DANDENONG
dandenong.starcommunity.com.au
Tuesday, 30 March, 2021
@StarJournal_SE
/DandenongJournal
Growing great art
Easter holiday activities
School changes the game
Hawks win a DDCA thriller
PAGE 7
PAGES 8-9
PAGE 13
PAGE 18
40¢ Inc. GST
12476975-LB02-21
SIGN UP NOW!
Lockdown re-play Mosa, Kuranda Seyit, Aamir and Nurali are staging a play for our times, Love in the Time of Corona - complete with references to panic buying, masks and remote learning. Auditions for young actors will be held in April. For details, turn to page 6. Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS
Rooming no vote Greater Dandenong Council has scuttled plans to expand a pair of double-storey rooming houses in a Dandenong neighbourhood. Councillors scrapped a planning officer’s recommendation to add three double-storey buildings to the rear of 94-96 Langhorne Street - making a total of up to 40 occupants in 40 single bedrooms. Six neighbours objected to the development. Councillors regarded the proposal as an over-development, unacceptably increasing anti-social behaviour and parking congestion. “Residents have lived for some time with this facility next door to them,” Cr Rhonda Garad said.
“They consider an expansion of this would be an increase in ... disruptive behaviour.” Cr Tim Dark said “it’s absolutely known ... there is always an increase in anti-social behaviour”. “This is our city ... we want to make sure we provide the best housing stock available. We want to make sure we attract the right sort of people.” The developer withdrew a previous application for four extra rooming houses on the site in 2019. Cr Jim Memeti said it was “absolute overdevelopment” by a “greedy developer” that was “taking advantage of vulnerable people”. It was “out of character” for one of Dandenong’s most “beautiful streets”, Cr Memeti said.
Police were called out daily to a nearby rooming house on the corner of Clow Street and Stud Road, he said. “These boarding houses are absolutely all over the place. We need to make a stand for our community.” Cr Eden Foster said conflict would naturally arise by placing “so many people” in shared accommodation. Cr Sean O’Reilly, in favour of the development, said the council was casting an “incredible aspersion” on rooming-house tenants. “We’re saying this is a city of opportunity but if you’re down on your luck and you need a brief stay at a rooming house we don’t want you. “Because you’re going to be anti-social and the surrounding residents won’t like it.”
Illegal rooming houses would “flourish” if the council rejected applicants who had “done the right thing”, he said. Cr O’Reilly said the council would lose if the developer appealed to VCAT. Those costs would be better spent on tackling illegal rooming houses, he said. A council planning report found the proposal was “reasonable”, providing “much needed” low-cost housing near Dandenong’s activity centre. “A compliant well-managed rooming house addresses the shortage of affordable accommodation options for those with limited income,” the council’s community services division submitted. Continued page 3
“Let our Experience work for you” The two largest and oldest Real Estate Firms in the area have joined forces. We have over 500 years experience in all your Real Estate needs.
Affordable and Compassionate Serving Melbourne for over 75 years
www.manningsfunerals.com.au
12446641-SG15-20
03 9562 1855
155 Sladen St, Cranbourne
Contact Hall & Partners First National, now incorporating Mclennan Real Estate on 9792 0265
Phone 03 9792 0265 254 Lonsdale Street, Dandenong
12488548-DL14-21
By Cam Lucadou-Wells