A PEACE of sorts has broken out among Frankston councillors previously at odds with each other over the cost of a new war memorial to be located at Beauty Park.
Some councillors baulked at a $1.4 million price tag for a new memorial and found themselves under fire from some in the community over a lack of progress on the project.
Cr Colin Hampton said “the project was rushed” to meet the 2015 centenary of the Anzac landings at Gallipoli and all councillors had not been “engaged” with the original costly “grand plan”.
Councillors agreed at this month’s council meeting to consider a scaled back war memorial budgeted at about $490,000.
Outgoing mayor Darrel Taylor, a former Australian Army veteran, said he hoped Beauty Park would eventually become “a magnificent precinct” if an Avenue of Honour and a memorial walk is added in future.
Cr Hampton agreed “as the years go by we can add on to it”.
“We should be proud of…the men and women who fought and died for our country,” he said.
All councillors had agreed that the existing Davey St war memorial is no longer fit for purpose to host Anzac Day and Remembrance Day commemorations due to large crowd numbers.
Council will now consult with the community over the revised design.
The federal government has pledged $100,000 towards the project but there has been no state funding promise as yet.
Since the new war memorial at Beauty Park will not be ready for Anzac Day next year, council will host Anzac centenary commemorations at Frankston Park.
