Frankston is a suburb of Melbourne in the local government area of the City of Frankston. It is located 41 km south-east of the Melbourne city centre and is often referred to as "the gateway to the Mornington Peninsula". Situated on the eastern shoreline of Port Phillip, Frankston has been a popular seaside destination of Melbourne since the 1880s. Frankston Beach is still one of the most frequented in Victoria and is recognised as one of the cleanest in Australia. It is also home to one of the largest exhibitions of sand sculpting in the Southern Hemisphere. The suburb of Frankston has particular strengths in the health care, retail/hospitality, and education industries. Four sizeable hospitals, numerous health care providers, two regional shopping centres, a hard goods retail park, a university campus, a large TAFE institute as well as various secondary and primary schools are all located within the suburb and are a significant source of employment.
Recognising the importance of Frankston as a major activity centre in southern metropolitan Melbourne, the Victorian Government has committed significant investment towards kick starting the revitalisation of Frankston Town Centre.
Building on the $63 million redevelopment of Frankston Train Station in 2018, the Frankston Revitalisation Project has expanded to include much needed traffic and streetscape improvements in the surrounding precinct as well as projects to improve community safety and attract more people back to the town centre. Working closely together, the State Government, Frankston City Council, local stakeholders, businesses, and the community have successfully begun the work of renewing Frankston through shopfront improvements, restoring laneways, launching street art and other community festivals, and building development and business sector confidence. Supporting vulnerable groups and providing skills and training opportunities have also been an important priority for the Frankston Revitalisation Project with innovative initiatives to address drug and alcohol dependence, build capacity of youth at risk, and encourage creativity and social entrepreneurship.
Frankston Suburban Revitalisation Board
The Board provides a local voice to the Victorian Government's Suburban Revitalisation program, working with local communities to identify opportunities for locally-led projects to make Frankston thrive.
Questions, ideas and feedback for the Board are encouraged and welcome. You can get in touch with the Board by emailing suburban.revitalisation@ecodev.vic.gov.au.
Paul was raised with a strong sense of community and social conscience by parents who worked in the Latrobe Valley coal mines and ran their own businesses. Paul’s family are also long time Salvation Army members, his father, a Corps Sergeant Major. Prior to becoming a Firefighter, Paul completed a Bachelor of Education in Primary and Secondary teaching and a Bachelor of Arts majoring in History/Politics and Sociology before commencing teaching in local primary schools and Special Developmental Schools.
Paul fell in love with the Frankston area instantly when he was posted to Frankston Fire Station as a career Firefighter in 2001. As a Firefighter for 14 years based at Frankston, Paul developed strong ties within our community and a reputation for getting the job done, even in the most challenging circumstances.
Paul has attended countless local incidents that have touched our community and also state wide disasters such as the Black Saturday bushfires and Morwell coal mine fire. Paul and his team were commended by then Chief Officer, Craig Lapsley in 2006 for rescuing the victim of a house fire in Gould St and successfully resuscitating her on the footpath and has also received other medals for services to our community. Paul is now a volunteer at the Frankston CFA and is also known for his other volunteer work in the community.
Mayor Nathan Conroy grew up in Cork, Ireland, before travelling to Australia and settling in Frankston City with his new wife, Steffie, who grew up in the municipality.
His professional background includes senior management roles in businesses dedicated to helping membership-based organisations who were struggling to perform financially, making necessary changes and guiding them to profitability.
He ran for election at the 2020 Council elections and was rewarded by voters with the highest vote in the entire City. He was subsequently elected Deputy Mayor and in November 2021 was elected unanimously by fellow Councillors as Mayor of Frankston City Council.
Mayor Conroy is dedicated to being a member of cohesive and collaborative teams – both at Frankston City Council and the Frankston Revitalisation Board – which work together to create better outcomes for our many diverse communities.
The Mayor’s core values are creating opportunity, facilitating business and education for all. In line with his belief in the importance of education, Mayor Conroy is currently completing his MBA at Swinburne University.
He firmly believes Frankston City has the foundations to claim its rightful place as the start-up capital of Victoria. He will work with local entrepreneurs to build on these foundations to ensure we create the variety that is desperately needed in Carrum Downs, Langwarrin and Frankston’s city centre.
