Frankston City Council has frozen new external partnerships and memberships while it develops tougher rules for organisations seeking council support, funding or advocacy backing.
Councillors voted unanimously for a new Strategic Partnerships Framework at the 1 June council meeting.
The motion bars council officers from entering any new partnership or membership with an external organisation unless councillors approve it by resolution.
The freeze will remain until council adopts the new framework.
Cr Kris Bolam said the reform would end legacy arrangements that lacked proper checks, clear performance targets and proof of value for ratepayers.
“In the last year, council has reviewed and in some cases terminated several long-standing ‘grandfathered’ funding agreements where there were simply no defined KPIs, no measurable expectations, and no clear pathway for the community to see a return on their investment,” Cr Bolam said.
“We are now replacing those legacy ‘handshake’ arrangements with a modern, evidence-based governance framework model that prioritises the ratepayer above all else.”
Old Deals Under Scrutiny
The adopted motion says Frankston City Council belongs to a range of external organisations and partnerships involving membership fees, resource commitments and varying levels of strategic benefit.
It says those memberships support council objectives, including advocacy, regional collaboration, service delivery and access to government and industry networks.
However, the motion also says existing memberships have been established through different approval pathways, with varying governance oversight, transparency and demonstrated value.
It states there is no single, formal framework guiding how council enters, renews, reviews or exits external memberships and strategic partnerships.
The new framework will set rules for approval processes, governance requirements, renewal cycles and exit pathways.
It will also cover how council manages lobbying and advocacy on council-related matters.
Councillors expect a briefing by September 2026.
Bolam Points To Governance Overreach
Cr Bolam told STPL News the motion followed concerns about external advocacy groups and what he described as governance overreach.
He said the reform formed part of a “long game” to strengthen accountability after disputes involving the Committee for Frankston and Mornington Peninsula.
Cr Bolam has previously criticised the committee, describing it as a “special interest group” and raising concerns about its influence on council advocacy.
Cr Bolam also referred to previous tensions over C4FMP advocacy, including attempts to have him travel to Canberra as mayor to advocate for the committee’s priorities.
He said those priorities included the Port of Hastings redevelopment, which Frankston City Council has opposed since 2017.
As previously reported, Cr Bolam said he later agreed to attend meetings alongside C4FMP, but only where those meetings were “strictly in line with the aspirations of Frankston City Council”.
The council motion does not name the committee or make findings against any organisation.
However, material supplied to STPL News says Cr Bolam wants the framework to address governance concerns raised during those disputes.
Kingston Grant Dispute Shows The Risk
Cr Bolam also pointed to the recent Kingston Council Druze grant controversy as an example of the reputational and governance risks that can follow unclear rules around public funding for external organisations.
The Kingston matter centred on a $75,000 grant to the Druze Community Charity of Victoria and sparked public debate over transparency, conflicts, local benefit and council decision-making.
Cr Bolam said the Frankston framework would help avoid similar disputes by requiring clearer rules, measurable outcomes and stronger oversight before council support goes to outside groups.
Ratepayer Value In Focus
Cr Bolam said council needed to stop arrangements from rolling over without clear evidence of benefit.
The adopted motion says the framework must protect council’s decision-making integrity, reduce the risk of undue influence or perceived bias, and maintain public confidence in council’s role as the local government authority.
It also aims to ensure partnerships operate transparently, align with council’s strategic objectives and maintain public confidence.
Lobbying And Integrity
Cr Bolam linked the reform to wider integrity risks across local government, including lessons from IBAC’s Operation Sandon.
Operation Sandon exposed serious corruption risks in local government planning and showed how private interests can seek access to decision-makers through informal channels.
There is no suggestion Frankston City Council was involved in Operation Sandon.
Cr Bolam has also pushed for stronger lobbying transparency across the local government sector.
In October 2025, Frankston City Council said a motion calling for greater clarity and transparency around lobbying activity had passed at the Municipal Association of Victoria State Council.
Cr Bolam said Frankston needed stronger controls to stop external organisations from gaining privileged access or shaping council priorities without proper scrutiny.
What Happens Next
The framework could force council to publish clearer information about who it supports, how much each arrangement costs and what Frankston gets in return.
It could also create clearer rules for renewals and exits, stronger performance measures and more transparency around advocacy work done in council’s name.
The key question for ratepayers is simple: who gets council support, how much does it cost, what does Frankston get back, and who checks whether those promises are delivered?
How to Support Independent Local News
STPL News covers the Mornington Peninsula and Frankston with independent reporting, community news and public interest coverage.
You can support the work in three ways: join the free daily e-news, make a one-off contribution, or become a financial member.
Your support helps keep local public-interest reporting available to the community.
Stop funding religious associated organizations at all. Itg is called separation of church and state