Community related news across the Mornington Peninsula & Frankston
Frankston families will see safer and cooler play spaces after Council doubled shade funding, pledging $400,000 over four years. The investment follows a statewide award for Frankston’s Play Strategy, with recent upgrades across Carrum Downs, Frankston, Skye and Seaford, and more playgrounds scheduled for 2025–26.
Pelican Park Recreation Centre has reopened in Hastings after months of renovations. The pool, gym and change facilities are back in action, with more wellness upgrades still to come later in 2025.
Frankston City Council has unveiled its 2025–26 “Stronger Together” budget, delivering $1.7m in household relief, $465k in business support and nearly $73m in capital works — all while keeping average rates among the lowest in the region.
Somerville-based disability provider CJ Castle Care has gone into administration, with staff and clients left in limbo. Owner Richard Ingram has deleted all company and personal pages. While Arcadia Sports and Recreation in Hastings remains open, its future is uncertain. Workers are urged to contact unions over unpaid entitlements, and clients can seek urgent support from Amity Care Services in Somerville.
Frankston City Council has handed down its 2025–26 budget, keeping rates below the state cap and delivering a $1.7m Local Support Package. The budget also commits $73m to capital works, including the $60m Frankston Stadium, in what Mayor Kris Bolam says is a direct return of savings to ratepayers.
Frankston City Council has allocated $425,000 in funding for local relief agencies in 2025–26, supporting organisations that provide food relief, housing assistance, mental health services and more. See the full list of recipients and how to access help.
Helping Hands Somerville has officially opened its doors at Somerville Community House, already supporting more than 120 families each week with free food. Backed by volunteers, donors and local groups, the pantry launched on 22 August with a strong show of community support.
Frankston City Council has committed $100,000 to expand free legal services for young people and renters, funding school-based lawyers and tenancy support through Peninsula Community Legal Centre. The move comes as housing pressures and cost-of-living stress hit local residents.
Frankston City Council is inviting residents to help shape its new four-year Domestic Animal Management Plan, featuring a proposed 24-hour cat curfew and updated dog park rules. Feedback is open until 7 September 2025.
Capel Sound has secured a major victory, with Mornington Peninsula Shire Council voting unanimously to keep 11a Allambi Avenue as public parkland in the draft Open Space Strategy.
Peninsula Health is tackling homelessness on the Peninsula with a holistic approach — combining housing, healthcare, and social support to keep at-risk patients off the streets.
Baxter Primary School shone at the 2025 Rotary Inter Schools Activity Challenge in Hastings. The sixth annual event, hosted by the Somerville Tyabb Rotary Club, saw students build card towers to withstand high winds.
Frankston’s Peninsula Aquatic Recreation Centre will reopen its Main Pool Hall on Monday 11 August, one week ahead of schedule, with warmer pools, hot showers, and key facilities ready for use.
VCAT has refused a permit to build a large temple in Pearcedale, ruling it inconsistent with Green Wedge planning controls and environmental overlays. The decision affirms Council's original refusal and is seen as a major win for local residents and environmental advocates.
Frankston City Council wants new planning laws to stop tobacco and vape shops from opening near schools and is calling for long-term funding to support its education and enforcement programs.
Capel Sound residents are calling on Mornington Peninsula Shire Council to honour its 2023 commitment to protect 11a Allambi Avenue as parkland. A draft strategy proposing a 50/50 housing split has sparked community backlash ahead of the 12 August council meeting at Tyabb.
More than 150 residents packed Flinders Civic Hall calling for the Mornington Peninsula Shire to reinstate arts and climate funding. The Mayor, CEO and councillors attended the meeting organised by Save Our Arts MP and the Peninsula Climate Alliance. A motion was passed demanding the return of the Climate Emergency Declaration and support for sole trader creatives.
Police are urgently searching for 21-year-old Ashton, last seen in Frankston on 4 August. He may be travelling in a white Toyota Yaris. Anyone with information is urged to contact Triple Zero or Frankston Police Station.
Homelessness is rising fast on the Mornington Peninsula, with more than 80 people now sleeping rough — up 45% since June. Council says local services are at breaking point and is calling on the Victorian Government to urgently invest in crisis housing and long-term solutions.
Frankston Council has received strong community backing in its 2025 satisfaction survey, with residents praising long-term planning and services—but public safety remains a key concern.
Emil Madsen Reserve in Mount Eliza has been closed due to contaminated water, disrupting local sporting and community events over the weekend. South East Water is currently investigating.
Mount Martha Public Golf Course, funded by Mornington Peninsula Shire ratepayers, has introduced golf simulators and night golf events. Council is now exploring new commercial uses to reduce operating losses and improve long-term sustainability.
Locals are gathering in Flinders on Saturday 2 August in response to the Mornington Peninsula Shire Council’s cuts to arts and climate funding. Hosted by broadcaster Tracee Hutchison, the meeting will bring together creatives, conservationists and community members ahead of the Council’s mid-year budget review.
