Mayor under fire

By Shaun Inguanzo
GREATER Dandenong’s mayor has denied claims he is turning his back on Springvale City Hall after it was revealed the mayor’s charity ball will be held at a private venue in Dandenong.
Mayor and Springvale Central Ward councillor Youhorn Chea said he did not consider the Springvale City Hall as an option for this year’s ball, despite his impassioned battle during the lead up to the 2005 council elections to ensure the hall was saved from being sold and demolished.
The mayoral charity ball will be held on 1 September at the Grand International in Dandenong, at $70 a head.
The Dandenong Residents’ and Ratepayers’ Association (DRRA) this week blasted Cr Chea for his decision to hold the ball at the privately owned reception venue instead of Springvale City Hall.
DRRA committee member Janet Cox said the hall had been the ‘main plank’ of Cr Chea’s election campaign and it seemed he had turned his back on the public who voted him in on the issue.
“Surely donating the use of ratepayer owned public asset and employing one of the council’s contracted caterers would work out cheaper, and make more money for charity, than giving most of the profits to the Grand and then depending on a few raffles to raise a few extra bob,” Ms Cox said.
“Seemingly, since his re-election to council, and particularly after becoming mayor, Youhorn has been somewhat ambivalent about the fate of the Springvale hall.”
Ms Cox said the DRRA was also concerned that the Grand International’s wheelchair lift would again humiliate users, as revealed last year after a function by Kooweerup woman, Michelle de Hommel.
Ms de Hommel said in March last year that she was embarrassed that her underskirt was exposed while being lifted up the reception venue’s wheelchair lift.
“As a council venue, Springvale City Hall meets the required disability standards and provides far better and more dignified access for ageing people and those with disabilities than the unsatisfactory disability arrangements at the Grand,” Ms Cox said.
Cr Chea admitted to seeing the irony of his choice to hold the ball in Dandenong.
But he defended the move, saying that by the time the council organised entertainment, catering, seating arrangements and other items handled in this case by the Grand International, the costs would be similar.
“At Springvale, we would need to organise a lot of staff, whereas the Grand International has everything ready to go,” he said.
“I believe that if the price is still going to be the same, then we are better off choosing to go to the Grand International in Dandenong.”
Cr Chea acknowledged that disabled access could be a problem and said he would contact the Grand International to see what arrangements could be made to avoid a repeat of Ms de Hommel’s incident.
Cr Chea said the mayoral charity ball would be a fun night that was expected to raise between $4000 and $5000 for local charities including the Springvale and Dandenong benevolent societies.