THE state government’s 2025/2026 budget has allocated $165 million to put the finishing touches on the Frankston Hospital redevelopment.The budget reads that the total estimated investment for the project remains at just over $1.1 billion. Major works are on track for completion at the end of this year. The budget read that the state government has spent “an additional $165 million to open and operate the hospital. The redeveloped facility will transform services at the hospital, including initially expanding the emergency department to deliver more mental health and alcohol and other drug care and a dedicated paediatric zone”.“The Frankston Hospital…
Author: Brodie Cowburn
DISCOUNT vouchers, a pet registration fee freeze, a subsidy program for sports club memberships, and the suspension of eleven service charges for ratepayers are among a swathe of measures set to be taken by Frankston Council to ease cost-of-living pressures. Council has unveiled its cost-of-living relief package as part of its 2025/2026 draft budget. The budget will come back to council for final approval on 23 June.The cost-of-living package provides ratepayers discount vouchers to access community facilities, free access to legal services for residents facing rental stress and homelessness, a subsidy program to lower the cost of memberships to community…
A CHILD sexual abuse survivor is calling for new laws to hold organisations to account for abuse that occurs under their watch.Frankston resident Brian Cherrie was sexually abused as a child living at the Salvation Army children’s home in Box Hill in the early 1960s. He said he has suffered lifelong effects from the abuse, which occurred when he was just 11-years-old, and is now dedicated to helping other victims. “I’m a forgotten Australian abused in a children’s home,” Cherrie said. “Now I run a Facebook group petitioning to get a Royal Commission which has 2500 members, most of them…
STUDENTS from Elisabeth Murdoch College have teamed up with Langwarrin Men’s Shed members for a special project, which came to a conclusion last week. The students have been building and decorating four large planter boxes. Last Friday, 16 May, the boxes were donated to the dementia ward at Frankston Vasey RSL Aged Care.Michael Ryan from Langwarrin Men’s Shed said the Year Nine students had worked very hard to bring the idea to fruition. “The students visited other community groups, and they then had to go away and decide which one they would like to be involved with,” he said. “We…
MORE infrastructure needs to be built to support planned housing developments around Suburban Rail Loop train stations, Kingston Council says.The state government has been exhibiting its “precinct” plans for the Suburban Rail Loop stations this year – public submissions closed last month. The state government plans to allow major housing projects to be built in the areas surrounding the railway stations.Last week, Kingston mayor Georgina Oxley said that council had made a submission to the Suburban Rail Loop outlining serious concerns about the plans in Cheltenham and Clayton. She said that the planned infrastructure and services would not meet the…