Summit working towards solutions

LAST WEEK’S meeting between Noble Park traders, Victoria Police and Greater Dandenong Council has been hailed as a positive move towards strengthening community safety.
Noble Park Ward councillor Pinar Yesil said the meeting was positive and constructive and clearly showed the willingness of all parties to work together to improve community safety and commercial success in the Noble Park shopping precinct.
More than 25 traders attended, along with representatives from Victoria Police, the council’s community development services and economic development unit, Cr Yesil and Keysborough Ward councillor Roz Blades.
The meeting was the first in an ongoing cooperative effort between traders, police and council to develop practical solutions for issues which have been a concern to the trade community.
“There are three areas in particular which the traders are keen to address – community safety, growing their businesses and getting the community more involved in the life of the shopping strip,” Cr Yesil said.
“Council has already put a number of initiatives in motion, for instance seeking the demolition of the derelict building on Mons Parade, and a proposal to Multicultural Affairs Victoria for financial assistance to bolster youth services and community engagement activity in the area.
“We will also be preparing a funding submission to Business Victoria early next year, in partnership with Noble Park traders, to try and get funding to establish a (neighbourhood house and small business link) for Noble Park Shopping Centre.
“We asked traders for their support and active involvement in moving forward.
“The response was enthusiastic and overwhelmingly positive, and subsequent discussion raised quite a few new ideas, especially around community celebration and street promotion.
“One of the outcomes is that a number of traders have committed to forming a core group to work in partnership with the council from here on in.
“We are already planning for the follow-up meeting in a matter of weeks.”