Rage at road vandalism

Brodie Cowburn brodie@baysidenews.com.au

VANDALISM along the Peninsula Link Freeway is getting out of control, Frankston councillors say.

At their most recent public meeting councillors agreed to write to Southern Way, which built the road, expressing concern about graffiti and other mess. Councillor David Asker said the graffiti “is just atrocious, and I for one am not going to put up with it any longer.”

He singled out the train crossing as an area of particular concern.

Peninsula Link is operated and maintained by Service Stream on behalf of Southern Way - it is under a 25-year agreement to look after the road. A statement from Service Stream read “littering and graffiti are ongoing issues along Peninsula Link, affecting both the highway itself and the broader community. Peninsula Link have a number of contractual obligations which we continue to meet. These include the prompt removal of offensive graffiti and we aim to remove all other graffiti within a week. With regard to litter, Peninsula Link carry out a weekly program of litter removal and a monthly program of road sweeping activities along the length of the freeway.

“Additionally, a team of asset inspectors conduct daily inspections of the network to ensure Peninsula Link fulfills its obligations to the state and to detect any other issues requiring rectification. Please note the Stony Point Rail Bridge is not maintained by Peninsula Link,” the statement read.

Councillor Glenn Aitken also voiced worry at the state of the road. “This is the gateway and the face of our city - because so many people come to Frankston or depart from Frankston along these very trafficways that in many ways are just infernal garbage dumps,” he said.

The motion approved by councillors read that they would write to Southern Way Pty Ltd “expressing concern with the state of a number of sites along the Peninsula Link arterial where vandalism, wear-and-tear, and graffiti have become pronounced (i.e. Cranbourne Road turn-off and the nearby pedestrian bridge) to both road users and people utilising neighbouring walking paths”. The letter will request that “Southern Way Holdings Pty Ltd improve the condition of locations where the above impediments are in existence in a timely and meaningful manner”.

Picture: Gary Sissons