IF you see hordes of shambling blood-splattered hordes near train stations in the next few weeks there may be no need to call police or protective services officers for help. The mob may be dressed and made up as zombies as part of an independent short movie project called Benedict being filmed in Melbourne and its suburbs. It’s a ghoulish sight familiar to fans of TV show The Walking Dead but is slightly less common along the Frankston line. Zombies shuffled along to Mordialloc on a Sunday morning last month (18 September) to film some scenes under the railway bridge…
Author: Neil Walker
‘WORK. MEET. BEACH. REPEAT.’ is the slogan that greets visitors to the offices of a new startup in Frankston aiming to help new start-ups launched just in time for the hotter summer months. Frankston Foundry, a co-working space and business hub for entrepreneurs and new businesses, officially opened its doors last Tuesday. Co-founders Cam Rambert and James Bertschik, both 28, are encouraging fledgling businesses to use office space on either a full-time or casual basis on the top floor above the Commonwealth Bank building in Wells St as a base of operations and a way to meet and talk to…
DISCORD between councillors led to a failed WorkCover claim lodged by Cr Brian Cunial in February that alleged “bullying, intimidation and ridiculing” by Cr Suzette Tayler. The claim, rejected by council’s WorkCover insurer CGU, saw eight of council’s nine councillors interviewed as witnesses with only Cr Michael O’Reilly exempted from being interviewed. The allegation by Cr Cunial emerged at last week’s public council meeting amid heated arguments between councillors over the cost of code of conduct arbitration hearings in recent months. Cr Tayler revealed the WorkCover claim since it was listed in documents councillors voted to bring in to open…
BAD blood between councillors was on full show at the latest Frankston Council public meeting when councillors repeatedly clashed over the outcome of arbitration code of conduct complaints lodged against each other in recent months. Three arbitration hearings over five complaints against three councillors, involving lawyers being called in by council at ratepayers’ expense to make code of conduct rulings, have cost ratepayers tens of thousands of dollars this year (“Costly conduct for ratepayers”, The Times 5/9/16). Councillors voted to bring the hearing outcomes into the public domain at the council meeting. Mayor Cr James Dooley made complaints against Cr…
MORE than 30 candidates will contest next month’s Frankston Council election vying for nine councillor spots in three council wards. Nominations closed on Tuesday last week and 36 candidates registered with the Victorian Electoral Commission to stand at the election on 22 October. All nine existing Frankston councillors are seeking re-election in the wake of a four-year council term marred by infighting and internal and external investigations into some councillors’ behaviour (See “Dirty laundry’ aired at council”). Former councillors Kris Bolam and Brad Hill are among 13 candidates for three vacancies in North-West Ward. A staffer in state Carrum Labor…