KINGSTON Council is set to review its current arrangement for maintaining Patterson Lakes waterways.
Kingston councillors last week called for a report assessing beach maintenance within Patterson Lakes Waterways, which is currently undertaken by Melbourne Water with Kingston Council funding. The motion, raised by Cr Tony Athanasopoulos, would investigate establishing beach maintenance within the Patterson Lakes waterways as an ongoing council service.
The motion called for a report containing “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.”
Cr Athanasopoulos’ rationale for the motion read that “the Patterson Lakes waterways are a unique environmental, recreational and community asset within the City of Kingston. For many years, council has undertaken beach maintenance to preserve public amenity, support environmental outcomes and assist with the effective management of the waterways.”
“This notice of motion seeks to provide certainty for residents by investigating options to establish beach maintenance as an ongoing municipal service of the City of Kingston, supported by sustainable funding and clear service standards. It also seeks to ensure that future decisions are informed by appropriate community consultation and transparent reporting.
“The intention of this motion is to maintain council’s ongoing responsibility for this important community service and to identify the most effective long-term arrangements to ensure its continuation for future generations.”
The report will also look into improving public access to Patterson Lakes beaches and waterways.
First published in the Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News – 3 November 2026