The Mayor wants everyone to be able to get ahead, regardless of where they came from – to be able to dream bigger and then achieve those dreams.
Mayor Conroy is dedicated to consultation and listening to diverse community views – as this underscores respectful and collaborative working relationships. This is important when working as part of a team, and when undertaking engagement and consultation with the community and local businesses.
Mr Cantillon joined Frankston City Council as the Director, Community Assets and most recently served as Interim Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Mr Cantillon was appointed CEO in September 2019 and is looking forward to working alongside Council and officers to help Frankston City reach its full potential.
Mr Cantillon acted as CEO at Baw Baw Shire Council in 2017. Further to this, he has also held senior roles at state level, including the former Tasmanian Department of Infrastructure, Energy and Resources and NSW Roads and Traffic Authority.
Professor Copolov is Pro Vice-Chancellor (Major Campuses and Student Engagement) at Monash University and is responsible for providing Senior Management oversight of:
Key issues at the interface between the University and the main student associations representing all the students studying or researching at Monash’s Australian campuses.
Central leadership programs, including the Vice-Chancellor’s Ancora Imparo Student Leadership Program and Monash Minds.
The University’s mental health strategy and policy.
He also facilitates the activities of the Vice Chancellor’s Professorial Fellows and provides strategic, policy and operational input in relation to a variety of cross-portfolio issues that arise within the Office of the Chief Operating Officer.
Over recent years, Professor Copolov has focused particular attention on Monash University’s Peninsula campus which is an important location for three of the University’s ten faculties – namely, Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences (particularly Nursing and Allied Health), Education and Business.
He is also a Professor of Psychiatry, with special interests in severe mental illness and mental health reform.
Stephen is the Chief Executive Officer of Chisholm Institute TAFE, having joined Chisholm in 2015 from Victoria University where he was the Director of Innovation and Engagement.
Stephen has held a number of senior managerial leadership positions across the VET and HE sectors both in the UK and Australia.
His passion is education and implementation of innovative practice, creative training solutions, coaching and leadership execution to transform and increase the competence and productivity of individuals and business.
Felicity has responsibility for leading the development and execution of Peninsula Health’s long-term strategy and organisational goals. Felicity has worked in the Victorian healthcare system for over 30 years and undertaken many roles. She has trained as a nurse and worked in intensive care, as a nurse manager, clinical nurse consultant divisional director of nursing and in a number of executive leadership roles.
She's worked in a number of great organisations including Melbourne Health, Barwon Health, the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and is now Chief Executive of Peninsula Health where she oversees 6,000 staff and an operating budget of more than $700 million. She’s also a non-executive director for the Kyneton District Health Service and the Victorian Hospitals Industrial Association, and a Fellow of the Fairfax Ethical Leadership Centre.
An Australian and international utility leader, Ms Olsen has the right skills and experience to lead the next phase of South East Water’s evolution, blending customer experience, digital and technological expertise in both the corporate and start-up environment.
Prior to joining South East Water, Ms Olsen was the Global Head of Business Development and Industrial Product at Tesla Energy based in the USA, responsible for scoping and launching Tesla’s next generation of commercial business models and industrial products. Before her time in the US, she led the Business Development and Industrial Product team for Tesla Australia, including the big battery projects in South Australia and Victoria.
Karin is Chair of the ‘Responding to alcohol and drugs in the Frankston and Mornington Peninsula’ (RAD-FMP) project, which was formed to rejuvenate the Frankston train station and surrounding area.
Cameron is a multi-disciplinary digital strategist with more than 10 years of experience in freelancing to advertising agencies and technology start-ups. Cameron is the Founder and CEO of Frankston Foundry and also the Founder of Freelance Australia, an NGO whose mission is to represent the collective interests of Australian freelancers, contractors and independent workers as we progress towards a new Future of Work. Cameron often speaks on the topic of entrepreneurship, co-working and the Future of Work in numerous national publications and television programs.
Download the Frankston Suburban Revitalisation Report 2021-22: PDF or accessible Word format.
