NEWS DESK
Tennis club lands hospital deal Neil Walker neil@baysidenews.com.au A DEAL was sealed last week for Peninsula Health to buy out Frankston Tennis Club’s lease at Yuille St ahead of a planned expansion of adjacent Frankston Hospital. Peninsula Health acting CEO David Anderson and Frankston Labor MP Paul Edbrooke made the formal announcement last Monday (23 October). “This significant agreement allows us the opportunity to explore growing the hospital into the space currently occupied by the tennis club, so that we can better serve our local community,” Mr Anderson said in a statement. “It will also allow us to further expand our teaching and research partnership with Monash University, which helps to deliver world-class care for local people.” The tennis club and courts sit on two parcels of land including crown land and a council-owned portion. It is understood that Peninsula Health will pay $1.5 million to Frankston Tennis Club for the club to walk away from its lease in two years’ time and $1.5 million will be paid to council for land. Mr Anderson said Peninsula Health cannot “release any detail of the financial arrangements of this exciting development due to commercial-inconfidence reasons”. The $3 million on its way to the tennis club and council has been earmarked towards a new tennis centre to house the Frankston Tennis Club and its planned amalgamation with the
Pub brawl death
A FRANKSTON man who died during a brawl outside an Eildon hotel was a life member of Karingal Junior Football Club. Greg Mitchem, 51, reportedly hit his head during the fight and could not be revived by paramedics at the hotel on the Goulburn Valley Highway, about midnight, Friday 20 October. Anyone with information is urged to call Crime Stoppers 1800 333 000.
Autism help
Done deal: Peninsula Health acting CEO David Anderson, left, Frankston MP Paul Edbrooke and Peninsula Health chief operations officer Brendon Gardner announce the health provider will buy out Frankston Tennis Club’s lease. Picture: Gary Sissons
Frankston East Tennis Club. Frankston Tennis Club relocation subcommittee chairman John McGillivray said he hopes council honours its pledge to help the tennis club find a new home. “We’ve been forced to sign the deed of release by the end of September,” he said. “If we didn’t sign that then Peninsula Health were withdrawing the $1.5 million.” Mr McGillivray said a mooted regional tennis centre at Centenary Park
or elsewhere will be built by the time the tennis club has to vacate Yuille St in early 2019. “If council doesn’t get a wriggle on we’ll have to move out and have nowhere to move to.” A council officers’ report tabled at September’s public council meeting estimated a new tennis centre will cost about $14 million, and $25 million if a gymnastics area is included. Councillors have not yet decided on funding or designs for any sports complex at Langwarrin’s Centenary Park.
Centenary Park Golf Club pulled out of the proposed project early this year. Mr McGillivrary said “it is really concerning” that designs have not yet been finalised to potentially secure state and federal government funding for a regional tennis centre. He says any attempt to instead spend the $3 million from Peninsula Health to spruce up the Frankston East Tennis Club’s facilities at Frankston North. “It would be the end of both clubs — it’s not a popular spot.”
A SUPPORT programto help y oung people with autism to become ‘job ready’ will be announced at the Susan Alberti Breakfast in Frankston on Tuesday 31 October at Functions By The Bay, 7am. The Lab Network has established more than 20 IT and computer clubs – known as Labs – for those aged 10-16 with high functioning autism or Asperger syndrome who like working with computers. The Frankston Lab was started in 2013, followed by Labs in Dromana and Rosebud. The labs offer mentoring in programming, 3D, digital design and gaming by tapping into IT interests and providing a social environment of like-minded peers, participants are encouraged to learn employability skills and, equally, the hidden skills underpinning lasting friendships. Now,LabPRO, a strength-based professional mentoring and vocational support program for people with an ASD aged 17 – 25, will help make those attending job ready. To donate or to register an interest in supporting the pilot of LabPRO email: LabPRO@thelab.org.au
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Ph: (03) 9750 0066 Mobile: 0425 753 152 PO Box 4182, Frankston Heights, 3199 www.mareestours.com Frankston Times 30 October 2017
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