‘We’re hillbillies’ say residents

By Shaun Inguanzo
A BANGHOLME family believes rural residents are like hillbillies left behind in the dust of Dandenong’s development.
One family said it had no sewerage connection and received no local newspapers and a recently sealed road had removed a valuable horse trail.
Greater Dandenong mayor Peter Brown this week said the council needed to spend its rate money on fixing basic problems for residents rather than on pipe dreams to build a new office complex and Springvale Library.
Cr Brown said he had received calls from rural residents lobbying the council to build a riding trail and to connect them to the sewerage network.
Bangholme resident Tricia Moloney and her family live on a two-hectare property along McMahens Road.
Ms Moloney said her family could drive to central Dandenong in less than 10 minutes but felt isolated.
“We don’t feel like part of the Dandenong community because we don’t get any information here,” she said.
“We are not made aware of what is happening within the municipality.
“The council sends us the rates bill but as far as sending other information out, we do not receive their monthly newsletter,” she said.
Ms Moloney said the council had recently sealed McMahens Road.
However, she said this had transformed it from a quiet horse track into a thoroughfare for speeding motorists.
As a result she said this had created the need for a horseriding alternative.
“We need a safe round trip for our kids and their ponies,” she said.
“I won’t let them out that gate when it hits 5pm on that road, it is unsafe.”
Ms Moloney said residents also wanted connection to the local sewerage network.
“Sewerage would be far more efficient and less of a worry than septic tanks,” she said.
“We feel like hillbillies out here.”
Cr Brown said he would raise two notices of motion at this Monday’s council meeting.
The first one was for a riding trail and the second to encourage the council to pressure water authorities to connect rural residents to the sewerage network.
“Given some of these homes are only a kilometre or so away from the main sewerage pipeline, the least council can do is lobby water authorities,” he said.