Heart of Frankston Campaign
School Students Have Their Say!
What do you think Frankston should be like...?
From a scale of 1 to 10 Frankston's reputation is sitting on a low 3 or 4. But it is and can be so much better than that. Frankston could just use a few adjustments to make it a place for families and everyone to hang out and go to. Frankston is known for its unfriendly faces, lousy shops and uninviting vibe. The following changes WOULD make Frankston a much better place.
The first change is to get rid of all the 2 dollar stores and replace them with cafes or elegant restaurants. All the two dollar shops come off as a cheap place to be. Plus, no gang would hang out front of a cafe. Restaurants and cafes add a more sophisticated vibe. Also there would be more employment for the community.
In every city you go to, there's bound to be some display of artwork, whether it's a billboard, monument, front garden or artsy graffiti. Only there's a difference between the artsy graffiti that grabs your attention and the 'tagging' that just gives the city a really uncomfortable feeling. People like to see others express themselves through art but they are often offended by seeing this lack of care for their town or city. So I propose that all 'tagging' is painted over and replaced with paid artist's work.
Each city is located or known by their icons. Sydney has the Harbour Bridge; Coffs Harbour has the Big Banana. Even Melbourne has sport stadiums whilst Frankston has nothing. We need a huge, extravagant monument that will straight away draw in eyes and attention. Like a building or art master piece. Something that will draw in the attention of the public instead of drawing it away.
As far as the unfriendly faces go, it's no secret that Frankston is basically labelled the drug capital . If we had drug inspectors at the main entrances and bus bays, the reputation would die down drastically. For me being a 15 year old the place I'm most wary of is in between the train line and the beginning of Bayside Shopping centre. Right in between there is where I feel most uncomfortable. I'm always being asked for spare change, cigarettes (even though I don't smoke) or just anything. If we had massive security guards at these main spots I would feel so much safer and more welcomed knowing there's someone there to protect us in case something goes wrong.
Finally, taxis are a good use of transport and are right in the heart of Frankston. But they are becoming so expensive that no one takes taxis anymore and we then attempt to walk and with all the drugged and drunken people on the streets you don't feel safe at all! So drop the prices of taxis and more people will come in and out.
In conclusion, I really believe Frankston has the potential to be a place where the community would want to be and after these changes are made, Frankston could be something great.
By Paige Dabonde