A DEVELOPER has promised to demolish The Ambassador function centre in a month’s time after being granted a 12 month extension by Frankston Council to redevelop the site. Fine artist and interior architect Joanna Kordos, the new owner of the site, told councillors at last week’s public council meeting that “we are looking at demolishing in about four weeks”. Ms Kordos plans to build a four-storey building with 37 apartments. “We are working towards pioneering a new look for that area, the entry to the peninsula,” she said. The Prahran based architect said she had experience in designing multi-unit sites…
Author: Neil Walker
THE long-running Mentone Activity Hub saga took another twist this week with councillors forced to attend a special meeting on Monday evening to decide its fate for the third time in the past two months. Kingston councillors gathered to debate a rescission motion by Cr Rosemary West to ditch plans to proceed with the $1.5 million activity hub project. For the second time in as many weeks Kingston mayor Cr Geoff Gledhill used his mayoral casting vote on Monday to push ahead with the hub reconstruction. At March’s public council meeting councillors narrowly voted four-three to put the project on…
FASHION is cyclical and beards are back in fashion again. Young hipsters have taken on the look and ace faces from Frankston to New York feature facial hair. Seaford photographer Stan Barnett was ahead of the fashion curve. He has spent the past few years travelling in Australia, China, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Korea, New Zealand and Europe capturing portraits of men with beards for a book unsurprisingly called Men with Beards. It’s all for a good cause. All proceeds from sales will be donated to the Leukemia Foundation. Well-known bearded men including Derryn Hinch, Jon Faine, music entrepreneur Michael Gudinski…
FRANKSTON is following in the footsteps of Collingwood Football Club in a bid to help the homeless. Council will trial a 12-month pilot program to establish three ‘Magpie Nest’ houses in Frankston to provide accommodation and support to homeless people. Collingwood FC’s Magpie Nest Housing Project, launched in 2012, helps people sleeping rough on the streets or in unsafe rooming houses. Safe and good-quality accommodation with reduced rents is provided and “wraparound” case management support, in partnership with mental health services and employment agencies, help homeless people get back on their feet. Frankston councillors unanimously voted at last week’s public…
FEDERAL funding cuts have been blamed for a decision by Frankston Council to end its family day care program. Frankston mayor Cr Sandra Mayer cited a federal government funding cut of $180,000 per year, equivalent to 40 per cent of the program’s annual cost in Frankston, as the major reason for council’s exit from overseeing family day care arrangements. “Recent federal government changes have seen the number of service providers increase significantly, so council is no longer the sole provider of family day care in Frankston,” she said. “Council will now work with existing council sub-contracted educators to help them…