FRANKSTON Council has implemented new measures to avoid perceptions of political bias ahead of the upcoming federal election, the mayor says. Councillors who are nominated to run for higher office may face repercussions if they fail to follow the newly implemented guidelines. Frankston councillors have unanimously agreed to modify council’s candidature policy to clarify the procedure councillors should follow if they choose to run in state or federal elections.
The policy now reads that councillors who nominate to run for higher officer must “maintain an appropriate separation between their dual roles, avoid potential and actual conflicts of interest, not misuse their position as a councillor, not use council resources to support their candidacy, and continue to observe the standards of conduct in the Model Councillor Code of Conduct.”
The policy states that councillors who breach the new guidelines may be in violation of the Local Government Act 2020 or the councillor code of conduct. Frankston mayor Kris Bolam said the changes are part of an effort to be bi-partisan. “In the past, council was exposed to accusations of being biased and not fairhanded. As a result, there was reputational damage because of this perception. However, since the election of the new council, there has been a concentrated effort to repair relationships with both public office holders and the candidates,” he said.
“I can assure the public that under my watch Frankston City Council will play a ‘straight bat’ and preach political neutrality “I couldn’t care less about the political parties or partisan politics. My only priority is that the state and federal candidates for election keep Frankston front of mind and work with the city council on the advocacy projects we’ve identified through intensive research and significant public consultation. If Frankston is to truly transform from sleepy seaside town into a thriving regional city then we need to be treated like a fully-fledged city – this means pronounced funding boosts from both tiers of government.”
Frankston Council faced issues in 2024 when then-mayor Nathan Conroy was preselected to contest the Dunkley by-election for the Liberals. The deputy mayor was out of the country at the time, and could not fill in. The relationship between the previous Frankston Council and Frankston MP Paul Edbrooke became fractured after Conroy returned to the mayor role. Minutes from a meeting between Conroy, Edbrooke, and former Dunkley MP Peta Murphy about funding for the Frankston Basketball Stadium redevelopment were at the centre of the disagreement.
The mayor will write to councillors about their requirements for political neutrality.
Last month, Frankston Council also voted to update its Community Service Partnership (Triennial) Grant agreements to “further require recipients to ensure that the application of any grant funding is politically neutral so as to avoid any perceived partisanship, particularly in the lead-up or during any local, state or federal election.”
First published in the Frankston Times – 11 February 2025