by Sahar Foladi
While some parts of Dandenong bustles with life, the eerie silence of some parts in the ward cannot be overlooked.
Places like the Afghan Bazaar evidently bring life to Dandenong as people rush to tick off their groceries from their shopping list.
However, the deafening silence along the iconic 30-year-old Little India shopping strip has stirred some concerns for traders.
Especially with an extensive redevelopment looming, traders fear a loss of clientele completely as they move temporarily from their stores in Foster Street.
The president of the Federation of Indian Associations of Victoria, Vasan Srinivasan says the $600 million Capital Alliance redevelopment is a “dead project.”
“It is said the project will create more jobs, 470 homes … they say this money is spent on Little India but it is not. Traders don’t know where they’ll go from there.
“When the traders leave the clientele will go away. If customers come to Little India and they look for the shops to find nothing, they will go home and order online.
“Traders will go away. Who will pay for their relocation?”
The Capital Alliance proposal includes apartments, office towers, supermarket, food market hall and community spaces.
The seven-stage work is yet to begin with each stage subject to a development plan and planning applications.
Srinivasan, who was one of the key figures on the committee to form the precinct between 2006-’07, says the loss of Little India will be a loss for multiculturalism which the municipality proudly boasts about.
The incumbent Dandenong Ward councillor Jim Memeti however disagrees the precinct is dead but calls it the “ups and downs” every business faces.
“I have talked to people who come from wide range of diverse communities from at least a 20km radius of Dandenong just for Little India.
“They make a special visit just to attend the precinct and that has been happening for many years.
“Business do go through ups and downs but there’s not many buildings vacancies in the area. That tells me the businesses always trade very well.”
As reported previously by Star Journal, Little India was compulsorily acquired by the State Government as part of its revitalising Central Dandenong project two decades ago.
Aware of the State Government’s plans Memeti says this is nothing new but a long term vision which even the traders knew about.
Memeti was the second time mayor of Greater Dandenong when he worked to bring the Indian Museum also located in the precinct and brought the FIAV office closer to home in Dandenong.
He said he’d been long supportive of Little India to ensure it was not neglected.
He remembers Thomas Street was once a “ghost town” with 90 per cent of the shops shut down, Foster Street and Lonsdale Street “struggling” before he was elected in the ward.
“We’ve definitely much improved and in comparison to other suburbs like Richmond, St Kilda, shops in Dandenong are doing much better.”
He says areas owned by the council, like Thomas Street, will continue to see improvements such as CCTV, lighting and landscaping.
On the other hand privately owned Dandenong Plaza was out of Council hands.
He commends the works Council have put in projects like Lonsdale Street Boulevard which is considered “best in the country”.
As for the Little India’s redevelopment Memeti says he will advocate to ensure the title ‘Little India’ is maintained and is fully incorporated within the plans.
Dandenong Ward candidate Rahima Rizai was contacted by Star Journal but didn’t respond by deadline.
