Author: Brodie Cowburn

THE Frankston Coast Guard is being told to disband. The Australian Volunteer Coast Guard Association, supported by Emergency Management Victoria, has been reviewing the viability of the Frankston Coast Guard. It has decided that the Frankston flotilla should be consolidated with the unit at Carrum. The decision follows years of setbacks and struggles for the Frankston flotilla. The group has been without a permanent home for nearly four years following the demolition of its Pier Promenade headquarters. Plans to build a boat harbour and permanent home for the Coast Guard at Oliver’s Hill were abandoned in 2019 after the project…

THE redevelopment of the Frankston Basketball Stadium looks certain to proceed. The project now has bipartisan support from the state government and opposition, The Times understands. The federal government and Frankston Council have both committed $15 million to the project, meaning it is now expected to go ahead no matter the result at next month’s election. Frankston MP Paul Edbrooke confirmed the state government’s support last month. Liberal candidate for Frankston Michael O’Reilly is expected to make a funding promise imminently. Edbrooke said in his announcement “we’ll invest up to $15 million towards the redevelopment of the Frankston & District…

THE Victorian Liberals have promised to extend the Frankston Line to Baxter if successful at next month’s state election. The state opposition says it will electrify and duplicate the train line to Baxter. Two new stations would be built at Langwarrin and Frankston East. Six level crossings would be removed and both Frankston and Baxter Stations would be upgraded for the project. The state opposition says the project would be delivered in the next four years at a cost of $971 million. A business case assessing the project released in 2020 revealed that it could cost $1.5 billion to extend…

FRANKSTON councillor Steven Hughes is facing an allegation of serious misconduct. At their most recent public meeting, seven Frankston councillors agreed to apply for a councillor conduct panel to assess the allegation made against Hughes. Since being elected in 2020, Steven Hughes has been the subject of two arbitration applications and has served a one month suspension. He was suspended following a series of social media posts criticising council spending and policy. The Times understands that Hughes’ recent public social media activity was once again a trigger for seeking disciplinary action. Only Steven Hughes and his son, fellow councillor Liam…

IN the leadup to its 2018 re-election the state government committed $25 million towards creating the “Sandbelt Parklands”, a 355 hectare chain of parks running from Dingley Village to Moorabbin. With the next election looming the project remains incomplete, and Kingston Council is pleading for the state government to fulfill its promise. Kingston Council is keen to see the chain of parks project completed. The project has taken a few hits in the last four years, none more damaging than the state government announcing that land previously earmarked for the project in Heatherton would instead be used for suburban rail…