THE state government will have more power over planning decisions in areas surrounding suburban rail loop sites after the passage of a bill last week. The Suburban Rail Loop Bill has passed through parliament. It has cleared the path for the Suburban Rail Loop Authority to make decisions and act on behalf of the government. The new law hands the SRLA planning authority powers in designated SRL areas. In a media release, the state government stated that the passage of the bill would “ensure a consistent approach is applied to planning and decision-making to achieve the best outcomes across all…
Author: Brodie Cowburn
FRANKSTON Council has re-negotiated its lease with St Kilda Football Club for use of its former training base in Seaford. Council agreed to a 50 year lease with St Kilda FC in 2009 for use of the Seaford site. After an ill-fated few years, St Kilda relocated its training base to Moorabbin in 2018. Council and St Kilda have now come to an agreement on new terms for a lease. Those plans will be put out to community consultation before receiving a final tick of approval. The agreement will see the existing lease and licences surrendered. The new lease term…
NEARLY 84 per cent of Kingston residents aged 15 and over have received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. As of 4 October, 55.3 per cent of Kingston residents aged 15 and over are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. There are currently 108 active cases of COVID-19 in the Kingston municipality. Last week the state government announced that all authorised workers will require a first COVID-19 vaccine dose by 15 October or they cannot work onsite. Authorised workers must be fully vaccinated by 26 November. Workers in construction, freight, healthcare, aged care, and education must follow previously given Chief Health…
USE of glyphosate-based weed killers will resume in local public spaces. Kingston Council workers were directed to stop using the herbicide in October 2019. Council overturned its ban on the weed killer last month. In a statement, Kingston Council said that glyphosate will only be used to control weeds in “low-risk, low traffic locations” and that “hand weeding and steam weed control will continue to be used at playgrounds, childcare centres, preschools and maternal child health centres and high use open space areas.” Kingston mayor Steve Staikos said “our decision to reintroduce the use of glyphosate-based products in selected low-risk…
MORE major works on the Frankston train line have begun. Buses will replace trains between Mordialloc and Frankston from now until November. During that time, crews will work to lower the Frankston line into trenches at Edithvale, Bonbeach, and Chelsea. Level crossing removal crews removed boom gates at Edithvale Road, Chelsea Road, Argyle Avenue, and Bondi Road in July. As part of their next batch of works, LXRP workers will remove the level crossing at Swanpool Avenue in Chelsea. Level Crossing Removal Project program director Adam Maguire said that he acknowledges the bus replacements will be “challenging” for the time being. …