Author: Neil Walker

NEW housing built in Frankston will offer some independence to younger people with disabilities who have previously lived in aged care nursing homes. The housing in Lardner Rd was officially opened last Friday (16 October) thanks to an innovative collaboration between Monash University, Mission Australia Housing, the Summer Foundation and disability service provider Yooralla. Six purpose-built units have been designed for people with disability to allow ease of mobility and smart home technology enables residents to use smart phones or tablets to control heating, cooling and lighting. Support staff can be contacted remotely if there is an emergency. Monash University…

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RESIDENTS would not enjoy many of Frankston’s latest recreation facilities and services if the state government’s rates capping policy had been in force over the previous five years, according to Frankston Council. The Labor state government is pushed ahead with its pre-election pledge to cap future annual council rate rises across Victoria at the rate of inflation and tabled legislation in Parliament last week to implement its policy, dubbed the Fair Go Rates cap by the government, with effect from the 2016-17 financial year. Frankston mayor Cr Sandra Mayer criticised the imminent rates cap. “We would like the entire community…

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BUSINESS owners have called on the state government to quickly end uncertainty over a planned memorial park in Kingston’s Green Wedge so they can get on with investing in future business plans. Southern Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust has approached Kingston Council and the Labor state government outlining its plans to build a “Kingston Memorial Park” in Heatherton. The Trust intends to buy about 130 hectares of green wedge land north of Old Dandenong Rd to develop land for a cemetery and memorial park (‘Cemetery plot for Green Wedge’, The News 16/9/15). The Trust has the power to compulsorily acquire land and…

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ST KILDA Football Club has pledged to protect young people “from the risks of gambling” by signing Victoria’s responsible gambling charter but will keep pokies at its soon to be redeveloped Moorabbin headquarters which will also house training facilities for junior footballers. The AFL club, set to receive $13 million of ratepayers and taxpayers’ money from Kingston Council ($5 million) and the state government ($8 million) respectively, to help build state-of-the-art facilities at Moorabbin Reserve was one of three clubs to sign the charter last week for the first time. The Saints joined newcomers Essendon and the Western Bulldogs in…

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RUBBISH tips and concrete crushers will be banned from Kingston’s Green Wedge after a state government decision last week to rezone about 366 hectares of land in Heatherton and Clarinda. The Green Wedge land north of Kingston and Heatherton Rds, and outside the urban growth boundary, was a Special Use Zone meaning waste businesses could operate in the area. Labor Planning Minister Richard Wynne announced last Wednesday (14 October) that the land will be rezoned to a Green Wedge A Zone meaning existing waste industry businesses will have to cease operations when their existing leases run out. The decision was…

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