of paradise nestled between the wetlands and one of the best beaches in Port Phillip Bay. The state of the shopping strip was really letting it down, so we’re thrilled there’s now a plan in place to finally fix it.”
Upgrades are expected to include landscaping, paving, the addition of street furniture, and other streetscape works.
First published in the Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News – 4 May 2022