Projects funded in Frankston
The RAD-FMP is a long-standing Alcohol and Drug program delivered across Frankston and the Mornington Peninsula by a group of local organisations including Peninsula Health, Chisholm Institute, Monash University and the City of Frankston. The program is aimed at addressing the high drug and alcohol abuse issues in the region. This program has been supported by the Frankston Suburban Revitalisation Board over several grant rounds.
In this round, the RAD-FMP will deliver an employment program that enhances and improves integration and partnership between employers, education and training providers and local and state government entities. The aim is to improve pathways into employment opportunities for at-risk and disadvantaged people across the Frankston and Mornington Peninsula.
The Suburban Revitalisation program is providing $270,000 in funding for the project, which is anticipated to be completed in mid 2024. The project is being delivered in partnership with RAD-FMP and Peninsula Health.
This project includes the purchase of equipment to support the Community House to build community capacity and civic participation through the development of various skills in older citizens, vulnerable and disadvantaged residents in the Frankston area.
It will also grow and expand life opportunities for disadvantaged members of the community who remain isolated and vulnerable, by offering free services, education, access to Wi-Fi, the latest equipment, resources and support to help them develop skills, find work, housing or further education.
The Suburban Revitalisation program is providing $19,885 of funding for the project, which is underway and being delivered in partnership with Orwil Street Community House.
Strong Social Enterprises will deliver up to three social enterprises from the Frankston Mornington Peninsula region between February and August 2023:
- Co-working desks in the Frankston Social Enterprise Hub.
- 150 hours of hands-on support from experienced social enterprise mentors/advisers.
- Paid access to stage-appropriate social entrepreneurship learning programs from across Australia.
- Capital to support innovations that create employment and training opportunities for disadvantaged people in the region.
The Suburban Revitalisation program is providing $80,000 in funding for the project, which is anticipated to be completed in late 2023. The project is being delivered in partnership with Peninsula Health, Chisholm Institute and Frankston Foundry.
The project will deliver a large-scale indigenous wall artwork on South-East Water's city building on the Catchment Lane frontage to celebrate Aboriginal culture and create vibrancy and visitor attraction.
The Suburban Revitalisation program is providing $70,000 of funding for the project, which is underway and being delivered in partnership with South East Water.
The project sought to identify requisite enablers and barriers for the full implementation of the Frankston Social Enterprise Hub (FSEH), including pilot testing of select FSEH activities to assess reach and effectiveness. Informed by these assessments, a complete business case will be developed for the implementation of the FSEH.
The Suburban Revitalisation program provided $221,525 in funding for the project, which has now been completed. The project was delivered in partnership with Peninsula Health.
The project will activate White Street Mall through a series of short-term installations. A program of two month cycle activations will be developed. The White Street Mall short-term static place activations will contribute to the transformation of the Frankston Station Precinct into a safer, more modern place of business and activity.
The Suburban Revitalisation program provided $100,000 in funding for the project, which has now been completed. The project was delivered in partnership with Frankston City Council.
The project will reinvigorate a service lane to provide a more useable shared space through greening, lighting and public art. The outcomes are safer and accessible lane to encourage walking and activation, increased footfall to deter vandalism and anti-social behaviours, and encouraging cafes to open out onto the lane and activate with kerbside dining.
The Suburban Revitalisation program is providing $275,000 of funding for the project, which is underway and being delivered in partnership with Frankston City Council.
The project will deliver roof works and presentation improvements for Station Street Mall. It will contribute to works along Station Street to improve weather protection for visitors through an upgrade to building fabric and canopies. These presentation and amenity upgrades will continue to improve the satisfaction and enjoyment of consumers in the Central Activities District with the associated benefits of also helping to improve the perception of safety in Frankston City Centre.
The Suburban Revitalisation program provided $100,000 in funding for the project, which has now been completed. The project was delivered in partnership with Vicinity Centres.
Activation of Nepean Hwy between Davey and Playne Street will complement VicRoads' proposal for a new 40km speed limit. Improvements will include:
- a creative lighting pilot to add to a vibrant and cultural experience of the highway for both motorists and pedestrians,
- targeted façade improvements that will encourage businesses and landowners along this block to enhance the presentation of their building or business, and
- median landscape improvements such as landscaping improvements to the central median to complement lighting and façade improvements.
The Suburban Revitalisation program is providing $475,000 of funding for the project, which is underway and is being delivered in partnership with Frankston City Council.
