C4GF Board plan first major advocacy project

In shaping its first three-year agenda, the C4GF Board is learning from the experiences of other successful regional advocacy Committees. The Committee for Ballarat flexed its muscles in its first year by obtaining government funding for the Deer Park By-Pass — a major regional infrastructure project that had been languishing for 10 years. The Committee for Gippsland started its strong run of successes with the Gippsland Freight Infrastructure Master Plan, which helped leverage just under $100 million worth of projects into its region, including the duplication of 14 of the last 21 kilometres of single Gippsland Highway laneway between Traralgon and Sale.

When asked to identify the major issues upon which the Committee for Greater Frankston (C4GF) should focus, most members have nominated infrastructure that will strengthen the region’s transport linkages — the duplication of Latham’s Road in Carrum Downs; a second airport located between Koo Wee Rup and Tooradin; an express train along the Frankston line; or the electrification of the train line to Baxter. To prepare our best advocacy case for these preferences, the Board has asked the CEO to explore funding options that will make a Transport Masterplan for our region a reality.

Victoria to plan for a possible airport in the South East

Whilst the recently released Plan Melbourne may not include much to progress the Frankston region, it does list the possibility of an airport to be located in the South East region of Melbourne. Action 49 in the Plan gives the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning the lead on finalising ‘a preferred site for for a possible future airport beyond Koo Wee Rup, should demand warrant this beyond 2030’. Sounds like a good time to be talking to Government about supporting a site closer to the Greater Frankston region.

Look out for our next newsletter, which will focus on what the C4GF will aim to achieve in its first three years.