NAIRM Marr Djambana has signed a 50-year lease at its Jubilee Park home, allowing the not-for-profit to continue its work improving outcomes for First Nations people.
The Gathering Place launched in 2016. Last week, Frankston Council confirmed it had agreed a half-century lease with Nairm Marr Djambana as part of its reconciliation action plan.
Nairm Marr Djambana CEO Deb Mellet said the fifty-year lease “is more than land — it’s a promise that our culture, our stories, and our children’s children will always have a place to belong. It anchors our past, empowers our present, and ignites hope for a strong and self-determined future.”
“We celebrate the leadership of Frankston City Council for recognising the importance of this place — and for walking alongside our community in a spirit of respect, reconciliation, and shared hope,” Mellett said.
Frankston Council and the federal government have also committed to spending $950,000 on a new multipurpose community building for the community group, which is due for completion early next year. Frankston mayor Kris Bolam said “this is an important decision for council that we hope will benefit the local indigenous community as well as the broader community by facilitating ongoing community connection.”
“We are now in the process of working through the details of the lease with NMD to ensure that it also supports the Jubilee Park Master Plan and other community uses in the park,” he said. “Providing a dedicated gathering place for our Indigenous community is essential, and this fulfills the vision set in motion over a decade ago.”
Dunkley MP Jodie Belyea said “the Australian Government is proud to support projects like this that honour First Nations culture and create inclusive spaces. Investing in Nairm Marr Djambana is investing in community connection and reconciliation, all values that matter deeply to our region.”
First published in the Frankston Times – 11 November 2025