SUE Baker has been elected the new mayor of Frankston.
Cr Baker was elected to the top job by councillors on 10 December. She defeated Cr Nathan Butler to win the role – Crs Cherie Wanat, Michael O’Reilly, Brad Hill, and Steffie Conroy voted for Cr Baker, and Crs Kris Bolam, David Asker, and Emily Green supported Cr Butler.
The newly elected mayor said “I have been preparing for this responsibility for many years and will continue to ensure council’s decisions reflect the real needs and aspirations of our residents.”
“With over five years’ experience across two terms in the North West and Pines Wards and three years on the Audit and Risk Committee, I’ve heard the diverse views of our community,” Cr Baker said. “The year ahead will bring significant responsibilities, including securing affordable housing outcomes, implementing the aged care reforms and working with our new CEO to reset and reinvigorate this council. These are complex areas that will require steady, compassionate leadership, leadership that listens first, communicates clearly and keeps people at the centre of every decision.”
Cr Baker was first elected to Frankston Council in 2020, as has unsuccessfully vied for the mayoral role in the past. Her deputy mayor will be Cr Wanat, a first-term councillor elected in 2024. They will form the first all-female leadership team in Frankston Council’s history.
Outgoing mayor Cr Bolam leaves the job as Frankston’s longest serving mayor, having completed three terms in the role. Significant council achievements in the last 12 months under his leadership include the launch of the Frankston Beach accessibility pilot program, the approval of a $2.4 million “Local Support Package” to relieve cost-of-living pressures, the beginning of construction work on the $60 million Frankston Stadium redevelopment, and the approval of plans to re-open Frankston Motorcycle Park. An announcement of a tenant for the first floor of the vacant Frankston Yacht Club is also expected to be made imminently.
In a parting statement, Cr Bolam said “we set out not just to govern, but to reshape the future of our city. At the heart of this vision is Frankston’s transition from town to city—a milestone that signals a new era of growth and opportunity. This shift represents reputational renewal, the unlocking of social and economic potential, and a decisive move away from outdated processes and thinking.”
First published in the Frankston Times – 16 December 2025