A PUSH to move government departments into Frankston has begun.
Frankston councillors have written to state and federal MPs asking them to open discussions to relocate departments to Frankston. Cr Brad Hill said South East Water’s move to the area in 2015 brought an estimated annual economic benefit of $850 million to the municipality.
“I acknowledge that both the state and federal governments have delivered some fantastic and much-needed major projects, which have significantly helped to revitalise our city. However, it’s crucial that we focus our attention on how we can support these efforts and create more local jobs,” he said
“Box Hill and Dandenong are great examples of other Metropolitan Activity Centres that have prospered as a result of significant state and federal government investment in office spaces – and I believe Frankston deserves the same level of attention.
“Frankston has significant capacity to accommodate large government and private sector office requirements. It has over 14,000 square metres of permitted additional grade a office space with further developments planned. There are also a number of developer-backed sites in the city centre that could accommodate major bespoke office requirements.”
Frankston MP Paul Edbrooke said “I have been actively advocating for many years to relocate a government department to Frankston and believe this would be a fantastic opportunity to increase local employment for Frankston.”
“I am in discussions with various agencies and departments concerning opportunities which will both benefit our community and employers.”
Last week, councillors approved an extension for a permit to build an 11 storey building on the Nepean Highway. A submitter from Echelon Planning, which speaks on behalf of the landowner, told council that the proposed project had been “shortlisted for a major government tenant to move their office into the office building”.