NEWS DESK
Green team: St Louis de Montfort’s School principal Tom Lindeman, left, and pupils Sophie, Shane and Will celebrate environmental awards with school sustainability leader Julie Wynne. Picture: Gary Sissons
School scoops more awards AN ASPENDALE school has seen years of work on its Sustainability Precinct since 2013 featuring an outdoor kitchen, vegetable gardens and animal enclosures pay off with two big wins at Sustainability Victoria’s ResourceSmart Schools Awards. St Louis de Montfort’s School was named the ‘School of the Decade’ and ‘Leadership School of the Year’ this month by Sustainability Victoria. Pupils and staff at the primary school have worked diligently on looking after the food and produce gardens and animals that live within the St Louis de Montfort School’s grounds. A kitchen made from converted shipping containers solar panels and wetlands enclosures are prominent features of the school’s sustainability precinct. “At St Louis we know that sustainable
education is a priority for students today as communities across Australia grapple with the needs of our environment to be sustainable into the future,” School sustainability leader Julie Wynne said. The latest honours follow an award-winning few years for the 5 Star ResourceSmart school for its environmental work. The future for Kingston schools looks bright. Carrum Primary School and Mentone Primary School were finalists at this month’s ResourceSmart awards. “I know that there are many schools doing great work in sustainability, and I want to encourage those that have never entered, or which haven’t for some time, to get involved next year,” Sustainability Victoria interim CEO Stephanie Ziersch said.
Saints slammed before exit Neil Walker neil@baysidenews.com.au ST Kilda Football Club has been given a kick on the way out the door of Seaford’s Linen House by Frankston councillors critical of the AFL club’s lack of engagement with the community during its short-lived stay at the training and administration base. The Saints will go marching out of the Seaford sports centre and head back to Moorabbin, possibly as early as the start of the next AFL season, and councillors now must decide to put the soon to be vacant Linen House to other use. Councillors at the latest public council meeting on Monday 16 October voted to set up a council committee to begin looking for tenants to move into Linen House after St Kilda FC leaves Seaford. Longtime councillors still on council who voted to welcome the AFL club to Seaford eight years ago voiced dissatisfaction at promises made that did not pan out in reality. “I was persuaded over a period of time to vote for St Kilda to go in there,” Cr Colin Hampton said. “We were told that there would be a $40 million bonus [annually] to the city of Frankston for this club to come here. I haven’t seen any of that.” Cr Hampton said joint work in the community between St Kilda FC and Frankston Council “happened for a very short time and then ceased”. Cr Glenn Aitken said he also voted to welcome the Saints to Seaford since councillors at the time were presented with “a very strong business case” that the move would be of economic benefit to the Frankston area. “As time went by, it became evident that it certainly wasn’t turning out the way that we had hoped or would have preferred it to.”
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Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News 1 November 2017
Frankston Council kicked in about $4 million of ratepayers’ money to a joint AFL, state government and council deal to lure the Saints to Seaford in 2010. The AFL club paid a peppercorn rent of $1 annually and contributed towards maintenance at Linen House. Cr Hampton said he hoped Frankston-based “community sporting groups” could move into Linen House when the Saints move out. “We were expecting much from St Kilda and unfortunately we didn’t get what we thought we were going to get. Hopefully, now we can turn this facility into a community facility.” The News revealed in May that Cricket Victoria had been in touch with Frankston Council about possibly leasing space at Linen House and mayor Cr Brian Cunial confirmed AFL South East had also expressed an interest (“Cricket play for AFL club training hub”, The News 31/5/17). Councillors at this month’s council meeting seemed to downplay another lease deal with an organisation based outside Frankston’s borders. “I think our community and our sporting groups and our interested parties within Frankston are the ones who must get considered first and foremost with the usage of that building,” Cr Aitken said. Cr Hampton noted sporting organisations, including gymnastics, calisthenics and local football clubs “are knocking on our door” for help to find suitable sports venues. The council committee, to include “interested councillors”, council CEO Dennis Hovenden and “appropriate council officers” will report back to councillors on a monthly basis about potential future tenants for Linen House. St Kilda Football Club was approached for comment before publication.