NEWS DESK EARLYBIRD EN CLOSE 1 SEPT TRIES EMBER 2019
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Parking funds approved
6.7km Fun Run+WALK TAKE THE CHALLENGE SUNDAY 10 NOVEMBER 2019 8.30am
KINGSTON Council has voted to note that a provision of over $2 million has been made to refund parking fines to ratepayers. Earlier this year, council announced it would refund fines to residents after finding that their appeals process may have been improper. Kingston Council had outsourced their appeal process for fines to an external agency between 2006 and 2016, a process that council later believed was in violation of the Infringements Act 2006. On 22 July, Kingston Council voted to “note that appropriate provision has been made in the financial statements for the 2018/19 financial year and long term financial strategy, $2,048,920.73.” Council also voted to “receive a further report in July 2020 regarding the effectiveness of the Parking Infringement Reimbursement Scheme.” Kingston mayor Georgina Oxley said earlier this year that “it is common for councils, and potentially some state agencies, to outsource the issuing of infringement tickets to an external contractor, however there have been concerns raised that the legislation may not allow external agencies to conduct appeals.” “In 2016 we received advice that, although the
wording of the act wasn’t clear, our processes were acceptable. We wanted to remove any confusion and since 2016 have conducted all reviews ourselves. However, we recently received updated advice and council now believes that the introduction of the act meant the final decision of the review should not have been outsourced, and that council rather than its contractor should have undertaken the review,” she said. “For that reason, we want to be fair and transparent and therefore will be refunding appealed fines during the 10 year period,” she said (“Parking fines will be refunded, The Times, 6/3/19) Earlier this year, Frankston Council declared its intentions to refund $111 worth of parking fines after a review into their parking fine appeals process. Frankston Council confirmed that they had worked alongside an external agency, Tenix, to manage their parking fines between 2007 and 2014. The mayor Michael O’Reilly told The Times in May that “council will be briefed on the outcome of the information that has been reviewed. Council will need to consider how it wishes to move forward with this matter.”
Reducing the toll on young drivers and their passengers Proceeds from this event provide funding to deliver the Fit To Drive road safety program at no cost to our local schools
Arthurs Seat Eagle Catch a return ride down on the gondola after the event. Purchase tickets with your registration!
REGISTER ONLINE AT arthursseatchallenge.com.au
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Frankston Times 6 August 2019
Push for park one step closer PUBLIC land in Evelyn Street, Frankston is one step closer to being made a park. Councillors voted on 22 July to call for a “report to the August 2019 ordinary meeting on the option to formalise Evelyn Street as a public park.” The motion was carried unanimously. On 18 February, council voted to negotiate the sale of the Evelyn Street land to the Department of Justice in a vote that was intended to take place behind closed doors. Councillors voted to bring that debate into the public section of the
meeting. On 3 June the decision to sell the land was reversed. Crs Kris Bolam, Sandra Mayer, and Brian Cunial voted in favour of negotiating the sale of the land in February, and switched sides in June to vote in favour of retaining the land as open green space (“Sale of Evelyn Street open space stopped”, The Times, 11/5/19). The parcel of land is across from the Frankston police station. Brodie Cowburn
Science celebration at library NATIONAL science week will be celebrated at the Frankston Library this week. Science week is a celebration of advancements in science and technology. Among the achievements in technology celebrated this year is the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission, which saw mankind step foot on the moon. On 10 August from 11am, the “Fizzics Education” program will run at the library. The program
is recommended for children aged five to twelve. On Wednesday, 14 August, Trevor Hand will present a talk on Astronomy. Mr Hand has been a presenter at the Mornington Peninsula Astronomical Society’s star gazing events around a decade. Booking for the free events at library.frankston. vic.gov.au/whats_on