Month: April 2018

Sign the petition to save Frankston Beach

April 9, 2018

Frankston’s beautiful beaches attract over one million visitors a year for recreation, swimming and wellbeing. They are Frankston’s number one natural asset.

  • Frankston Council plans is to build a breakwater off Olivers Hill, “a rock wall with a road on top for emergency vehicle access” jutting way out into the bay, costing many millions of dollars.
  • The project is being undertaken without adequate studies over sufficient time to ascertain the full impact of littoral drift and other changes to Frankston, Daveys Bay and Seaford beaches. Expert coastal scientific and engineering opinion is that physical and computer modelling is needed over MANY SEASONS, not mere WEEKS for the hydrographic survey planned by Council.
  • THE PRECAUTIONARY PRINCIPLE MUST BE ADOPTED. Council must undertake every necessary professional study to ensure the ongoing viability and protection of the marine environment, ecosystems, coastal processes, cultural and heritage values, aesthetics, vistas, recreation, tourism and water based activities
  • Other bay beaches have been damaged by construction of breakwaters including Sandringham, Brighton, Hampton and Middle Park.  We must learn from the mistakes made by other Councils.
  • Frankston ratepayers will not be willing to bear ongoing costs for sand replenishment and beach rejuvenation.
  • If beaches are damaged, it is Frankston Council that will be held accountable.

Please join with FBA-the 30 year protectors of Frankston’s beaches- in telling the CEO, Mayor and Councillors WE SAY NO TO THE BREAKWATER at least until proper coastal scientific and engineering processes and physical modelling data show unequivocally that Frankston beach environments will be unspoilt.

Please sign our petition here today.

For more information see https://www.frankstonbeachassociation.com or contact us on  fbainc2006@hotmail.com .

Email to all Frankston Councillors councillors@frankston.vic.gov.au

Individual Councillors : 

1. Mayor Cr Nathan Conroy Email: crconroy@frankston.vic.gov.au Phone: 0424 515 930

2. Deputy Mayor Cr Suzette Tayler Email: crtayler@frankston.vic.gov.au Ph: 0438 179 515

3. Cr Kris Bolam JP Email: crbolam@frankston.vic.gov.au Phone: 0417 921 644

4. Cr Steven Hughes Email: crshughes@frankston.vic.gov.au Phone: 0402 729 150

5. Cr Sue Baker Email: crbaker@frankston.vic.gov.au Phone: 0438 145 842

6. Cr David Asker Email: crasker@frankston.vic.gov.au Phone: 0438 175 560

7. Cr Brad Hill Email: crhill@frankston.vic.gov.au Phone: 0438 212 426

8. Cr Claire Harvey Email: crharvey@frankston.vic.gov.au Phone: 0438 267 778

9. Cr Liam Hughes Email: crlhughes@frankston.vic.gov.au Phone: 0434 703 239

State Member for Frankston

Paul Edbrooke MP  Email:paul.edbrooke@parliament.vic.gov.au  Phone: (03) 9783 9822

Federal Member for Dunkley

Peta Murphy MP Email: peta.murphy.mp@aph.gov.au  Phone:  (03) 9781 2333

April council submission

April 9, 2018

Frankston Beach Association has been a strong advocate for our beach and precious foreshore environment for over 35 years.

The final outcome of this process including the Panel’s recommendation ‘to ensure that development along the Western and Southern boundaries of the Sub-precinct 1B responds to the sensitive interface with Kananook Creek and the surrounding foreshore and established residents area’, which is before Councillors tonight, will NOT celebrate a ‘sensitive interface’.  The built concept has been pushed as far as it possibly can and shows no sign of sensitivity whatsoever.  All our concerns and those of other community groups have fallen on deaf ears.

A series of 20 metre buildings with a few small wind tunnels on a beautiful coastal strip creates a dividing line/disconnection/blocking to the rest of the central business district and to the community at large.

FBA submits that Council should adopt the Planning Practice Note 60:  the Victorian Government’s guide to the drafting of Structure Plans for Activity Centres, which clearly states that mandatory limits will be considered in exceptional circumstances which are identified as –

  • Sensitive coastal environments where exceeding the height limits will unreasonably detract from the significance of the coastal environment, and
  • Significant landscape precincts such as natural waterways…

Precinct 1B fronts onto both of these environments.

Geelong is the only other designated Activity Centre with a coastal aspect.  Obviously this Practice Note 60 is directed towards these two Activity Centres.

Geelong has observed this Practice Note and has introduced lower height levels overlooking its waterfront.  It shows preferred building heights – Western Beach to be 9 metres and the inner Wedge precinct a preferred height of 20 metres.

Frankston’s Amendment C123 has ignored Practice Note 60.   Why?

FBA recommends under 12 metres for a ‘sensitive’ interface’.

Furthermore, FBA recommends that Councillors, before approving C123, consider the Nightingale Projects – inner city housing developments built for growing populations, which adhere to the Nightingale pillars of social, environmental and financial sustainability. There are currently 12 projects in active development. The Nightingale Project is a visionary concept which delivers multi-residential housing in cities which is environmentally sustainable, financially affordable and socially inclusive and which promotes better health and wellbeing outcomes for residents.

Let us also be visionary.  Thank you for your attention.