GENERAL rates on properties in the Kingston local government area are set to increase by more than four per cent. Kingston Council passed its final budget for the 2023/2024 financial year last week. The budget contained a 4.49 percent increase to general rates. Overall rates and charges will increase by an average of 3.5 per cent, the maximum allowed under the state government’s rate cap. Kingston Council projects a surplus of nearly $1.1 million for this financial year. It is planning to spend $53 million on infrastructure projects – expenditure includes $7.6 million for local roads, $4.8 million for a…
Author: Brodie Cowburn
THE crime rate in the Kingston local government area is skyrocketing. New figures from the Crime Statistics Agency show that criminal incidents in the Kingston LGA rose by more than 17 percent when comparing 2022/2023 to 2021/2022. The figures were measured between March 2022 and March 2023. There were 8005 criminal incidents in Kingston in that time period, up from just under 6800 from the same timeframe the year prior. Family violence incidents are also on the rise in the Kingston municipality. The number of recorded family violence incidents rose by 6.8 per cent in the year ending March 2023,…
MPNFL DIVISION ONE PINES picked up an important win over Sorrento last Saturday. The Pythons hosted the Sharks at Eric Bell Reserve. The match marked the return of star forward Aaron Edwards, who returned to Pines after a stint with St Kilda City. He transferred to Pines alongside Brownlow medalist Dane Swan, who debuted the week prior. After a tight first quarter, Sorrento took control of the game heading into half time. The visitors led by 15 points at the main break. Sorrento were ahead by nine points heading into the final term, but the Pythons proved too strong. Pines…
A BAN on online gambling advertising would protect children from gambling harm, Dunkley MP Peta Murphy says. Murphy is the chair of the House of Representatives standing committee on social policy and legal affairs. The committee released a report on its inquiry into online gambling last week. The report recommended that online gambling advertising be phased out over the next three years. It also contained 30 other recommendations to curb the negative effects of online gambling. Murphy said that reform was needed to protect children from the risk of gambling harm. “Gambling advertising and simulated gambling through video games, is…
THE crime rate in Frankston has increased significantly in the last year. The increased crime rate defies a four-year trend of decreasing crime in the Frankston local government area. Figures released last month by the Crime Statistics Agency reveal that the number of criminal incidents in the Frankston LGA climbed by more than 14 per cent in the period between March 2022 and March 2023 when compared to the same timeframe the year prior. The criminal incident rate has decreased in Frankston each year since 2019. There were 9500 criminal incidents in Frankston between March 2022 and March 2023. The…