NEWS DESK
Hospital’s expansion a business builder Peace time: Artist Jeff Gilmour, left, and Yvens De Camargo catch up for a cuppa at Charlwood Cafe named in honour of World War II veteran and author Don Charlwood. Picture: Gary Sissons
Cafe name honours war author ONE of Frankston’s favourite sons has been recognised by having a cafe at Frankston Library named in his honour. Cafe owner Yvens De Camargo decided to name the coffee shop after World War II veteran turned author Don Charlwood when he read about his wartime experiences and successful literary career. “I thought ‘This guy is amazing. He’s like an unsung hero. We need to do something’,” Mr De Camargo said. Long-time Frankston resident Mr Charlwood, who died in 2012 aged 96, flew in 30 bombing missions as a RAAF navigator in Lancaster bombers during World War II and he and pilot
Geoff Maddern were the first 103 Squadron crew to survive a tour in nine months. He later reflected that of the 20 men who had qualified as navigators with him, only five were still alive at the end of the war. Mr De Camargo said Mr Charlwood’s widow, Nell, visited the library last week and was thrilled to see two portraits of her late husband on display. “She told me she used to be a librarian,” he said. After World War II Mr Charlwood worked as an air traffic controller at Melbourne Airport but also turned his hand to writing books and wrote 11 books including No Moon Tonight
(1956) about his wartime experiences. His 1965 novel All The Green Year, about three boys growing up on the eve of the Great Depression, became a classic and was studied in high schools for decades afterwards. Frankston mayor Cr James Dooley said Mr Charlwood’s legacy lives on through his books, including All The Green Year and Marching as to War. “It is wonderful that the Library Cafe has been named after his honour. We hope that this helps to keep his name – and important works – alive for generations to come.” See Page 12-13 for ‘Don Charlwood recalls utter futility of war’.
CONSTRUCTION companies, landscapers, tradespeople and suppliers are welcome to attend a free ‘Meet the Builder’ event on Thursday 25 February, to register for any opportunities that may arise from Frankston Private Hospital’s $45 million expansion project. According to Frankston mayor Cr James Dooley, the Frankston Private Expansion project, delivered by Watpac on behalf of Healthscope and Generation Healthcare REIT, will include opportunities for local suppliers to bid for work packages on the project. “This opportunity has been arranged through Frankston City’s ‘Buy Local’ program, which has brought about some amazing partnerships through major construction projects in the last few years,” Cr Dooley said. The City’s Buy Local program has so far resulted in more than $20 million of construction and related contracts awarded to Frankston City based businesses on major projects such as The Peninsula Aquatic and Recreation Centre (PARC), Frankston Hospital and the South East Water headquarters. According to Santo Mangano from Carrum Downs business S & A Paving, which was awarded the concreting contract for PARC under
the City’s Buy Local Program, local contracts bring economic benefits to wider the local community and opportunities to hire more staff. “Making money locally means that you spend money locally: we always source local materials and the boys always eat their lunch at local cafes,” Mr Mangano said. “As we had extra work doing the concreting for the aquatic centre, I needed about 25 staff on and off during that project. Whereas I usually employ about 10 staff during off-peak times,” he said. The Frankston Private Hospital expansion project can create a great number of opportunities for local businesses, through the Buy Local Program. “From ceiling and paving works to metalwork, signage to fencing, tiling, road works and almost everything in-between, any businesses that may have an opportunity to get involved with this project, should definitely find out more,” Cr Dooley said. Free ‘Meet the Builder’ event When: Thursday 25 February, 4–5.30pm Where: Frankston Arts Centre, Davey St, Frankston Register to attend at businessfrankston.com.au/events
Basketball stadium funding stoush back on Neil Walker neil@baysidenews.com.au POLITICAL bickering over the funding of the redevelopment of the Frankston Regional Basketball Centre has bounced back despite the project being given the green light late last year. The stoush between the Labor and Liberal parties over contributions towards the $12 million first stage of the project has gone into overtime after Frankston councillors decided to again ask the Labor state government for a greater financial contribution. At the latest public council meeting Cr Darrel Taylor said the state government needs “to be held to account” for not matching federal and council funding for a stadium upgrade to include four extra basketball courts taking the total to ten and upgrades to
spectator seating, car parking, change rooms and public toilets. The federal government will contribute $4.95 million to the project, the state government $2.5 million and council $4 million. The Frankston and District Basketball Association will chip in $1 million towards redevelopment of the Seaford stadium. “We’re putting in $4 million – more than what the current state government is putting in and yet they want to put rate capping on us,” Cr Taylor said. “We need to highlight state government failures, I don’t care who [which political party] is in. “They are putting in the least amount of money and the scope of the project has been reduced to accommodate that. They need to step up to the plate and provide an equal amount of funding – if not more – than the federal government so that this project can be
completed because at the moment it’s not a fully completed project.” The Times understands exterior landscaping works have been scaled back as a result of a funding shortfall for the initial stage one plan. Crs Taylor, Glenn Aitken, Rebekah Spelman and Michael O’Reilly voted to write to Labor Sports Minister John Eren to demand more money for the first stage. Crs Sandra Mayer, Colin Hampton and mayor Cr James Dooley opposed the move. “I just don’t think this is going to achieve anything except cause bad blood between us and the state government,” Cr Mayer said. Cr Dooley called the demand for more money “tasteless” and said “it lacks guile”. The mayor said he is keen to discuss funding with the state government for other sporting projects in the region instead of being drawn
back into a dispute over the basketball stadium project. Labor Frankston MP Paul Edbrooke and Carrum MP Sonya Kilkenny repeatedly blasted the Coalition federal government last year over a failure to commit funding for the stadium upgrade but last week declined to say whether the state government would now match the federal government’s $4.95 million contribution. Mr Edbrooke referred the question to Ms Kilkenny since the stadium is in the Carrum electorate. “The Andrews Labor government has committed $2.5 million towards the Frankston Basketball Stadium so that this important project can proceed, and we’re pleased that the federal government has belatedly come on board with its contribution,” Ms Kilkenny said in a statement. “Finally, this great expansion can
now begin and I’m looking forward to all parties getting on with the job without further delay. “Basketballers in the Frankston and Carrum area have waited long enough for this upgrade to Frankston Basketball Stadium. It’s time this upgrade began.” Federal Liberal Dunkley MP Bruce Billson urged “the Victorian State Labor government to do the right thing by the Dunkley community, stop playing politics and commit its own funding toward this project”. “Given the significance of the project and the benefit to our local community, I am unable to understand why the State Labor government has not committed even $1 to the project. The previous Coalition Victorian state government committed the $2.5 million that Labor has attempted to claim as its own contribution.”
Frankston Times 15 February 2016
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