Animal welfare advocates Carly Wines and Tracey Asquith are demanding urgent action at a Mount Eliza property where horses, goats, and dogs remain in deteriorating conditions. With evidence of starvation, carcass burn pits, and institutional inaction, protesters ask: how many more animals must suffer before someone takes responsibility?
A six-year community battle has ended in defeat, with VCAT approving a "McDonald’s-style" outlet in Safety Beach despite strong local opposition and two previous rejections. Locals and council fear traffic congestion, harm to small businesses, and the loss of village character.
A man has died after crashing into a tree on Derril Road, Moorooduc early Saturday morning. Police are investigating and urging witnesses to come forward.
Frankston City’s 2025–2026 events calendar features the Carlsberg Beach Club, Sand Sculpting Championships and Swim Classic, expected to attract 43,000 visitors and boost the local economy by $4.1 million.
More than $52,000 has been raised for Tane Rongonui, a beloved Rye Junior Football Club volunteer and local dad hospitalised with critical heart failure
Mornington Peninsula Shire Council has approved a 20% rebate on general rates for retirement village residents after scrapping the long-standing discount applied to their property valuations. The rebate, introduced as a temporary one-year measure, follows sharp CIV increases and was passed after Cr David Gill successfully amended the motion.
Construction has officially begun on the $60 million Frankston Stadium redevelopment — the largest infrastructure project in Frankston City’s history. The new Seaford sports hub will feature 10 courts, a purpose-built gymnastics hall, broadcast-ready infrastructure and improved community access.
Mornington Peninsula Shire Council plans to halve rate relief for retirement village residents, replacing the long-standing 20% discount with a 10% one-off rebate. The change would affect more than 2,500 units across 15 villages and has been labelled a "slap in the face" to pensioners already doing it tough. Critics say Council is targeting the most vulnerable while claiming to prioritise community wellbeing.
Police are appealing for help to locate 77-year-old Frankston man Phouc, who suffers from dementia and went missing in Melbourne’s CBD on Friday evening.
Police are searching for 23-year-old Lucy, last seen in Dandenong on 8 July. Authorities believe she may have travelled to Frankston. Anyone with information is urged to contact police.
Peninsula Health has launched a full-service liver care program, including liver cancer treatment and expanded clinics, allowing local patients to access expert care close to home. With steatotic liver disease now affecting up to half of all adults, the initiative aims to improve early detection and reduce the need for travel to metropolitan hospitals.
Young readers across Frankston are invited to dive into books and comics this August as the Mayor’s Reading Challenge returns. With superhero storytimes, a comic book club, and prizes up for grabs, it’s a month of family fun designed to build literacy and a love of reading.
Six Frankston charities will share in $43,000 through the 2025 Community Connection Grants, funding grassroots projects that tackle domestic violence, health, youth engagement and more — reinforcing vital local support networks.
Helping Hands Somerville is calling on locals to donate pasta, long-life milk, spreads and more to keep its volunteer-run pantry stocked for residents doing it tough.
Mornington Peninsula Shire has opened applications for its latest Community Investment Funding program, with $4.25 million on offer to support local projects, events and initiatives over the next financial year. The funding is designed to back community groups, not-for-profits, businesses…
Police hold concerns for missing 12-year-old Shantaya, who was last seen in Keysborough on 22 May. As police continue to search for her, they inform that she is known to frequent the Mornington Peninsula, Frankston, Berwick, and Doveton areas.
A new food pantry has opened in Somerville, offering locals free groceries with no judgment or paperwork. Helping Hands Somerville is founded by three caring locals.
Dromana’s new competition-standard netball court brings senior netball to Dromana Recreation Reserve, uniting football and netball at one venue.
Public comment on the Port of Hastings EPBC referral for the Western Port Ramsar project now closes 16 July. Community sessions set for Flinders and online.
Frankston Council has committed $10,000 to support Neighbourhood Watch, helping to strengthen community ties and crime prevention efforts across the city.
The Western Port Community Centre in Hastings provides professional, compassionate support for locals facing financial hardship, housing stress, or personal challenges.
Flinders Christian College’s autism program is under fire, with families and advocates alleging neglect, unsafe environments and breaches of discrimination law. Read more.
Six years after her baby daughter Talon died under suspicious circumstances in their Frankston home, Kayla Hehir is still fighting for answers. With no coronial inquest and an ongoing police investigation, her family remains trapped in uncertainty. Now, a growing petition is demanding justice and accountability for Talon’s death.
Frankston City Council has poured $11 million into upgrading 17 play spaces since 2021, strengthening health and community connections across local suburbs, and reaffirming its commitment with more funding set aside in 2025/26.
Frankston City Council has taken local issues to Canberra, securing national backing for decentralisation, online safety and stronger sister city ties at the ALGA assembly.
Sorrento has unveiled Australia’s richest art prize with a $125,000 award, hoping to uplift artists and tourism on the Mornington Peninsula, despite council funding slashes.
Frankston City Council’s latest budget will fund more daily patrols, CCTV upgrades and frontline outreach programs, aiming to make the city centre safer and more supportive for locals.
