THE state government says it is working to provide free pharmacotherapy training for GPs so that more people can access the prescriptions they need. The planned closure of the private Frankston Healthcare Medical Centre has left hundreds of pharmacotherapy patients in limbo. The centre’s director says that it treats between 400 and 500 patients a week on methadone, sublocade, and suboxone. (“Drug treatment access a big problem” The Times 2/10/2023) Private medical practices are overwhelmingly carrying the load of pharmacotherapy services in Victoria. A Monash University report released last February found that 50 of Victoria’s 14,804 pharmacotherapy patients were in…
Author: Brodie Cowburn
THE federal opposition’s promised $900 million for the extension of the Frankston line to Baxter could be used to complete the project in stages, Liberal Dunkley candidate Nathan Conroy says. A business case completed before the COVID-19 pandemic found that it would cost up to $1.5 billion to electrify and duplicate the Stony Point line from Frankston to Baxter. With no work undertaken in the four years since the business case was finished, it will likely cost a lot more. Last month the federal opposition promised to spend $900 million on the project if it forms government next year. The…
VANDALISM along the Peninsula Link Freeway is getting out of control, Frankston councillors say. At their most recent public meeting councillors agreed to write to Southern Way, which built the road, expressing concern about graffiti and other mess. Councillor David Asker said the graffiti “is just atrocious, and I for one am not going to put up with it any longer.” He singled out the train crossing as an area of particular concern. Peninsula Link is operated and maintained by Service Stream on behalf of Southern Way – it is under a 25-year agreement to look after the road. A…
CRICKET WOMENS BALNARRING and Rye will face off in the MPCA Womens Grand Final this weekend. Balnarring hosted Tooradin in the semi-final on Sunday. Balnarring batted first and put a huge total on the scoreboard. An unbeaten century from Jemma Reynolds helped Balnarring reach a final total of 3/207. Tooradin batted well but couldn’t maintain the run rate needed to win. They finished up at 5/132 after their 30 overs. Rye and Somerville went down to the wire on Sunday in the other semi-final. Rye batted first last weekend. They set Somerville a target of 106 to score to win.…
EIGHT candidates have put their hands up to run in the upcoming Dunkley by-election. Women’s Spirit Project founder Jodie Belyea will contest the seat for Labor. Frankston mayor Nathan Conroy will seek to win it for the Liberals. Alex Breskin is the Greens’ candidate. The Greens returned a strong first preference vote of more than 10 percent at the 2022 federal election, and their preferences may prove influential this time. Chrysten Abraham is running for the Libertarian Party, Heath McKenzie for the Australian Democrats, Bronwyn Currie for the Animal Justice Party, and Reem Yunis for the Victorian Socialists. After failed…