RPP News Wrap - August 24 - 28

EDITOR'S PICK | Frankston public safety dominated the week as the stabbing accused was refused bail, a teenager already on bail faced new allegations after a woman was struck by a car, and Council advanced plans for mobile police access to city CCTV.

★ STORY OF THE EDITION

FRANKSTON SAFETY: ATTACK ACCUSED REMANDED AS BAILED TEEN FACES NEW CHARGES

▸ A 27-year-old man was refused bail over the alleged separate stabbings of two women in Young and Playne streets.

▸ In a separate case, police allege a stolen sedan mounted a Frankston footpath and seriously injured a 44-year-old woman while its 17-year-old driver was on bail.

▸ The teenager faces new reckless-conduct and bail-related charges alongside more than 40 existing allegations, but was again released on bail.

▸ Frankston Council is meanwhile pursuing real-time mobile police access to its CCTV network, although no operating date or extra patrol commitment has been confirmed.

⚖ POLICE & COURTS

FIVE ARRESTED IN CONSTRUCTION-INDUSTRY CORRUPTION PROBE

▸ Taskforce Hawk arrested five men during six raids targeting alleged secret commissions and drug trafficking linked to the construction industry.

▸ The arrests included a 37-year-old Somerville man, who was released pending further inquiries.

▸ Police seized four vehicles described as CFMEU-registered, along with phones, computers, documents and storage devices.

▸ Two men were charged with separate drug and firearm-storage offences as the wider corruption investigation continued.

LICENSED VENUES PUT ON NOTICE BEFORE SUMMER

▸ Police inspected 33 licensed venues across Frankston and the Mornington Peninsula during a two-night compliance blitz.

▸ Officers checked 89 crowd-controller licences and issued nine infringement notices for alleged compliance offences.

▸ Two 17-year-old boys were fined for allegedly using false identification at a Frankston gaming venue.

▸ Police are investigating three venues over alleged crowd-control failures, while one driver allegedly returned a 0.104 breath reading.

◆ COUNCIL, POLITICS & THE STATE ELECTION

EN-BLOC VOTING SPARKS HEATED FRANKSTON COUNCIL CLASH

▸ Frankston Council's proposed retention of en-bloc voting triggered a heated governance dispute at this week's meeting.

▸ Councillor Kris Bolam argued important matters could be bundled together without sufficient public debate.

▸ He questioned whether an understanding had already been reached during private briefings, an allegation Mayor Sue Baker rejected.

▸ Baker overruled Bolam's point of order, while councillors were reminded of the model code of conduct during the debate.

ANTHONY MARSH QUESTIONS COUNCIL-MONITORING SYSTEM

▸ Nepean MP Anthony Marsh used State Parliament to question the accountability of Victoria's council monitors.

▸ Prue Digby and Rebecca McKenzie were appointed to Mornington Peninsula Shire for twelve months from January 19.

▸ The Shire pays each monitor $1,375 a day plus expenses, but no total cost has been publicly disclosed.

▸ Marsh claims councillors and officers have lost confidence in the pair; their final report is due when the appointments end in January.

CALLS FOR PUBLIC SCORECARD ON COUNCIL-RUN GOLF COURSE

▸ Frankston Council is facing calls to disclose the financial performance of Centenary Park Golf Course.

▸ Council-owned Peninsula Leisure took over management on July 8, promising community benefit and reinvestment of any surplus.

▸ Critics want separate reporting of operating costs, staffing, capital spending, revenue and any ratepayer subsidy.

▸ They argue the course needs its own six- and twelve-month scorecards rather than having results absorbed into broader Peninsula Leisure accounts.

PENINSULA PRESSURE ADDS TO NATIONAL GAMBLING DEBATE

▸ Prime Minister Anthony Albanese conceded betting inducements are excessive and need to be wound back.

▸ The shift followed renewed pressure for reform, including a major gambling forum involving the Frankston and Mornington Peninsula community.

▸ Flinders MP Zoe McKenzie has highlighted more than $90 million in annual poker-machine losses on the Peninsula.

▸ Local campaigners argue the region has helped add weight to growing national demands for tougher controls

ENVIRONMENT & WESTERN PORT

BIRD FLU REACHES FRANKSTON AS FLOCK ORDER CONTINUES

▸ Frankston Council says authorities have confirmed the first local cases of bird flu as the coastal outbreak continues.

▸ H5 avian influenza has also been detected in wild birds at Dromana and St Andrews Beach, but not in Victorian poultry.

▸ Flocks of 50 or more birds across Frankston and the Peninsula must remain housed away from wild birds until at least September 18.

▸ People are being urged to avoid sick or dead wildlife, record the location and report it to Agriculture Victoria.

CERBERUS LAND FUTURE PUT BEFORE SENATE INQUIRY

▸ Save Westernport president Jane Carnegie gave evidence at a Senate inquiry examining Defence property, including land at HMAS Cerberus.

▸ She argued the Defence estate audit failed to properly assess environmental significance, remediation costs and community concerns.

▸ Save Westernport wants surplus land retained by Defence or transferred to another government agency for conservation rather than sold commercially.

