PLANNING minister Matthew Guy has indicated he will consider Kingston Council’s contentious bid to rezone land in the green wedge to a minimum lot size of 2000 square metres, possibly paving the way for residential development in the environmentally-sensitive area. The News can reveal minister Guy wrote to council late last month to advise he would consider such a request from council “based on its merits” should it be formally made. The correspondence from the minister seems at odds with previous public statements he has made on the matter, including a pledge in state parliament as recently as March this…
Author: Neil Walker
FRANKSTON’S proposed new war memorial will not be completed in time for next year’s Anzac Day centenary commemorations amid councillors’ concerns about the project’s cost. The mayor Cr Darrel Taylor told The Times the new memorial “will not be available” by April next year and funding already committed to the project was in jeopardy due to missed construction date deadlines. Record crowds are expected at next year’s ceremonies and the existing Davey St site cannot cope with the high number of attendees, with insufficient car parking spaces being a major problem. Councillors unanimously agreed to give the project the go…
DOGS may be allowed to roam free along Mentone Beach if a Kingston City Council 24-hour off-leash area trial is a success. A leash-free area could be located on the beach area adjacent to Charman Rd and would extend southwards for about 200 metres. At April’s council meeting, Cr Geoff Gledhill had proposed council officers investigate the implementation of a leash-free area at Mentone Beach. “It can be quite a polarising matter, but we have 13.5 kilometres of beach in Kingston and it would not be unreasonable to investigate the possibility of a 24-hour leash-free area along 200 metres of…
FORMER mayor Christine Richards and the Frankston Community Coalition ‘gang of six’ are pushing an idea to improve Frankston train station’s surrounds. The group has been talking to Frankston Council about relocating several sculptures from the McClelland Gallery in Langwarrin to the station precinct in an effort to make the area more welcoming for visitors and residents alike. Ms Richards said McClelland Gallery was on board with the plan but it had to be agreed by council before it could become reality. “It’s a terrific way to leverage Frankston’s cultural assets and it would connect the station and central Frankston…
LAST week was an eventful one for maverick independent MP Geoff Shaw, even by his now familiar high media profile standards. The controversial member for Frankston managed to anger Premier Denis Napthine, cause a political dilemma for Labor Opposition Leader Daniel Andrews and still found time to launch a broadside at Frankston City Council. Mr Shaw’s week began with Premier Napthine declaring he would not “be held to ransom” by the MP’s demands and throwing out a challenge to Opposition Leader Daniel Andrews to decide “whether he wishes to deal with the rogue MP for Frankston”. The balance-of-power Frankston MP…