City market gets VCAT green light

By Nathan Johnston
WORK on the $15 million Dandenong Market upgrade will start in three months after the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) approved the City of Greater Dandenong’s revised plans.
A secondary hearing wrapped up last week after VCAT reviewed an improved master plan from the City of Greater Dandenong.
The Dandenong Residents and Ratepayers Association took the matter to VCAT claiming council’s plans, approved in March, lacked sufficient detail.
The tribunal agreed, and requested the council submit improved plans before it issued an approval for the works to start.
Despite the matter being put on hold, the council selected the contractors for the first stage of the works, which includes construction of an ALDI supermarket, new loading docks for the produce market and upgrades to both the underground and King Street car parks.
That decision was vindicated when the VCAT decision was handed down on Monday, two weeks earlier than expected.
Council chief executive Carl Wulff said he was confident the tribunal would find in favour of the council.
“It would have been remiss of us to sit on our hands (during the appeal) and not appoint the contractors. The building costs would have escalated by then.”
The decision paves the way for the commencement of stage one of the market makeover, worth $3.2 million.
“We hope to progress the plans on stage two and three as early as we can. Our intention is to redevelop the whole market by the end of 2008,” Mr Wulff said.