The project will meet the demand for future population growth and connect the Health and Education precinct to the Frankston city centre. This project builds on the Frankston Station to Monash Unviersity campus corridor upgrade and proposes to deliver a safe walking and cycling connection, improved amenity along the section of ‘Baxter Trail’ between Monash University and Frankston.
The Suburban Revitalisation program is providing $460,000 of funding for the project, which is underway and is delivered in partnership with Frankston City Council.
The project will deliver improvements to Fletcher Road Gateway site including greenery on either side of the Fletcher Road Overpass to enhance Frankston's Urban Forest with a diverse section of local trees and plants to contribute to urban biodiversity. The Fletcher Road underpass Lighting pilot project will demonstrate clever, creative, robust and sustainable lighting technology. Lighting this underpass will create safety, legibility and access and complement planned completion of the shared user path 'missing link' along the rail corridor into Frankston and, Street Art to Fletcher Road underpass.
The Suburban Revitalisation program provided $250,000 in funding for the project, which has now been completed. The project was delivered in partnership with Frankston City Council.
The project will improve safety for cyclists and pedestrians as well as connecting the Monash University Campus, Frankston Hospital and Frankston Station, linking three major hubs within Frankston.
The Suburban Revitalisation program is providing $350,000 of funding for the project, which is currently underway and is being delivered partnership with Frankston City Council.
This project is being delivered in partnership with Frankston City Council and will create an iconic, night-time landmark for Frankston City and will support a variety of recreational uses as day turns to night by providing creative, ambient lighting that is considerate of its environmental context.
The Suburban Revitalisation program provided $342,000 in funding for the project, which has now been completed. The project was delivered in partnership with Frankston City Council.
This project has delivered improved amenities within Frankston city centre through the Vacant Shopfront Activation Grants. The project attracted new businesses to vacant shopfronts across the city by financially assisting with the transformation of properties into confident, sustainable and attractive spaces that create new business for Frankston City.
The Suburban Revitalisation program provided $100,000 in funding for the project, which has now been completed. The project was delivered in partnership with Frankston City Council.
The Nepean Highway Hospitality Precinct Project will support a minimum of 10 businesses to expand outdoor dining into car parks, extended kerbsides and a laneway. The concept includes expansion of kerbside dining along Nepean Highway in Frankston’s city centre where several clusters of hospitality businesses with significantly limited capacity and ability to expand trade on the existing kerbside exists.
The Suburban Revitalisation program provided $135,000 in funding for the project, which has now been completed. The project was delivered in partnership with Frankston City Council.
The project will deliver new signage to direct all visitors, through accessible wayfinding, to the key locations within Frankston from the new Frankston train station.
The Suburban Revitalisation program provided $50,000 in funding for the project, which has now been completed. The project was delivered in partnership with Frankston City Council.
The program will promote a positive image and stimulate economic activity in Frankston city centre through streetscape improvements, placemaking activities, and local business and community participation. The project will include façade improvement grants, laneway activations, placemaking events, kerbside dining improvement grants and shop activation grants.
The Suburban Revitalisation program provided $175,000 in funding for the project, which has now been completed. The project was delivered in partnership with Frankston City Council.
This project, delivered by Community Support Frankston, engaged with a range of other local businesses to provide non-pharmaceutical support. Grant funds for this project supported local economic activity and enhanced community well-being, especially for financially disadvantaged residents that would otherwise be unable to afford these essential goods and services.
The Suburban Revitalisation program provided $10,000 in funding for the project, which has now been completed. The project was delivered in partnership with Community Support Frankston.
The City Park project is a proposal to develop currently unused Victrack land located on Young Street Frankston at the end of Wells Street which has been recently developed as part of the Frankston Transport Hub redevelopment. This project will deliver the Final Concept and Costings for City Park.
The Suburban Revitalisation program provided $31,500 in funding for the project, which has now been completed. The project was delivered in partnership with Frankston City Council.
The Walk 4 Wellness and Webinar Series enhanced community wellbeing by engaging women and their networks in fitness, health and wellbeing activities that support them, their families, and friends to continue to respond to and deal with the COVID-19 pandemic through health and wellbeing activities. The activities provided opportunities for targeted social recovery, enabling local women to become part of a powerful community and connect with local spaces.
