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PREMIER Daniel Andrews with Carrum MP Sonya Kilkenny. Frankston mayor Nathan Conroy, and kids at Sandfield Reserve. Picture: Supplied
State government promises park spending An independent voice for the community
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THE state government will spend $1.3 million on a new playground at Sandfield Reserve in Carrum Downs if it wins the November election. Premier Daniel Andrews visited the Carrum Downs park to make the announcement last week, 28 September. He said that “sport and recreation are the lifeblood of com-
munities like those in Carrum.” “Facilities such as this bring people together and add to the fabric of what makes a great community,” Andrews said. Carrum MP Sonya Kilkenny said that the upgrade would “provide so many more opportunities for families to get together, close to home, so our kids can play, learn
and develop social skills.” “This is a wonderful project and another great example of all three levels of government working together to deliver great facilities for local families,” she said. The federal government and Frankston Council have each committed $1.3 million to the project.
Libs to ‘solve’ Portsea’s erosion problems Keith Platt keith@baysidenews.com.au A “DEFINITIVE solution” to erosion at Portsea front beach will be part of a Liberal state government $10 million investigation to find “erosion solutions right across Port Phillip”. Liberal candidate for Nepean Sam Groth said long term neglect by the state government “could not be more evident than in the current state of Portsea front beach”. He said millions of dollars had been wasted since 2009 building and renewing a sandbag wall. Groth said Nepean Ratepayers Association president Colin Watson had told him that a “nearshore reconfiguration dredging proposal is not shovel ready”. “This was reinforced by advice from Dr Andrew McCowan from Water Technology that additional work needs to be done over and above the studies by Advisian in 2017,” he said. “Unfortunately, the Labor minister in 2017/2018 would not commit the further approximately $50,000-$60,000 in funds to finalise designs and has constantly refused to fund the project.” Groth said the problems at Portsea was part of his party’s $10 million commitment “to provide erosion solutions right across Port Phillip Bay, including providing the community with a definitive solution to Portsea beach”. Groth disputed that finding a solution to the Portsea erosion would be a waste of money or could be described as “throwing envelopes of cash off Portsea pier” (“Lib $10m erosion plan ‘waste of time, money’” The Times 5/9/22). Watson told The Times that a 2017 report by Advisian commissioned by the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) had a “stand out option” titled “nearshore reconfiguration dredging”. “Unfortunately, the state government refused to fund this proposal as the cost was estimated to be $20 million. Instead, they went ahead and
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Frankston Times
4 October 2022
Candidate’s ‘job’ like the Queen’s
SANDBAGS and rocks now protecting Portsea front beach from further erosion, above, and, left, the beach below the Portsea Hotel in 1990. Pictures: Yanni after time spent about $2.5 million repairing the old sandbag wall that was installed in 2009. “The only way to remediate Portsea front beach back to what it was before the channel deepening project is to divert the massive wage energy that has [since] been coming into Portsea.” Watson said he had been told the Advisian report “hasn’t gone far enough to shore up whether the nearshore reconfiguration dredging will be 100 per
cent successful”. He said the Liberal party was proposing to spend $50,000-$60,000 on “this vital further study before $20m is committed to start the project”. “From the community’s view this is a very attractive offer as the current state government has walked away from Portsea saying the reconditioned sandbag wall recently completed will last another 10 years.”
THIS Facebook post by Liberal candidate for Hastings Briony Hutton was changed within the hour to read: “Queen Elizabeth II, dedicated to duty, quick of wit and big of heart. Even before she became Queen at 25, Elizabeth set the tone for her reign by declaraing that she would dedicate her life to serving her people. What a legacy to have left us as a towering example of public service.” This second version was “liked” by Liberal Flinders MP Zoe McKenzie among others.
Sporting promise MEANWHILE, Hutton says a Liberals and Nationals government will provide $1.5 million for the first stage of sporting club upgrades at Hastings Park. Hutton said the sports ground, home to Hastings Football Netball Club, Hastings Women’s Football Team, Hastings Cricket Club and junior teams, did not have adequate changerooms. “Given the limited facilities across the site, many of the teams currently use dated and portable buildings, which are not fit-for-purpose,” she said.