Illustration: Matt Golding. The government relies on Mr Shaw's vote for its survival and, therefore, his goodwill. On Friday Ms Bellmaine confirmed that the balance-of-power MP had worked hard on behalf of Gould Street residents who had long campaigned over the Crown land, which is fenced off from the public. ''He has seen from the beginning that this is an issue,'' she said. ''His office has been brilliant. It's an issue that has been going on for decades, but the former Labor MP Alistair Harkness didn't want to know about it.'' In March, Ms Bellmaine described Mr Shaw as the hardest-working MP Frankston had ever seen. ''Everyone in Frankston adores him.''

Ms Bellmaine denied there was any conflict of interest for Mr Shaw. She said sale of the land was in the wider community's interest because residents would do a better job of looking after it. ''Council won't maintain it. If the residents didn't have the land, everyone would have a mess behind their homes.'' Mr Smith's office confirmed on Friday that he had written a letter to the council, but Mr Smith and the council have refused to release the full letter. An extract of the letter provided by Mr Smith reads: ''The sale of part of Kananook Creek Reserve is one solution that may resolve this issue and allow the council to manage the reserve for all Victorians.'' Before Mr Smith sent the letter, the government and the council had been negotiating fixed-term licences for residents who occupy sections of the Crown land. A meeting was held in Mr Shaw's office about 18 months ago to discuss a solution.

But negotiations stalled, with residents rejecting the offer of licences and, instead, pushing for ownership of the Crown land. In a written statement, Frankston Council chief executive Dennis Hovenden said the minister's letter was a departure from the government's previous stance on the contested land. ''As land managers of Crown land we noted the state government's policy position has changed on this issue since our last discussion,'' he said. A source said the minister's ''sudden change of heart'' was unusual. ''[The minister] has indicated that he is willing to sell the land and is pushing for an arrangement for the residents.'' Revelation of the minister's Christmas-period intervention in Frankston is likely to embarrass the government, which has been trying to distance itself and the Liberal Party from the controversial MP.

The council has been pressing for residents to vacate the Crown land, and wants to revegetate the corridor to improve a walking track along Kananook Creek. A spokeswoman for the Environment Minister said the land had been problematic for 40 years, and the previous Labor government had failed to resolve the long-running issue. She said the minister's intervention was not unusual. ''This is an inherited issue which was unresolved from the previous Labor government,'' the spokeswoman said. ''The minister will continue to work with the local council and community to resolve this long-standing matter.'' Ms Bellmaine has built a swimming pool that appears to abut the Crown land boundary.

Ms Bellmaine said the fence at the back of her property was in the same location as it was when she moved in. She denied building on the Crown land. Frankston Council is the manager of the Crown land, but a decision to sell ultimately rests with the government. Mr Shaw was contacted for comment, but did not respond before deadline. Previous state governments have been unwilling to sell the Crown land. A number of Gould Street residents have signed up to licensing arrangements and pay an annual fee to occupy a designated section of the land.

Frankston mayor and Liberal Party member Darrel Taylor did not answer calls yesterday. He is believed to be eyeing Liberal preselection for Frankston. Premier Denis Napthine has ruled out Mr Shaw running for the Liberal Party at the November election. Chaotic scenes erupted in Parliament last year when Mr Shaw declared that Speaker Ken Smith had ''degraded'' Parliament, with the Labor opposition exploiting the poisonous relationship between the pair. It is not known whether Mr Shaw will support the embattled Speaker when Parliament resumes on February 4. henrietta.cook@fairfaxmedia.com.au rmillar@fairfaxmedia.com.au