Frankston Your guide to what’s on this weekend for peninsula families
An independent voice for the community
FREE
Your WEEKLY community newspaper covering Frankston, Frankston South, Karingal, Langwarrin and Seaford For all advertising and editorial needs, call 03
Monday 18 August 2014
5979 8564 or email: team@baysidenews.com.au www.baysidenews.com.au
Game on HOUNDED by his Chinese opponents, this New Zealand ruckman struggles for a clean disposal in last week’s International Cup match at Linen House Centre, Seaford. Despite the intensity shown here, the game was a mismatch from the start, with the strongly fancied Kiwis running out easy winners 28.25 (193) to 0.0 (0). See ‘No fire from footy dragons’, Page 8. Picture: Yanni
Alarm as jobs crisis deepens Chris Brennan chris@baysidenews.com.au RISING unemployment combined with welfare cuts and increased household costs are pushing more and more Frankston families into financial crisis, especially within marginalised pockets of the city. Latest jobless figures show Frankston is one the country’s worst affected regions, with unemployment hitting as much as 8.2 per cent compared to a national rate of 6.4 per cent.
And rapidly rising unemployment is only half the story – it is also taking people much longer time to find work, with the average duration of jobseeker registration now 25 months. The overall jobless rate for the combined Frankston and Mornington Peninsula region climbed to 7.1 per cent in July, on par with the state-wide average. However, Australian Bureau of Statistics figures show the situation is far worse within certain areas of the region, with the jobless rate in Frankston’s central, north and western regions more
particularly hard hit by welfare cuts and tough new Centrelink payment qualification rules. Welfare groups say they are already struggling to keep up with demand and won’t be able to bridge the gap caused welfare cuts, such as the axing on the Schoolkids Bonus and Family Tax Benefit B and forcing single parents off the pension when their youngest child reach six. Of particular alarm is the situation confronting young people, with youths not only facing unemployment rates of almost double that of older residents,
DIVORCE LAWYERS
CRIMINAL LAWYER • HIGHLY EXPERIENCED WITH OVER 3500 APPEARANCES IN COURT OVER THE LAST 18 YEARS
than double that of other zones. ABS data shows unemployment in the western region of Frankston had climbed to 8.2 per cent, compared to 5.9 per cent in the city’s east, while the rate for the north western sector of the peninsula was just 3.2 per cent compared to 7.1 per cent for the southern peninsula. Welfare agencies fear residents within these pockets of poverty will face a growing struggle finding secure work due to an ever shrinking supply of low and semi-skilled jobs. Low-income families will also be
ASHLEY TICKNER
WHAT’S ON AT NEPTOURS & ASSOCIATES PTY LTD PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS
MORNINGTON
BEDSHED’S
EXCLUSIVE BRAND
• TRUSTED & RELIABLE
SAVINGS SALE ON NOW!!!
• REALISTIC FEES
THE BIGGEST
YOU WANT ASHLEY TICKNER STANDING UP FOR YOU IN COURT
DISPLAY OF
CALL
9781 4822 FOR YOUR 1ST APPOINTMENT FREE 36 Dandenong Road West, Frankston
MATTRESSES BEDROOM FURNITURE AND ACCESSORIES ON THE MORNINGTON PENINSULA BEDSHED MORNINGTON SUPERSTORE Peninsula Homemaker Centre, Cnr Nepean Hwy & Bungower Road Phone 5973 6333 • www.bedshed.com.au
ÌTax Returns Advisors ÌBusiness Under 21 Half ÌOn The Spot TaxPriceRefunds Ì
Basic, Business, Rental Properties
)$0,/< /$: :,//6 352%$7( '(&($6(' (67$7(6
DENISE DWYER LAWYERS 379 Nepean Hwy, Frankston
Ph: 9781 4612 Email: reception@denisedwyer.com.au
but also having to content with tough new Centrelink regimes, including having to apply for 40 jobs a month and being cut off payments altogether for six months at a time. With a large number of low-income families and out of work residents, the “unemployment crisis” looms as a critical election issue for Frankston in the upcoming November state election. Frankston mayor Darrel Taylor said the poll is the ideal opportunity to push all parties on providing more jobs. Continued Page 12
MATTHEW BOURNE’S *CROWN CASINO – MONTHLY* Casino’s bus program with a SWAN LAKE great BUFFET lunch (all) $35. Wed 22 Oct (matinee) Only persons over the age of (a) $120 (p/s) $115 18 permitted. STITCHES & CRAFT SHOW LAST THURSDAY EACH Caulfield Racecourse Thu 23 MONTH Oct All $55 QUEEN VICTORIA MARKET Tue 14 Oct - all $30. HEALESVILLE SANCTUARY Shop for all the bargains we Tue 11 Nov do not have down here. We even supply a couple of Eskys Adults $70 (p/s) $60 (ch) $50 for some of your perishables. STRICTLY BALLROOM Wed 25 March ITALIAN MASTERS (NGV) Tue 26 Aug (a) $60 Adults $125 (p/s) $110 (p/s) $55 THE LION KING LES MISERABLES Wed 11 March (matinee) Wed 3 Sept (a) $120 (p/s) $110 (matinee) (a) $105 (p/s) $95
Shop 61 Station St Mall, Frankston
Neptours
Open Evenings & Saturdays
www.neptours.com.au
Ph: 9769 6660
Phone: 5987 2011