In the media headlight

By Shaun Inguanzo
A MEDIA frenzy has elevated Noble Park man Michael Wright’s disabled parking campaign to one of national significance.
Channels Nine and Seven, radio stations ABC and 3AW, and daily newspaper The Age have been knocking on Mr Wright’s door this week to broadcast and publish his story to millions of people nationwide.
The Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV), VicRoads and the Environment Protection Authority are also meeting with Mr Wright as a result of breaking coverage in the Star two weeks ago, and the subsequent frenzy.
Mr Wright, 28, was involved in a car accident that left him quadriplegic and well aware of the issues faced by disabled shoppers – including able-bodied shoppers stealing disabled parking spaces.
Mr Wright revealed this month he had designed cards to leave on windscreens of motorists who wrongly parked in designated disabled spaces.
He described the cards as a ‘non-confrontational’ way of pointing out they had done the wrong thing, as many shopping centre car parks are private land not policed by council parking inspectors.
But Mr Wright’s good-hearted campaign was thwarted by laws in the Road Safety Act 1986 and Environment Protection Act 1970 stating that tampering with a person’s car or leaving material on windscreens was illegal.
When the Star phoned Mr Wright this week he said he was exhausted by the coverage but rapt beyond comprehension.
“It has all been positive. Channel Nine ran a story on its national news and they crossed to people on the street who were in support of it too,” he said.
The MAV is understood to want to help Mr Wright campaign against the disabled parking dilemma, and Mr Wright said he was yet to meet with VicRoads and the Environment Protection Authority.