By Casey Neill
Critical infrastructure is at risk while the Dandenong Civic Centre car park remains open, according to Councillor Peter Brown.
He told the Monday 26 September Greater Dandenong Council meeting that he’d dropped off documents to the neighbouring government services building.
Cr Brown encountered a security door, concierge, restricted lift access, CCTV, a request for identification, and document inspection.
“Here, we’ve taken unnecessary risk by not closing the car park,” he said.
“Some of our critical infrastructure is down there.”
The Journal reported in August that an irate Cr Brown stormed out of the 8 August council meeting after losing his motion to close the free basement car park to the public.
He argued there were 38 spaces available but two were set aside for people with disabilities, seven were allocated to library staff, and four to councillors.
He said that the CEO and directors attended meetings that ran into the night and should have spaces.
He said civic centre tenants should be allocated a fair share of the parking and that only four spaces would be left after his proposed distribution.
Corporate services director Mick Jaensch confirmed claims from Cr Brown that parking had been a key sticking point in lease negotiations for vacant spaces on levels four and five.
At the 12 September council meeting, councillors agreed to tie three spots to an office space lease on level five.
“A month ago we decided to leave the basement car park open to the public during the week,” Cr Matthew Kirwan said at the time.
“The underground car park was designed as a public park for those visiting the library, customer service, council meeting rooms and council chamber.
“We are in the process of coming up with better arrangements during the day to maximise usage.
“That was why we voted to keep it open – now we shouldn’t be whittling the number of car parks away.”
Cr Kirwan said the civic centre should have public car parking because it was a public building.
The car park reopened on 1 July last year, after closing for a security review about six months earlier.
Security risks identified included “many instances” of unauthorised public access to the building via the car park and potential sexual assaults, thefts from cars and assaults.
There was also potential access to the council’s essential services generator with a “large capacity fuel supply”, major services such as power, communications and water, and underground storage and sensitive facilities and services, a report stated.
Security boosts are to include a digital visitor-access system, restriction on library lift access, improved CCTV coverage, firm sanctions against disorderly behaviour and an in-house security service.