The Suburban Revitalisation program provided $10,000 in funding for the project, which has now been completed. The project was delivered in partnership with The Women's Spirit Project.
The program will promote a positive image and stimulate economic activity in the Frankston city centre through the creation of an app which will encourage visitation and create an interactive experience for visits to Frankston.
The Suburban Revitalisation program provided $40,000 in funding for the project, which has now been completed. The project was delivered in partnership with Frankston City Council.
The Responding to Alcohol and other Drugs – Frankston and Mornington Peninsula (RAD-FMP) Phase 2 project consists of three components:
- expansion of Responding to Alcohol and other Drugs (RAD) and YouRPath Youth Engagement Project,
- preparation of an Alcohol and Other Drugs (AOD) Nurse Practitioner Information Guide and
- development and demonstration of a Medically Assisted Treatment of Opioid Dependence (MATOD) Prescriber/Pharmacist collaborative shared-care model, using community pharmacists.
The Suburban Revitalisation program provided $300,000 in funding for the project, which has now been completed. The project was delivered in partnership with Peninsula Health.
A viable business plan will be developed for a social enterprise café at 7a Station Street, Frankston.
The premises is a vacant shop front attached to First Peoples’ Health and Wellbeing clinic in the Frankston mall. It is a one minute walk from the Frankston train station and receives significant foot-traffic throughout the day.
The establishment of a social enterprise café will provide social and economic benefits for the local Aboriginal and broader community. This training café will focus on offering genuine job and training opportunities in a culturally safe and sensitive environment for Aboriginal people living in and around Frankston.
The Suburban Revitalisation program provided $100,000 in funding for the project, which has now been completed. The project was delivered in partnership with
The program will create a plan to promote a positive image and stimulate economic activity in the Frankston city centre. The plan will outline varying marketing and communication tools to be utilised to attract participants to events, increase community spirit and a sense of belonging, promote the work of Council and State Government funding, increase the positive image for Frankston, improve perceptions of positive activity and feelings of safety and increase visitation.
The Suburban Revitalisation program provided $5,000 in funding for the project, which has now been completed. The project was delivered in partnership with
The project will expand footpaths and repurpose road space to accommodate additional outdoor dining. The project aims to increase pedestrian traffic and improve street presence for local businesses. Six key locations have been identified for the initial parklet installations.
The Suburban Revitalisation program provided $150,000 in funding for the project, which has now been completed. The project was delivered in partnership with
An eSports InGame Leadership Program will engage with Youth-at-risk residing in the Frankston area to encourage and develop self-esteem and emotional intelligence needed to cope with their current circumstances and to better handle future challenging situations.
The Suburban Revitalisation program provided $60,000 in funding for the project, which has now been completed. The project was delivered in partnership with
The program was delivered in partnership with Frankston Foundry over three phases:
- Phase 1 of the program is to attract a number of interns to participate in, and complete, allocated projects over a 12-week timeframe.
- Phase 2 of the program is to repeat the process over subsequent terms, plus the 20/21 Summer Holiday period with a possible increase in intern numbers and project number after the initial phase trial.
- Phase 3 is to roll the program out to a wider local business network within the Frankston region, allowing for long-term sustainability and diversity of the program - increasing skills growth & industry exposure.
The Suburban Revitalisation program provided $100,000 in funding for the project, which has now been completed. The project was delivered in partnership with
Big Picture Fest 2022
Students from three Frankston high schools joined local artists to create eye-catching murals as part of the 2022 festival program:
- Frankston High School students who worked with Melanie Caple in Thompson Lane
- Artist Ghost Patrol and young people from Monterey Secondary College who also worked in Thompson Lane
- BAXTER joined students of McClelland College to create a piece in Stiebel Lane
These works were made possible with $45,000 in funding from the Suburban Revitalisation program and featured as part of the Festival in March 2022.
Big Picture Fest 2021
Frankston High School students created high quality street art with a professional street artist experienced in mentoring and supporting students throughout a project.
The Suburban Revitalisation program provided $25,000 of funding for the project, which was completed in April 2021 in partnership with Frankston City Council.
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Page last updated: 13/06/23