Foster Street trader Peter Hofmann is rallying fellow traders, local political candidates and residents for a meeting to publicly vent their frustration over what Mr Hofmann says is a lack of
By Shaun Inguanzo
ENOUGH with the gobbledegook.
That’s the message a frustrated band of central Dandenong retailers are hoping to send to VicUrban next week.
Traders from the Little India precinct near Dandenong train station are organising a public meeting to put on the record their feelings on how the State Government’s planning body is handling Dandenong’s $290 million redevelopment.
But VicUrban general manager Dominic Arcaro said in a statement that VicUrban had been listening to traders’ concerns.
“VicUrban has had several formal and informal meetings with the Foster Street traders where we have listened to their input and we are assimilating that information into the masterplanning process,” he said.
“Further discussions are planned.”
Manely Hair owner Peter Hofmann said he expected 80 to 120 people representing businesses to attend a public meeting he was organising next Wednesday evening at the Uniting Church in Scott Street.
Mr Hofmann said VicUrban representatives told traders that Little India would be relocated – but had not yet specified to where.
“The problem is when we asked where VicUrban would relocate the 43 Indian and Pakistani shops here, they said they hadn’t identified a spot yet,” he said.
Mr Hofmann said traders were also unhappy with ‘informal’ offers from VicUrban to acquire the shops.
“The amount I was informally offered was $115,000,” he said.
But Mr Hofmann said that was almost $25,000 less than the value on his latest council rates bill.
“The council valuation is also under market value … as a starting point that offer is not even worth considering,” he said.
Mr Hofmann said traders were happy to see Dandenong redeveloped but did not feel VicUrban was treating them as “key stakeholders” in the process.
“There is lack of communication on VicUrban’s behalf,” he said.
“They won’t talk to us, won’t tell us anything.
“Literature gets printed and sent out to traders saying they (VicUrban) want all stakeholders to take part in the exercise.
“But it is all gobbledegook. They seem to have nothing planned for us.”
Mr Hofmann said traders were initially so enthused about the project they offered to ‘give’ VicUrban their land to develop.
“And we said once they had their large building we would come back to occupy the ground floor,” he said.
“But we were told there was no chance of that happening.”
Mr Hofmann said he had invited local candidates and Dandenong MP John Pandazopoulos to next Wednesday’s meeting.
He also urged other Dandenong traders to attend the meeting to put on record their thoughts and feelings about VicUrban’s communication with retail traders.
“There is nothing wrong with Dandenong being redeveloped, it is just the attitude we as stakeholders are copping,” Mr Hofmann said.
“It’s as though we are superfluous in VicUrban’s plans.”
