KINGSTON Council is considering the best way to manage beach maintenance within the Patterson Lakes waterway system.
Beach maintenance works within Patterson Lakes Waterways, which encompasses the Tidal Waterways and the Quiet Lakes, are currently undertaken by Melbourne Water with Kingston Council funding. At Kingston Council’s most recent meeting, Cr Tony Athanasopoulos proposed commissioning a report to assess “options to establish beach maintenance within the Patterson Lakes waterways as an ongoing municipal service of the City of Kingston, including the operational and contractual arrangements necessary to maintain the current or an improved level of service into the future.”
A decision on the matter was deferred until Kingston Council’s next meeting, pending a further briefing to councilors.
Cr Athanasopoulos’ proposed report would include “advice on the long-term arrangements required to ensure the City of Kingston retains responsibility for the delivery, oversight and quality of beach maintenance services, recognising the waterways as an important municipal asset” and “advice on incorporating the ongoing cost of beach maintenance into council’s recurrent operating budget as a municipal service, together with any opportunities to improve operational efficiency or obtain external funding, excluding the introduction of a special charge or similar levy on affected property owners.”
The report would also assess “current maintenance arrangements, including service frequency, performance measures, contract management and opportunities to improve service delivery” and “options to achieve the best financial and service outcomes through contractual arrangements with Melbourne Water or another suitably qualified and equipped provider, while ensuring that the City of Kingston retains responsibility, oversight and accountability for the service.”
If the proposal is approved, council officers would be asked to explore methods to improve public access to the Patterson Lakes beaches and waterways.
First published in the Frankston Times – 6 October 2026