▸ The Senate committee is due to deliver its report and recommendations on September 15.

ROADS, PIERS & INFRASTRUCTURE

PRESSURE BUILDS TO COMPLETE STALLED FLINDERS PIER WORK

▸ Mornington Peninsula Shire joined community groups, businesses and divers demanding funding to finish restoring Flinders Pier.

▸ The original $1.53 million project stopped after previously unidentified structural deterioration was uncovered.

▸ Thirteen timber piles remain standing offshore, which Mayor Stephen Batty calls a daily reminder of an unfulfilled commitment.

▸ The Shire wrote to Ports Minister Melissa Horne two months ago seeking further funding and says it is still awaiting a response.

BAXTER PARK ENTRANCE UPGRADE SEEKS STATE SUPPORT

▸ Frankston Council is seeking $1.8 million from the State Government to improve access and safety at Baxter Park.

▸ Football, cricket, soccer, archery and pony clubs currently share a deteriorating give-way entrance with volunteers and families.

▸ Council has committed to matching the requested funding for stage one of the Baxter Park master plan.

▸ The project would improve the entrance and help deliver multipurpose courts backed by Netball Victoria and Tennis Victoria.

POTHOLE RULE LEAVES STUDENT WITH $2,932 REPAIR BILL

▸ University student Zane Stanton says a Boneo Road pothole destroyed two wheels and tyres and wiped out his savings.

▸ Transport Victoria rejected his $2,932.50 claim because records showed the road had been inspected twice in the previous eleven days.

▸ Those inspections satisfied the authority's fourteen-day requirement, despite Stanton questioning how the crater escaped detection.

▸ The State Government is reviewing Victoria's compensation laws for motor-vehicle damage.

DEVELOPMENT, FILM & COMMUNITY

STALLED FRANKSTON APARTMENT SITE RETURNS TO MARKET

▸ A long-stalled development site at 302-308 Nepean Highway is for sale after plans for 18 apartments and a cafe were abandoned.

▸ Council approved the project in 2012 and later granted five extensions, but construction never began.

▸ The 2,137-square-metre property is listed for $2.7 million, with rising construction costs blamed for making the apartment plan unviable.

▸ A new application for eight architect-designed luxury townhouses is now before Frankston Council.

HOLLYWOOD THRILLER DELIVERS $21.5 MILLION VICTORIAN BOOST

▸ Filming has wrapped on Skeletons, a new thriller starring Academy Award-winner Brie Larson.

▸ Locations included the Mornington Peninsula, Melbourne, the Yarra Valley, Dandenong Ranges and Werribee.

▸ The production generated 635 jobs and injected more than $21.5 million into Victoria's economy.

▸ The J.J. Abrams-produced film also stars John Goodman and Kyle Gallner, although no release date has been announced.

PENINSULA MOURNS BRIAN STAHL AND CHAS JACOBSEN

▸ The Mornington Peninsula lost two prominent community figures with the deaths of Brian Stahl OAM and Chas Jacobsen.

▸ Stahl served the former Hastings Shire and Mornington Peninsula Shire, including a term as mayor, across decades of community work.

▸ He received a mayoral commendation earlier this month recognising his lifetime of service.

▸ Jacobsen founded Village Glen more than four decades ago, building it into a Capel Sound retirement community of more than 600 homes.

NATIONAL INQUIRY TO EXAMINE WOMEN'S PAIN AND HEALTHCARE

▸ A Senate inquiry into women's health has been welcomed by Women's Health in the South East.

▸ It will examine women's pain, postpartum healthcare, fertility, assisted reproduction and claims of medical misogyny.

▸ The inquiry follows Victoria's investigation, in which seven in ten respondents said their pain had been ignored, dismissed or minimised.

▸ The regional service will make a submission seeking a strong voice for women across Melbourne's rapidly growing outer south-east.

COMMUNITY SAFETY & THE BAYS

HOLIDAYMAKERS WARNED AGAINST 'BATTLEFIELD TOURISM'

▸ Holidaymakers are being warned not to become 'battlefield tourists' when fires and other emergencies strike this summer.

▸ Mornington Peninsula Shire emergency-management coordinator Fletch delivered the warning on RPP FM's Spilling the Tea.

▸ He says sightseers can obstruct emergency crews, congest escape routes and place themselves and others at risk.

▸ Residents and visitors are being urged to stay alert, remain aware of conditions and keep clear of active emergency zones.

THIRTY-SIX NAVIGATION LANTERNS UPGRADED ACROSS THE BAYS

▸ A marine-navigation project has upgraded 36 lanterns across Port Phillip Bay and Western Port.

▸ The work is intended to help mariners navigate more safely in low-light conditions.

▸ The new lanterns include satellite remote-monitoring capability and supporting infrastructure.

▸ The system avoids reliance on cellular networks following the shutdown of Telstra's 3G service.

SPORT

MPNFL FINALS MOVE INTO SEMI-FINAL WEEKEND

▸ Finals action continues across the MPNFL's Division One and Division Two competitions.

▸ Michael Voss, Bailey Allen, Heath and Craigo will bring listeners the action from 2 pm on RPP FM.

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