THERE are renewed calls for the redevelopment of the Frankston train station precinct to be handed over by the Labor state government to the independent Metropolitan Planning Authority. Federal Dunkley Liberal MP Bruce Billson has written to Labor Planning Minister Richard Wynne to ask the state planning minister to allow the MPA to oversee the $63 million project “to ensure this opportunity to revitalise Frankston as a key Metropolitan Activity Centre is not lost”. Frankston Labor MP Paul Edbrooke also received the letter and has challenged the federal Coalition government to match the state government’s $63 million commitment to improving…
Author: Neil Walker
IT was a case of history repeating when councillors voted to elect Cr James Dooley as Frankston’s new mayor last week. Councillors broke with tradition for the second year running with a split five-three vote to elect the new mayor at a public council meeting last Thursday evening (12 November). Councillors usually discuss who will be mayor at a closed meeting before a mayor is elected in public to resolve any differences of opinion so a new mayor begins the statutory 12-month tenure as Frankston’s civic leader and chair of council meetings with a united council front. Crs Glenn Aitken,…
PUNTERS in Victoria lost $5.8 billion while gambling in the past financial year and poker machine losses in pubs and clubs made up $2.57 billion of the total losses as gamblers. An annual report tabled by the Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation in State Parliament last week revealed that in 2014-15 gamblers lost $2.57 billion on pokies, $1.84 billion on gaming machines and tables at Crown Casino and $857.6 million on racing, trackside, football and sports betting. Victorians also lost $500.6 million on lotteries and $16.7 million on Keno. While punters lost cash the state government raked in…
A LACK of lift access at a multi-storey carpark at Frankston Hospital has been defended by Peninsula Health on the grounds it was not necessary under Victoria’s building regulations. Peninsula Health chief operating officer Brendon Gardner told ABC 774 radio presenter Jon Faine last Monday (9 November) that no elevator access at the carpark was “an oversight” but said the hospital was not legally obliged to provide access for wheelchairs or prams at the carpark. “The top two levels are for staff and the bottom level is for visitors so under the requirements of the Building Code we do have…
IT can be a stressful work life being a strata manager. Tenants and apartment owners don’t call unless something has gone wrong and needs to be fixed, preferably quickly. But Stephen Raff, CEO of Mordialloc based Ace Body Corporate Management, can see the funny side of the strata manager job after more than 20 years in the business. The Ace Body Corporate founder has compiled the strangest and most amusing incidents into a book called Strata Living Stories. Incidents range from the elderly lady who literally hosed down a couple next door whose “banging like rabbits” regularly breached the peace…