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All aboard station plan push Neil Walker neil@baysidenews.com.au FRANKSTON Council is on board with state government plans to redevelop the Frankston train station precinct but is also pushing for more money to be invested in the project, and the electrification of the rail line to Baxter. Council also wants the area around the transport interchange to be opened up for use as “green public open space” to showcase Frankston and reinvigorate the city centre. Councillors unanimously backed council’s official submission to the Frankston Station Precinct Taskforce, established by the state government to hear submissions about the $50 million redevelopment project. Council hopes more state funds can be provided – by the Andrews government and future governments - to fully redevelop the train station and its surrounds. The mayor Cr Sandra Mayer noted council has been lobbying for a major revamp of the train station for 40 years. “We don’t want a new lick of paint this time,” she said. “After all the talking, the council and the community are looking to the other levels of government and those in the private sector who may join us to put a shovel in the ground to get something happening. This is the heart
Baby bonus
NEWBORNS including Addison, with mum Belinda, received an early birthday present this year, an official council welcome at Seaford Community Centre last week. See story Page 10. Picture: Gary Sissons
of Frankston and everyone within the municipality wants to see the area become alive and be vibrant and create employment.” Labor has pledged $50 million to the station revamp and is honouring a previous Coalition government commitment to spend $13 million to revitalise Young St. An additional $46.9 million will fund a first stage of upgrades to the Frankston campus of Chisholm TAFE. A council officers report noted similar transport hub redevelopments at Dandenong, Footscray and Ringwood had started with a similar funding amount to the Frankston project but had leveraged off further public and private partnerships to expand the scope of redevelopment. “The Ringwood project, for example, started as a $66 million station redevelopment and leveraged from this a $575 million Eastland redevelopment and $60 million Costco development,” the report stated. “At a time when public finances are under pressure, the most successful redevelopment projects are those that come at little or no cost to government. In this way, under-utilised or prime sites may be unlocked for private sector investment to stimulate economic activity and the private sector can do what it does best – investing, employing and growing the economy.” Continued Page 10
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