Stadium process audit voted down
Family fundraiser: Kirah Miranda-Bridgeman, left, Vanessa Miranda, Sean Miranda-Bridgeman and Taylah Miranda look forward to a playdate aiming to make a difference. Picture: Gary Sissons
Playdate for a kid’s cause A FAMILY grateful for the care given by Monash Medical Centre staff when daughter Taylah was diagnosed with leukaemia at the age of 14 in 2014 are hoping to raise more money to make other children’s stay in hospital as comfortable as possible. Paterson Lakes mother Vanessa Miranda says money raised by The Biggest Playdate fun day will be donated to Monash Children’s Hospital. A new children’s hospital officially opened at the main hospital in Clayton last month but an emergency department dedicated to looking after children will not open until 2021.
Mrs Miranda said last year’s The Biggest Playdate raised $40,000 “and it was wonderful to make a difference with this money”. “The Miranda Foundation funds went towards All Aboard, a research program into the treatment of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia to make it easier on the children,” she said. “We had about 200 families attend and it would be great to double the amount of families in attendance, to not only make this a fabulous community event, but again, make a difference with our donation which exceeds last year’s amount.”
A wonderland of children’s activities including superheroes, princesses, rides, mini golf, balloons, face painting, farm animals along with great coffee, ice creams, fairy floss, popcorn, and a BBQ are just some of the attractions for families at The Biggest Playdate this year. n The Biggest Playdate will be hosted at St Josephs School, 362 Station St, Chelsea on Sunday 28 May, 1-6pm Donations can be made at gofundme. com by searching for ‘the biggest playdate monash’ or by calling Vanessa Miranda on 0402 407 990.
AN independent review of Frankston Council’s handling of negotiations over a new lease for the Frankston Basketball Stadium has been ruled out of bounds while negotiations remain deadlocked. Frankston mayor Cr Brian Cunial used his mayoral casting vote at last Monday’s public council meeting to stop the commencement of an audit of “the processes and negotiations of the Frankston Basketball Association building extension project” after councillors voted 4-4 on Cr Glenn Aitken’s notice of motion calling for an immediate review. The mayor said the Frankston & District Basketball Association have been “very difficult to deal with” during lease negotiations. “They don’t want any rent reviews,” Cr Cunial said. Lawyers for council and the association are involved in lease negotiations and Sport and Recreation Victoria, a state Department of Human Services department body, is a party to talks between council and the FDBA. It is understood that council and the association are now looking at annual lease payments of about $60,000 each year plus an additional $20,000 after stage one works to install four new courts taking the total number of basketball courts at the stadium to ten. The association had previously accused council of “double dipping” by effectively wanting to raise rent to about $130,000 annually alongside
$1 million of association members’ money being pitched in to the stadium upgrade. Council initially committed $4 million of ratepayers’ money, increased to $5 million last month when council waived the association’s $1 million contribution offer, to the expansion. The project also has $2.5 million of state government money and $5.2 million of federal government money from taxpayers. Cr Cunial said he would support a review of the lease negotiations after a deal is agreed if that is supported by councillors in future. He said it is customary for any mayoral vote to “maintain the status quo” and that would not include ordering an audit of the lease negotiations at this stage. “I would prefer the council gets an independent party in to investigate this [process],” Cr Aitken said at the meeting. “Failing that, I would suggest the [state] government may investigate the matter of its own accord.” FBDA president Greg Emery slammed the mayor’s latest public comments about lease negotiations. “The FDBA is concerned that mayor Cunial’s comments may mislead the Frankston municipality into believing that the FDBA is responsible for the lack of progress with the current lease negotiations,” he said. “Nothing could be further from the truth.” Neil Walker
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Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News 10 May 2017
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