Centre move rejected

By Rebecca Fraser
THE Greater Dandenong customer service centre at Parkmore Shopping Centre will stay open but plans for a Noble Park service will still go ahead.
At Monday night’s council meeting a proposal to relocate the Parkmore centre when its lease expires in March 2006 to the new Paddy O’Donoghue Centre in Noble Park failed to gain a majority of councillor support.
Instead, Keysborough Ward councillor Roz Blades successfully put forward an alternative recommendation to open a new centre in Noble Park, while renewing the lease at Parkmore.
But in a heated debate some councillors expressed strong disagreement at the move and said four customer service centres in Greater Dandenong were unnecessary and would lead to a further increase in council rates.
Dandenong and Springvale also have customer service centres.
According to the council proposal put forward on Monday the current annual lease costs for the Parkmore centre are $108,000, but are set to rise.
The report also stated that about $60,000 was needed for maintenance and refurbishment at the centre if the lease was renewed for another five years.
The proposal also included provisions for the Parkmore Post Office and other post offices to accept all payments including council rates, home and community care fees, dog registrations and infringement notices and the installation of a computerised information kiosk on a trial basis.
Cr Roz Blades said local residents had not been informed of plans to close the centre and her proposal would not lead to a rate rise.
“People that go to Parkmore want face to face dealings and this has been one of the most popular innovations by council.
“I know we are in an upwardly mobile computer age but I dispute the fact that people want to take to machines.
“I am really pleased that both Noble Park and Parkmore will have customer service centres,” she said.
Keysborough South Ward Cr Peter Brown also supported the motion to keep the Parkmore centre open.
“Thousands of people go through Parkmore on any day compared to the sleepy hollow Noble Park is.
“Retaining the service in Parkmore would benefit thousands of thousands of people.
“People do not want to punch and tap machines they want human beings to respond to their inquiries,” he said.
Dandenong Ward Cr David Kelly hit back at the comment that Noble Park was a sleepy hollow but agreed three customer service centres were sufficient.
“The Noble Park Chamber of Commerce approached council to set up a customer service at Noble Park.
“People are going to go to Parkmore regardless but a service in Noble Park would greatly attract people to the strip shops,” he said.
Dandenong North Cr John Kelly said four centres would create an enormous cost money council had not budgeted for.
“I am not opposed to having the centre in Noble Park or Keysborough.
“But we should have one or the other and it is an unrealistic expectation to expect both from council,” he said.