Frankston Council Votes on Rates Freeze, Waste Levy, and Town Centre Parking: What Residents Pay and Get Next

Frankston City Council passed three substantive resolutions at its ordinary meeting on Tuesday, July 7, with votes on the 2026-27 rates hardship concession, a revised kerbside waste service levy, and a six-month trial of free Saturday parking in the town centre. All three decisions take effect from August 1, and each one changes something tangible for the roughly 145,000 people who live in the municipality.

The timing matters. Household cost pressures have been a persistent theme in community submissions to the council since late 2025, and the council's own social services team flagged in its June briefing paper that demand for the Frankston Emergency Relief Network had risen 18 percent year-on-year. Against that backdrop, Tuesday's votes were less about long-term infrastructure and more about what residents pay for everyday services in the months immediately ahead.

Rates, Waste Charges, and Who Pays What

The hardship concession resolution freezes general rates at the 2025-26 level for eligible owner-occupiers whose household income falls below the threshold set in the council's Financial Hardship Policy, reviewed annually. Residents must apply through the council's rates team before September 30 to receive the concession for the full financial year. The council's budget papers show the freeze is expected to apply to approximately 2,100 properties and will reduce rates revenue by an estimated $1.4 million over the 2026-27 year. That shortfall is funded from the council's general reserve, which stood at $6.2 million at the close of the 2024-25 financial year according to the audited annual report.

The waste levy decision is less straightforward for residents. The council voted to introduce a separate kerbside waste service charge of $87 per rateable property per year, disaggregating what had previously been folded into the general rate. The change does not increase the total amount most households pay for waste collection, the council's budget paper states, but it makes the charge visible as a line item on rate notices for the first time. Residents in multi-unit developments serviced by a shared bin arrangement will see a pro-rata calculation, and the council's rates team is expected to write to affected owners before July 25 with revised notices.

Saturday Parking Trial and the Town Centre

The parking resolution is the most immediately visible change for anyone who shops or eats in central Frankston on weekends. From August 1 through January 31, 2027, the 1,200 council-controlled spaces across the Wells Street, Bayside and Playne Street car parks will be free of charge on Saturdays. Paid parking will remain in place Monday through Friday and on Sundays. The decision follows a petition of 634 signatures presented to the council in May by the Frankston Business Association, which argued that the $3-per-hour Saturday rate was deterring foot traffic from the recently upgraded beach foreshore precinct.

The six-month trial is projected to cost the council approximately $210,000 in foregone parking revenue, based on utilisation data from the council's parking services contractor. A formal traffic and economic impact report is scheduled for the February 2027 council meeting, at which point councillors will decide whether to extend, modify, or end the arrangement. Residents who currently rely on paid parking to guarantee a space on busy Saturdays have been advised by council officers that demand is likely to increase during the trial period, and the council says it will monitor occupancy weekly.

For Frankston residents, the practical picture from August 1 looks like this: eligible low-income homeowners should check the council website or call the rates line on 1300 322 322 to apply for the hardship concession before the September 30 deadline. All ratepayers will see the new $87 waste line item on their next notice and should confirm whether their property qualifies for the standard or pro-rata charge. And anyone planning a Saturday trip to the Frankston town centre can expect free parking for the next six months, with the council monitoring whether the trial delivers the increased activity the Business Association has predicted.