State Budget wins recognise Covid support and recovery

Published on 31 May 2021

Critical projects that will enhance Covid-19 support and recovery in Frankston City covering mental health, education and vital infrastructure for first responders have got the green light in the recent State Budget.

Council Mayor Kris Bolam said funding for Frankston Hospital ($43 million), Frankston High School ($15.13 million) and Frankston firefighters ($9.3 million) acknowledges the essential needs of residents in the community.

Mayor Bolam said: “Funding for an Alcohol and Other Drugs hub at Frankston Hospital and mental health support via local assertive homelessness outreach service Neami National are critical to supporting the vulnerable and those who need help the most.

“Our students did it tough learning from home during the lockdowns in 2020 – funding for the $15.13 million redevelopment of Frankston High School is fantastic news and it’s wonderful to see investment in education and our future leaders,” Mayor Bolam said.

Mayor Bolam added funding for the redevelopment of Frankston Fire Station is a great acknowledgement of the vital role of our highly valued first responders.

Council’s draft Council Plan and Budget (currently out for consultation) proposes to invest $3.86 million in Covid-19 recovery support for locals, businesses and community groups. This would see the total support provided by Council’s Relief and Recovery Package increase to $9.128 million.

Mayor Bolam said major infrastructure projects outlined in the State Budget are warmly welcomed and complement Council’s ongoing advocacy to achieve the best outcomes for residents and ratepayers.

“We thank the Victorian Government, particularly local the State Member for Frankston, Paul Edbrooke MP, and the State Member for Carrum, Sonya Kilkenny MP, for their efforts in lobbying the Government on behalf of the Frankston City community for these major investments,” Mayor Bolam said.

Council CEO Phil Cantillon said: “It’s wonderful to see the focus on Frankston hasn’t dwindled and we look forward to continuing to collaborate with State Government on delivering improvements to Frankston City.”

Council Coordinator Advocacy and Strategic Partnerships, Kristen Thomson, said: “The additional Frankston Hospital funding to deliver paediatric, mental health and Alcohol and Other Drugs hub and car parking is great news for the Frankston City community and the region.

“Enrolments at Frankston High School are among the most sought after in Victoria and the $15.13 million redevelopment will ensure the school continues to deliver bright futures,” Ms Thomson said.

Ms Thomson said that funding to support youth and provide improved mental health support is very welcome news, adding a Budget funding extension to local assertive homelessness outreach service Neami National will provide critical assistance for the most vulnerable in our community.

Mr Edbrooke said: “I want to ensure that Frankston has the very best care so the Frankston Hospital redevelopment is being boosted with an additional $43.26 million to provide a new paediatric emergency department, multi storey car park and a mental health/alcohol and drug hub bringing the project to $605 million.

“Frankston High School will receive a $15.13 million game changing investment to modernise and upgrade aging school facilities, benefitting the almost 2000 students that attend school. This is the largest investment for this high school ever.

“For locals who need support transitioning out of acute care or to avoid hospitalisation, the Youth Prevention and Recovery Care units in Frankston will be refurbished as part of a $141 million state wide investment,” Mr Edbrooke said.

Mr Edbrooke added: “Firefighters in Frankston will be delighted to hear that $9.3 million has been budgeted for a new state of the art fire station facility to replace the current aging building, ensuring that they have the facilities that reflect the amazing service they provide our community.

“This Budget also delivers more local support for mental health with Frankston being one of the first six new ‘Front Door’ mental health early intervention local services being established to get our community get the help they need sooner and locally.

“This Budget delivers on our promise to listen to our community and provide a Budget to support Frankston. Whether it be supporting first responders, providing top quality healthcare at the new Frankston Hospital redevelopment, local school upgrades or fundamentally transforming our mental health system, this Budget creates thousands of local jobs and continues to build on our vision for Frankston, while caring for our community.”