With the Victorian state election approaching on 28 November, housing affordability, crime, deteriorating roads and essential services are among the issues facing voters across the Peninsula.
Labor, the Liberal–Nationals Coalition, One Nation and the Greens have put forward different plans, ranging from tax cuts and tougher bail laws to public housing, hospital upgrades and emergency services funding.
STPL News examined published policies, election announcements and local records to see what’s on offer in Frankston, Hastings, Mornington and Nepean.
Cost Of Living, Housing And Homelessness
Housing costs, rent and household bills feature prominently in all four parties’ policies, although their proposals target different groups.
Key proposals from each party, not estimates of how much individual households will save.
Restore the land tax threshold and remove stamp duty for eligible first-home buyers up to $1 million.
Election plan, printed p. 15Remove insurance duty, release government land and speed up housing approvals.
Policy booklet, p. 30 · p. 38Freeze rents for two years and work towards 88,000 additional public homes.
Housing platform · Renting platformLabor’s land tax change would be introduced gradually. The Coalition proposes completing it over five years. Land tax generally applies to investment and other taxable properties, rather than a family’s main home.
One Nation also proposes cutting property-related charges and allowing more low-cost housing. The Greens have set aside an initial $4 billion for public housing construction, upgrades and maintenance, although that is not the full cost of their 88,000-home target.
Homelessness On The Peninsula
Mornington Peninsula Shire reported about 168 people sleeping rough at the end of May. Frankston City Council recorded 49 sleeping rough at the end of June, plus 45 in temporary or crisis accommodation. The councils’ figures cover different dates and reporting methods.
The Labor Government announced $2.1 million over four years for two Peninsula homelessness outreach workers. The Coalition has promised $250,000 each to Fusion Mornington Peninsula, Southern Peninsula Community Support Centre and Mornington Community Support Centre.
In Nepean, One Nation candidate Darren Hercus has supported extra outreach and suggested around 20 crisis accommodation beds, without committing funding. Greens candidate Sianan Healy has supported council requests for more housing and homelessness services.
Sources: Mornington Peninsula Shire, 20 July · Frankston City Council, 24 July · Hastings, Mornington and Nepean council pledge trackers.
Household Bills And Travel Costs
For motorists travelling to Melbourne, Labor proposes rebates on eligible toll spending above $30 a week during 2027, with weekly and annual limits. The Coalition proposes a $50 weekly toll rebate threshold for two years from July 2027.
One Nation has announced maternity-related assistance and support for school-age sport. The Greens propose free public transport, a public energy retailer and a trial of ten publicly operated supermarkets aimed at lowering grocery prices.
Sources: Labor tolls, 18 October · Coalition tolls, 15 August · One Nation family package, 16 October · Greens groceries policy.
Crime, Policing And Youth Offending
Crime and community safety have been major campaign issues, particularly police staffing, bail laws and youth offending. The latest official figures show recorded offences fell in both local council areas in the year to June 2026, although totals remained above 2022.
| Council area | Recorded offences | Annual change |
|---|---|---|
| Frankston | 16,840 | Down 7.2% |
| Mornington Peninsula | 11,410 | Down 8.4% |
Motor vehicle thefts also fell, from 785 to 571 in Frankston and from 638 to 443 on the Peninsula. These are recorded offences, not the number of individual offenders or youth offenders.
Source: Crime Statistics Agency, year ending June 2026, Tables 01 and 02 (Excel).
The parties measure their plans differently. Coalition vacancies and extra positions are shown separately.
3,000 positions: 1,500 vacancies filled and 1,500 additional funded roles.
Election plan, printed p. 7Focus on retaining experienced officers. No numerical recruitment target.
Policy booklet, pp. 8–10$1 billion for community safety, prevention and alternative crisis responses.
Community safety platformThe Coalition also promises 200 additional Protective Services Officers and a return to a 24-hour front counter at Mornington Police Station. Official workforce data show direct police allocations in both local Police Service Areas were lower in September than in June, although shared and specialist resources are counted separately.
Sources: Mornington pledge tracker · Victoria Police June workforce PDF, Southern Metro Division 4 · September workforce PDF, same table.
Bail Laws And Youth Offending
The Labor Government has already tightened bail laws and introduced adult-court arrangements for certain serious offences involving offenders aged 14 and over.
The Coalition proposes tougher bail rules, extending adult sentencing arrangements to 20 serious offences and spending $100 million on youth crime prevention. One Nation wants stricter bail conditions for repeat offenders, 24-hour bail courts and a minimum age of criminal responsibility of 10, down from 12.
The Greens support raising that age to at least 14, with greater emphasis on rehabilitation and alternatives to detention.
Sources: Current Victorian youth justice framework · Coalition plan, printed pp. 9–10 · One Nation booklet, pp. 11–25 · Greens justice policy.
Hospitals, Roads And Essential Services
Rosebud Hospital And Healthcare
New election proposals are shown alongside existing delivery where relevant.
$230 million for ten new public dental clinics. The Frankston hospital redevelopment is an existing government project.
Dental announcement · Frankston hospital project$340 million election commitment to rebuild Rosebud Hospital, including more beds and emergency care.
