THE Southern Women’s Action Network (SWAN) will be hosting Roundtable 2 this November – a forum that will bring together community leaders, service providers, and government representatives to discuss strategies to address the peninsula’s growing housing and homelessness crisis.The Federal Government’s Housing and Homelessness Special Envoy, Josh Burns, will attend the event. He said he wants to hear directly from local organisations working to assist vulnerable residents. The discussion will focus on community concerns, current support efforts and both short and long-term possible solutions.The peninsula has experienced an increase in homelessness over the past few years. According to SWAN, a…
Author: Raia Flinos
THE Frankston Community Connectors pilot program will be expanding into the city’s busiest retail precincts, continuing their mission to provide support to vulnerable community members and improve safety.This initiative, which is a collaboration between Frankston City Council, South East Community Links, Metro Trains, and now Vicinity Centres, aims to address social issues such as anti-social behaviour, mental health crises, homelessness, and substance abuse.Initially launched in November 2024 as part of the Young Street Action Plan, the purple-vested social workers currently help provide people with advice, assistance, and referrals to services in the Frankston station and Young Street area.There will now…
THE City of Kingston has announced plans to develop a new framework aimed at helping improve accessibility to its beaches and foreshore.Council wants to ensure the 13 kilometres of coastline can be enjoyed by all members of the community. As part of the project, residents are being invited to share their ideas and feedback on how future upgrades should look. “We want to make sure that everyone – regardless of age or ability – can experience the joy of a day at the beach,” Mayor Georgina Oxley said. “By investing in better access, we’re not just improving infrastructure, we’re opening…
AS households continue to struggle with rising living costs, Frankston City Council have launched two new initiatives designed to deliver relief to residents.The council’s $1.7 million local support package includes the Active Participation Subsidy Program and Ratepayer Rewards initiative, which total a combined value of $250,000. Both are designed to not only help ease financial pressures, but to encourage community connection and wellbeing.The council has invested $137,000 into the Active Participation Subsidy Program to help remove cost barriers which stop residents from joining local groups, clubs, and activities. The program will see eligible residents have 85 per cent of their…
A significant animal welfare operation was executed late last week at a property on Moorooduc Highway in Mt Eliza, with the RSPCA seizing 35 horses. The operation, following months of investigation and concern from the local community, involved a team of ten RSPCA personnel, and followed the execution of a second warrant after evidence was seized from the property last week (RSPCA executes warrant after animal welfare concerns, The News 19/9/25). The seizure is the culmination of a long-running investigation which began in April after concerned community members issued reports on the treatment of animals on the property (RSPCA investigates horse…