NEWS DESK
Council seeks state nod on rooming house controls Stephen Taylor steve@baysidenews.com.au CHANGES to legislation governing rooming houses to make local councils the responsible authority and not the state government would be welcomed by Frankston council. Ideally, the changes would give the council greater control over the building, siting, management, licencing and accommodation standards of the contentious premises. But, until the longed-for new rules are brought in – which may not be any time soon – many rooming house operators will continue to fly under the radar offering over-priced accommodation to homeless low-income earners – many with mental issues – whose presence in the neighbourhood often intimidates and infuriates residents. Anecdotal reports of mental health patients being released into Frankston’s low-cost housing because they have nowhere else to go are common. Once there they can be victimised and exploited by greedy landlords. Former mayor Cr Colin Hampton said the council – and the Municipal Association of Victoria – was actively lobbying the government for a greater say in managing rooming houses. “I have advocated since 2009 – and I took it to the state Labor government’s Community Cabinet - that there is a strong case to licence rooming houses
and to make them the responsibility of local government,” he said. “If the council had control we would make on-site and active management a priority and that would get rid of most of the problems.” Cr Hampton said issues with rooming houses were caused by “politicians shirking their responsibilities”. “We used to have [state-run] institutions to care for the unstable and ill-at-ease, such as Ararat and Larundel, but now these people have been pushed out onto the streets to save the government money. “Not that all rooming houses have mentally ill people, but they do have many, and they are mostly victimised and living in squalid conditions.” Cr Glenn Aitken said the council was “united in dealing with the rooming house issue”. He said Frankston had met with nearby councils, including Casey, Dandenong, Kingston and Mornington Peninsula, to “compare notes” on rooming houses and discuss a possible approach to the state government. “We have the power to monitor unruly behaviour but we are hamstrung by imperfect legislation and we are the ones left to clean up the mess left by greedy operators. “We want legislation enacted to allow the council to handle planning applications and aspects of their management, with a failure to comply ensuring their licence is lost … so the operators know they are on notice and
we are watching them. Many are simply hogs at the trough.” Deputy mayor Cr Rebekah Spelman said the community “would be a lot better off” if the council had the power to licence rooming houses – rather than the state government. “At the moment we are pretty powerless,” she said, conceding that, while Frankston North had an oversupply of rooming houses “they have to go somewhere”. Operators can use loopholes in the law to set up shop and exploit the present high demand for beds by building houses with fewer than 10 bedrooms which only require a building permit and not a complicated planning permit for houses with more bedrooms. A petition calling for a review of a house at 17 Finlay St and “associated issues” was considered by councillors at their last meeting – but under current rules there is little they can do. The mayor Cr Darrel Taylor said council officers had spoken to the owners and managers of the building who said it would be used by professionals and students. This information has been passed on to the petitioners. “The legislation does not require onsite management of rooming houses, licensing or accommodation standards to ensure adequate living standards for residents and minimal impact on neighbours,” he said. “Changes to legislation requiring owners to be more accountable would be welcomed by local government.”
Peninsula Fireplace AS SEEN ON
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Fatal crash: An 80-year-old died after his car with hit by a garbage truck outside a major shopping centre in Carrum Down on Friday 1 August. Picture: Gary Sissons
Elderly driver dies after crash with garbage truck AN elderly Carrum Downs man died after his car was hit by a garbage truck on Hall Rd. The 80-year-old man was attempting to enter the car park of the Carrum Downs Regional shopping centre about 2.30pm on Friday 1 August when he crossed into the path of the oncoming garbage truck. Police said the man had been driving east on Hall Rd before attempting to turn right into the shopping centre entrance at the corner of Cadles Rd. The garbage truck, which was travelling in the west-bound lane, was unable to stop in time and hit the man’s Hyundai sedan on the passenger’s side. The intersection is controlled by traffic lights, however police said the status of the lights at the time of the crash was being investigated. Paramedics treated the man at the crash site before transporting him by ambulance to The Alfred hospital. He
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died a short time later died. Police questioned the driver of the truck, who was uninjured in the incident, but he was released. Major accident investigation unit detectives are looking into the cause of the crash and have appealed for any witnesses to contract Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. A 38-year-old Patterson Lakes man last week died in hospital after being hit by a car in Rowville on 31 July. The man had been crossing Stud Rd on foot at a pedestrian crossing when he was struck by a car turning left from Turramurra Drive around 6.35am. He was taken to The Alfred hospital in a critical condition but died three days later. The driver of the car, a 62-year-old woman from Rowville, was interviewed by police and is expected to be charged with careless driving and failure to give way.
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BLAIRGOWRIE • DROMANA • MORNINGTON • ROSEBUD • SEAFORD • TOORAK PAGE 8
Frankston Times 11 August 2014