Rosebud announcement, 14 MarchFocus on hospital capacity, patient transfers and regional health access. No funded Rosebud rebuild identified.
Policy booklet, pp. 54–56$3 billion expansion of public dental services. Nepean candidate supports Rosebud Hospital upgrades without a confirmed rebuild allocation.
Health platform · Nepean pledge trackerOne of the biggest local promises is the Coalition’s $340 million commitment to rebuild Rosebud Hospital, with more beds and expanded emergency care. Detailed construction timing and ongoing staffing costs have not been announced in the sources reviewed.
The Labor Government completed the main $1.1 billion redevelopment of Frankston Hospital, now Peninsula University Hospital, which opened in January 2026. It includes 130 additional beds, 15 operating theatres and expanded services. That is an existing project, not a new election promise.
Labor also promises $230 million for ten new free public dental clinics across Victoria. The Greens propose a $3 billion expansion of public dental services.
Greens candidate Sianan Healy and One Nation candidate Darren Hercus support upgrading Rosebud Hospital, but no matching party-funded rebuild commitment was identified. One Nation’s broader policy focuses on hospital efficiency and access to regional care.
Sources: Coalition Rosebud announcement, 14 March · Victorian Health Building Authority · Labor dental plan · Greens health platform · One Nation booklet, pp. 54–56.
Roads, Potholes And Public Transport
Road funding periods, repair targets and transport proposals differ across the parties.
Existing $1.4 billion 2026–27 road maintenance programme and a target of 500,000 pothole repairs by June 2027.
Road funding announcement$5 billion over four years for road repairs, resurfacing and reconstruction, including a one-million-pothole target.
Roads policy announcementPrioritise deteriorating roads, publish road condition information and establish a public pothole-reporting system.
Policy booklet, p. 40Bring road maintenance back under public control, make public transport free and improve service frequency.
Transport platformThe Labor Government has outlined about $1.4 billion for road maintenance in 2026–27, including an additional $352 million, and a target of fixing 500,000 potholes by June 2027.
The Coalition promises $5 billion over four years for road repairs, resurfacing and reconstruction, targeting one million potholes. One Nation wants better maintenance reporting and priority given to damaged roads. The Greens support returning state road maintenance to public control.
The proposals cover different periods and different types of work. Patching a pothole is not the same as rebuilding a damaged road.
Sources: Government road funding · Coalition roads announcement · One Nation booklet, p. 40 · Greens transport platform.
Public transport access also matters outside the Frankston rail corridor. The Route 886 bus began operating between Hastings and Mornington via Tyabb in July, with roughly hourly services seven days a week. It bypasses Somerville, leaving a gap between neighbouring communities.
The Greens propose permanently free public transport and more frequent services. No funded new Somerville connection was identified in the election commitments reviewed.
Source: Transport Victoria, Mornington Peninsula bus changes.
CFA, Fire Rescue Victoria And Emergency Services
An Auditor-General’s report released on 14 October found that 57.1 per cent of CFA and Fire Rescue Victoria fire trucks were at least 15 years old. It identified about $1.5 billion in replacement needs over a ten-year period, with only around one-quarter funded under the arrangements examined.
Source: Victorian Auditor-General, Managing Victoria’s Firefighting Fleet, 14 October 2026, key findings.
The proposals cover different areas: trucks, fleet targets, funding arrangements and service support.
Reverse emergency services levy changes and return to the former fire services property levy.
Policy statement, 5 December 2025Target average truck ages of seven years for FRV and ten years for CFA.
Policy booklet, p. 26Support equipment, training and volunteers, alongside a climate adaptation funding proposal.
Emergency services policy · Climate platformLabor’s commitment includes 100 CFA vehicles and 50 FRV vehicles. One Nation’s fleet-age targets have not been accompanied by a complete replacement budget. The Coalition’s levy proposal raises a separate question about funding for the wider emergency system, including the SES.
Across Baxter, Somerville, Tyabb, Hastings, Mornington and Rosebud, firefighters, SES volunteers and ambulance crews respond to fires, accidents, storms, flooding and medical emergencies. The published statewide proposals do not yet show which new vehicles, facilities or staffing allocations would go to individual local stations and units.
What Will Change Locally?
The parties offer different approaches to household costs, policing and public services. Some promises, including Rosebud Hospital and Labor’s fire truck programme, have specific funding amounts. Others involve changes to laws, taxes or how services operate.
For residents across the Peninsula, the practical difference will depend on which policies are implemented and how funding reaches local communities.
Editor’s note: This comparison covers policies publicly available as at 18 October 2026. STPL News examined the Coalition’s 40-page election plan, One Nation’s 64-page booklet and the Greens’ Victorian platform. Victorian Labor’s reported 133-page 2026–2030 platform was previously published but later removed, according to contemporary reporting. STPL News could not obtain the document, so Labor’s positions are drawn from current party announcements and official government records.
TSK TSK, THIS IS SHOOTING INDEPENDENTS AND OTHERS IN THE FOOT.
For residents across the Peninsula, the practical difference will depend on Who is elected and whether they are in govt or not unless independent elected who can play all sides of the board.
If promises were horses then poor men could ride