THE state opposition has thrown its support behind a push to prevent open space near Mentone Station from being redeveloped.
The state government has rezoned the publicly-owned land at 79 Balcombe Road for development of up to six storeys. The rezoning has sparked calls to keep the land out of the hands of developers, with Kingston councillors recently voting to explore an “in-principle offer” to the state government to purchase the site (“Council launches bid to save open space” The News 4/9/2026).
Last week, Sandringham MP Brad Roswell visited the Mentone site to announce that if elected, the Liberals would “return the state-owned land back to the community.”
“A Wilson Liberal Government will also scrap Labor’s activity centres, putting local planning back in local hands,” Roswell said in his announcement. “Our community fought for this and I’m backing them in. Today’s commitment is part of our plan for a fresh start.”
The announcement was welcomed by Kingston Council. In a post on social media, Kingston mayor Cr Georgina Oxley said “I welcome Brad Rowswell’s announcement that, if a Liberal Government is elected in November, the land at Balcombe Road currently earmarked for development will be returned to the community for open space and community use.”
“This is about protecting space for people to gather, connect and enjoy – and recognising how much this land means to our local community. Housing is important too – but not without the infrastructure to support it, including open space,” Cr Oxley said. “Thank you to everyone who has spoken up for its future. Your voices matter, and this commitment is an encouraging step forward.”
Cr Oxley thanked the members of the “Save Mentone – Stop the Tower” group, who have been advocating for the land to be retained as open space.
First published in the Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News – 27 October 2026