Frankston City Council’s advocacy and influence at MAV State Council

Published on 23 October 2025

Frankston City Council has achieved a strong outcome at the 2025 Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV) State Council Meeting, with five of its six motions successfully carried, highlighting the city’s growing leadership and influence within Victoria’s local government sector.

Mayor Kris Bolam JP said the result reflected the success of Council’s sustained advocacy efforts and its commitment to representing community priorities on a state-wide platform.

“Frankston City continues to punch well above its weight when it comes to state advocacy,” Mayor Bolam said.

Frankston City Council motions carried by MAV State Council include:

• Best Practice Implementation of Lobbyist Registers – Calling for a clear definition of “lobbyist” and mandatory transparency measures for councillor interactions.
• Vice-Regal Engagement with Local Government – Encouraging formalised engagement between the Office of the Governor of Victoria and local councils.
• Affordable Housing – Advocating for incentives and support to unlock surplus government-owned land for affordable and key worker housing.
• Sentencing Amendment (Emergency Worker Harm) Bill 2020 Expansion – Seeking stronger legal protections for water safety and rescue workers across Victoria.
• Continuation of Tobacco Service Agreement Funding – Calling for funding beyond June 2026 to support local enforcement of tobacco laws and planning reform for tobacconists.

Council’s sixth motion, calling for a stamp duty reduction or waiver for first home buyers, was not carried; however, Mayor Bolam said the matter would remain a local focus.

“Housing affordability remains one of our community’s biggest challenges. And while the MAV State Council voted this motion down, Council will soon consider a Victorian-first initiative to help local first-home buyers break into the housing market. Watch this space.”

Mayor Bolam also welcomed the passing of Council’s motion calling for greater clarity and transparency around lobbying activity.

“This motion underscores the importance of openness in government decision-making. By improving clarity around lobbying activity, we can ensure that communities continue to have confidence in the fairness and integrity of their elected representatives.”

Representing Council as delegate at the meeting, Councillor Nathan Butler said the event reinforced the importance of collaboration between municipalities.

“It was inspiring to see 76 councils from across Victoria represented in one room – all passionate about improving outcomes for their communities,” Cr Butler said.

“Frankston City Council’s success wasn’t achieved in isolation. It’s the product of the strong partnerships we’ve built with our neighbouring councils, including Kingston, and the mutual respect we’ve fostered across the MAV network.”

“By working together, we can create collective momentum on shared priorities — whether that’s unlocking surplus government land for affordable housing, strengthening worker protections, or delivering consistent regulatory approaches across the state.”

Peninsula Leisure CEO Kath Thom welcomed Council’s advocacy at the MAV State Council for the Sentencing Amendment (Emergency Worker Harm) Bill 2020 expansion motion, that would seek to extend vital protections to aquatic safety personnel, placing them under the same legislative protections as other emergency service workers.

“It’s an important recognition of the critical role our aquatic teams play in community safety. Peninsula Leisure’s award-winning workforce at the Peninsula Aquatic Recreation Centre and the Pines Forest Aquatic Centre work tirelessly to keep residents safe, and it’s pleasing to see this work recognised through Council’s advocacy,” Ms Thom said.

Mayor Bolam said the overall result further strengthens Council’s advocacy standing.

“With a seat on the MAV Board and a track record of delivering tangible advocacy outcomes, including our largest-ever funding success earlier this year, Frankston City Council is well placed to continue influencing state and national reform,” Cr Bolam said.

“Over the years, we’ve transformed Frankston City’s reputation, built lasting partnerships across all levels of government, and delivered major projects that will benefit our community for generations to come.”

“The strong results achieved at both the MAV State Council and the ALGA National Conference demonstrate that when Frankston City speaks, it’s with credibility and purpose.”