FRANKSTON’S mayor says he still plans on attending an advocacy trip to Canberra despite being disinvited by one of the organisers last week.
The trip to Canberra, scheduled for 25-26 August, has been facilitated by the Committee for Frankston and Mornington Peninsula Shire. Last week mayor Cr Kris Bolam publicly expressed concerns about council’s ties to the advocacy group, and said he was “uncomfortable” about the planned trip. (Committee’s Canberra trip ‘uncomfortable’ – mayor, The News 19/8/25).
Early last week Bolam was disinvited from the Canberra trip by the committee, but he still intends to go. He said “I do not, and will not, take direction from what is essentially a lobbyist organisation.”
Committee for Frankston and Mornington Peninsula CEO Josh Sinclair has defended the trip, which will also be attended by Dunkley MP Jodie Belyea, Mornington Peninsula Shire mayor Cr Anthony Marsh, and Shire CEO Mark Stoermer. He said the goal is to “present a joint approach to regional advocacy on projects and opportunities for federal government to support and invest in across Frankston and the Mornington Peninsula Shire.”
Sinclair said that attendees would be “discussing the federal government’s commitment to $50m for Nepean Highway/Overton Rd, opportunities for the federal government to invest in housing projects in Frankston’s activity centre, the National Centre for Healthy Ageing based on Frankston Hospital, infrastructure improvements across Frankston and the Mornington Peninsula, housing and homelessness”, and “improvements to Rosebud Hospital”.
“The [Frankston] mayor chaired a meeting recently to extend the committee’s membership by three years and double the membership fee that council contributes. We thank him for his strong leadership and ongoing, unwavering support of the committee’s work in seeking to influence a better peninsula,” Sinclair said.
Council’s membership with the Committee for Frankston and Mornington Peninsula was extended as part of council’s 2025/2026 budget – the budget was unanimously passed by councillors with an agreement to pay $15,000 per year for three years for membership.
Bolam said “the city council may choose to reassess its financial support for organisations funded by ratepayers at any stage.” “Special interests have a presence in political processes across all levels of government, both here and abroad. “This is not unique to Frankston, but it is a matter of genuine concern and we need to be vigilant. In particular, we must be cognizant when lobby groups seek to influence the direction of democratically elected governments,” Bolam said.
“Outfits such as the Committee for Frankston and the Mornington Peninsula are guided by the interests of their paid membership, whereas local governments like Frankston City Council are accountable to their broader communities. As such, our respective missions are distinctly different.”
First published in the Mornington News – 26 August 2025
