KINGSTON Council has agreed to phase out the use of the herbicide glyphosate. Council voted on 28 October to “immediately reduce the use of glyphosate through improved practices and use of alternate products and continue to reduce glyphosate through contract renewal processes phasing out completely by 2020, where contractually possible” and to “determine that no further contracts or agreements are to occur where glyphosate is being used.” The motion agreed to by councillors read that council will “cease the use of Local Safe to control weeds in council’s playgrounds, and in areas where Local Safe has been used, glyphosate will…
Author: Brodie Cowburn
DUNKLEY MP Peta Murphy is pushing to reform parliament’s question time. The first term MP made a co-submission to the standing committee’s inquiry into the practices and procedures of question time, saying that the system is “broken” and “plays into broader concerns around declining trust in government, politics and the institutions of our democracy, including parliament.” Among the reforms offered by Ms Murphy include the addition of a constituency question time to allow backbenchers to ask ministers questions relating to their electorate. Ms Murphy said in her co-submission that question time was “the forum where robust questioning and detailed answers…
THE long awaited business case investigating the electrification and duplication of the Frankston line to Baxter was handed to the federal government last week. Work on the business case, which would “assess the costs and benefits of electrifying the line, as well as additional enhancements, including track duplication, level crossing removals, station upgrades, car parking and train stabling,” commenced in April 2018. The business case is now complete, and the state government has called on the federal government to make its findings publicly available. State Frankston MP Paul Edbrooke said “the initial Baxter electrification business case has been completed by…
EXPRESSIONS of interest are open at the former training base of the St Kilda Football Club in Seaford. The site had been used by the Saints as their home base from 2010 up until 2018. After a short stay, St Kilda FC made the call to move into their revamped home at Moorabbin, leaving the Linen House facility mostly vacant. Ratepayer money had been used as part of the deal to entice the Saints to Seaford. Council has now put out the invitation to businesses to become a partner tenant at the site. Despite abandoning the site, its future use…
BUILDING plans at the Cove precinct in Patterson Lakes will be subject to a Kingston Council investigation. Two 10 storey developments are planned at the Cove site, including a 66 dwelling building proposed for 64 Pier One Drive, and a 142 dwelling building proposed for 54 Pier One Drive. A three storey building with 28 dwellings is planned for 115A McLeod Road. A reduction in car parking at the site was also sought, but voted down by councillors in May. The reasons given were that a parking reduction would “detrimentally affect the amenity of the neighbourhood” and be “an over-development…