By Cam Lucadou-Wells
Residents in ‘inner’ Dandenong West are linking a prevalence of street sex workers, drug dealers and menacing perverts to large numbers of “seemingly unregulated” rooming houses.
Greater Dandenong councillor Matthew Kirwan has called for the council, police and the State Government to tackle the locale bordered by Hemmings, Potter, Robinson streets and Railway Parade.
Despite official crime rates falling in the neighbourhood, Cr Kirwan says that offending and anti-social behaviour are anecdotally on the rise.
It was damaging to residents’ lives and Dandenong’s reputation, he said.
“Most of it is linked to street prostitution in this area, not so much the prostitutes themselves but the behaviour of their clients.
“Female residents in this area, some just teenagers, get stalked by these clients by their cars following them around.
“Residents in general don’t find it safe walking in this area day or night without either being harrassed or witnessing street fights between clients and or between clients and prostitutes.”
Cr Kirwan said street prostitutes and drug dealers were visiting clients in “seemingly unregulated” rooming houses in the area.
There is an abundance of 17 legally-registered rooming houses in the neighbourhood.
They are among 68 listed in Dandenong, Dandenong North and Dandenong South.
A further 30 are registered in Noble Park, Noble Park North, Springvale and Springvale South.
Registered rooming houses are inspected and monitored by Consumer Affairs Victoria.
However, according to Greater Dandenong Council, there are no regulations regarding how many rooming houses can be concentrated in a certain area.
The council assesses building permits for rooming houses against relevant legislation such as building codes, disability access standards and the Residential Tenancies Act.
Most social housing in the municipality was built by the State Government, distributing the houses across the municipality so they “integrate well within the community”, Greater Dandenong Council community services director Martin Fidler said.
“That has not changed.”
Police statistics show drug, public order and violent crimes were low in the identified neighbourhood, Mr Fidler said.
“While that does not discredit any perceived fears, social housing is an important form of housing that is currently in short supply.
“Council continues to work with Victoria Police, State Government agencies and relevant stakeholders to ensure the safety and security of all residents remains a high priority.”
Star News spoke with two concerned residents in the neighbourhood. One spoke of authorities’ “openly complacent stance” to the issues.
On one night this month, a man shot passers-by with a large slingshot as he roamed the streets, he said.
This was followed by a street brawl between two sex workers and a male boarding-house resident, and a female resident being stalked by a “gutter crawler” from his car.
“What makes this situation especially horrible is when women do complain to authorities it is treated as though it’s an expectation they need to just learn to live with.
“Barely a week goes by without someone needing to call the police in our area.”
Some of the identified locale overlaps with a declared area under the Sex Work Act. Since 2016, police are empowered to ban and fine street sex workers.
“Something needs to be done for sex workers. They’re living horrible lives with issues with drugs and housing themselves,” Cr Kirwan said.
“It isn’t a simple law and order issue, it’s a complex social issue.
“Meanwhile the residents are suffering because they are living in fear.”
A Victoria Police spokesperson said police were aware of concerns raised by “one resident” in recent months.
“Our intelligence and patrols of the area has not shown that this kind of activity is commonly occurring.
“Local police regularly conduct proactive patrols in the Dandenong West area and respond to incidents in order to keep the community safe.”
