FRANKSTON’S latest visitor has received a mixed reception from residents. A giant silver gnome sculpture was installed at the Cranbourne Rd exit of Peninsula Link last Thursday (16 July) after the popular Tree of Life moving sculpture was moved to Langwarrin’s McClelland Gallery & Sculpture Park earlier this month (‘Tree of Life uprooted for gnome new home’, The Times 6/7/15). The nine-metre gnome sculpture, entitled Reflective Lullaby, is the work of New Zealand based artist Gregor Kregar. It is made of polished stainless steel. The arrival of the gnome sparked hundreds of comments on Facebook. Many are disappointed the Tree…
Author: Neil Walker
COUNCILLORS have finally given the nod to a new Frankston War Memorial at Beauty Park. A $405,000 tender has been awarded to Convic Pty Ltd to design and build the memorial. The new design will be scaled back after a proposed $1.4 million project, announced in early 2014, was deemed too expensive to construct. It had been hoped that the new war memorial would have been in place before this year’s Anzac Day centenary commemorations. Centenary vigils were held at Frankston Park since the existing Davey St memorial site is too small to cope with large crowds. Mayor Cr Sandra…
RIDE-SHARING business Uber has highlighted a lack of public transport options across the Mornington Peninsula in a submission to the state government asking for its controversial uberX service to be legalised. US based Uber, backed by corporate giants such as Google and investment bank Goldman Sachs, launched its unregulated uberX service across Frankston and the Mornington Peninsula late last year (‘Uber’s arrival challenges taxi operators’, The Times 19/1/15). Licensed taxi operators and drivers are angry that authorities have failed to stop Uber operating illegally in Victoria although the Taxi Services Commission has charged 11 Uber drivers with allegedly driving “a…
A POP-UP prop jump started an angry exchange at last week’s public council meeting. Deputy mayor Cr Glenn Aitken brought out a jack-in-the-box with the words “Who is the Liberal candidate for Isaacs?” on its side during a debate about the impact of the state government’s rate capping policy. Cr Darrel Taylor was angry at the stunt and called Cr Aitken “a disgrace”. He said the deputy mayor’s actions at the meeting were inappropriate and tantamount to “bullying and intimidation”. Cr Taylor told The Times Cr Aitken is convinced “that I’m the candidate for the seat of Isaacs”. “It’s totally…
TRACK works are being carried out at the Frankston Motorcycle Park in Seaford and the reopening “is now imminent” according to Frankston Council. Council has been working with members of the existing Frankston Motorcycle Club volunteer committee and Motorcycling Victoria since the track was closed after the death of 25-year-old motocross rider Danny Edlington on the main track in early April. Deputy mayor Cr Glenn Aitken, who has been chairing an interim committee tasked with overseeing the park for a 12-month period after it reopens, said there are still “a couple of issues” including the provision of personal injury insurance…