Frankston
GET YOUR
FREE TV GUIDE INSIDE!
An independent voice for the community
Your weekly community newspaper covering Frankston, Frankston South, Karingal, Langwarrin and Seaford
FREE
DOWNLOAD 3MP FROM THE APP STORE OR GOOGLE PLAY
Tuesday 19 September 2023
For all advertising and editorial needs, call 03 5974 9000 or email: team@baysidenews.com.au www.baysidenews.com.au
Top teachers recognised TEACHERS from McClelland Secondary College and Monterey Secondary College were named among Australia’s best at an awards night last week. Laura White (pictured top left) from McClelland Secondary College and Madison Smith (pictured bottom, second from left) from Monterey Secondary College were among the 22 winners at the national 2023 Commonwealth Bank Teaching Awards. Dunkley MP Peta Murphy said her electorate was the only one with two teachers represented. “Fantastic teachers like Laura White and Madison Smith are helping students reach their full potential. Not only is this good for children, but it’s good for families, community and our country,” she said. Of the award winners, 12 teachers received a fellowship worth $40,000, and 10 early career teachers received a $10,000 scholarship. Picture: Supplied
Basketball stadium project cost increases Brodie Cowburn brodie@baysidenews.com.au THE planned redevelopment of Frankston Basketball Stadium will now cost ratepayers an extra $15 million. The project, initially expected to cost around $45 million, is now projected to cost $60 million. Frankston Council ratepayers will likely pay for the extra cost. The project has expanded, with ten competition-ready courts now included in the final build instead of eight. Six courts will be fully rebuilt, and a 1000 square metre gymnastics hall will be
constructed. It will house the Frankston District Basketball Association and the Bayside Gymnastics Club. Matching commitments of $15 million each have been made by the state and federal governments. A report prepared by council officers read that no further funding commitments are likely to be made by other levels of government. Frankston councillors approved the project’s expansion at their 11 September meeting. Frankston mayor Nathan Conroy said the extra spending would support women in sports. “We need to level up the playing field, give everyone equal opportunity, and support boys and girls to play sports, and not just football
and cricket,” he said. “Bayside Gymnastics Club, thank you and your team for fighting for eight or nine years. There’s been promises of different locations. When we asked you to advocate, campaign, or show up to funding announcements, you did it all,” he said. “I believe there is so much synergy between [basketball and gymnastics].” Councillor Brad Hill said that he opposed the extra expenditure because of its impact on other projects, and the proposed replacement of some existing courts with new ones. He said council has received “independent advice” that the courts “still have twenty years of life in them.”
“If I’ve got an old Falcon, I can reduce my maintenance costs by ordering a new Mercedes. But that doesn’t mean it makes sense,” he said. The expanded project will result in changes to council’s schedule for future projects. Hill said “there’s impact to dozens of other projects in our long term infrastructure plan. We don’t have visibility of what all those impacts are.” “We were presented with a list of changes, and I don’t think we have actually evaluated the complete list. The other impacted groups have not been consulted or even informed that their projects are being deferred. If they were consulted or informed perhaps they would have come tonight to speak
to that,” he said at last week’s council meeting. The decision to spend the extra money was supported by the councillors Conroy, Suzette Tayler, Kris Bolam, and David Asker - the mayor’s casting vote saw the proposal approved. Councillors Hill and Claire Harvey opposed, and Liam Hughes and Sue Baker abstained from the vote. Councillor Steven Hughes was absent from the chamber due to his recent suspension. Frankston Council considered booting gymnastics from the project to save money, but ultimately decided to retain the planned facilities. Continued page 3