COUNCILS across Victoria have backed a Kingston Council push for a state government led crackdown on illegal brothels masquerading as massage businesses. A Kingston Council motion tabled at a Municipal Association of Victoria state council meeting last week (19-20 October) calling for a state taskforce to tackle massage parlours offering extra illegal services was supported by attending councils. Kingston mayor Cr David Eden and council CEO John Nevins attended the two-day MAV meeting in Melbourne. Cr Eden said the support shown for Kingston’s proposal to have the state government take on responsibility for “complex” and potentially costly investigations of suspected…
Author: Neil Walker
A REPORT released by the Victorian Ombudsman last week revealed 97 complaints about Kingston Council were made to the watchdog over a 12-month period but The News has found just over 10 per cent of complaints were referred to council. The Ombudsman’s annual report released last Monday (16 October) listed the number of complaints about each of Victoria’s 79 councils received by the watchdog during the 2016-17 financial year. Kingston was listed as the 12th most complained about council to the state watchdog that has the power to investigate state government departments and agencies, councils and statutory authorities. The News…
A TREE planting project is taking root in Montague Park to celebrate Frankston’s newest and youngest arrivals. The Birth Tree Project, implemented by Rotary Peninsula 2.0 and Frankston Council in 2015, sees a tree planted each year at the Kars St public park to celebrate births across Frankston. Families can pay $50 to have the latest addition to the family named on a plaque unveiled at the end of each year naming newborn babies. All proceeds this year will be donated to The Babes Project to help babies and families in the Frankston area. The Wood family added a second…
TWO out of five board members of a company set up by Frankston Council that manages two aquatic centres have been reappointed for three years by councillors. Peninsula Leisure Pty Ltd directors Roseanne Healy and Philip Johnson will now serve on the company board until at least 31 October 2020. Councillors made the decision in private, since it is effectively a staffing matter, after last Monday evening’s public council meeting on 16 October. Frankston Council acting CEO Tim Frederico said there is no change to board members’ remuneration. The Times reported in June that Peninsula Leisure chair Roseanne Healy is…
A PLUMBING problem has forced the shutdown of pools at the Peninsula Aquatic Recreation Centre until the end of the month. The PARC learn-to-swim pool, aquatic playground and 50-metre pool were closed on Thursday 12 October due to “a critical malfunction in the plumbing system,” Peninsula Leisure CEO Tim Gledhill said. “While damage assessments continue at PARC, Peninsula Leisure has brought forward the summer opening of The Pines Forest Aquatic Centre,” Mr Gledhill said. “The early assessment at PARC was that the pools could be operational again by 27 October, but pending expert advice the required works are likely to…