Noble Park North Ward councillor Maria Sampey is leading a band of residents and traders concerned that a planned liquor store near the site of January’s Noble Park hoon riots would lead to repeat and even more damaging incidents. Picture: Luke Plummer.
By Shaun Inguanzo
A PLAN to open a liquor shop near a hoon hot spot in Noble Park has outraged residents, traders and councillors, and prompted concerns from local police.
Residents and traders fear that applications before Greater Dandenong Council and Liquor Licensing Victoria to open the shop along the Princes Highway near Elonera Road would spark dangerous and alcohol-fuelled behaviour.
The hoon hot spot was the site of a dangerous riot in January involving mobs of young people smashing and rampaging through Blockbuster Video Store and surrounding site, and lighting flares in the street after watching an illegal drag race meeting.
Noble Park North Ward councillor Maria Sampey said she had helped collect a petition of 57 signatures from residents and traders concerned that a liquor store could result in an incident far worse than what was seen this year.
But the applicant, Noble Park resident Tesfaye Defa, 45, told Star that a refusal by either the Liquor Licensing Victoria body or the council could send both him and his family broke.
The Ethiopian migrant, who recently sold his share in Dandenong’s Gibe African Restaurant because of a physical condition, said he had already signed a five-year-lease for the Princes Highway site, been approved for an $80,000 bank loan and ordered $13,000 of imported alcohol.
He said the lease was subject to council approval, but the loan and alcohol were not.
Star confirmed with Springvale Police Chief Inspector Bob Graham, who is the city’s police liquor licensing officer, that he had made submissions about the applications before Liquor Licensing Victoria and the council.
Chief Insp Graham would not comment on the details of his submissions.
Neighbouring trader Jeff Vassallo from Jeff’s Service Centre wrote in his objection to Liquor Licensing Victoria that he feared the liquor store would generate nuisances for traders.
Mr Vassallo said plans to trade until 11pm could encourage ‘binge drinking’ in the area. He highlighted a potential increase in vandalism as another concern.
“As a business owner I am very concerned leaving the business on weekends, knowing of the activities that occur and what I will find come Monday morning,” Mr Vassallo said in his submission.
“If this episode (the January riot) ever happened again and with alcohol available in the area, I can not believe what the outcome would be.”
Cr Sampey said there were already 11 liquor stores within a five-kilometre radius of the site.
She said alcohol needed to be treated as seriously as drugs or smoking when considering the number of liquor stores that should be opened in one area.
“We are all concerned about drugs, but as you know, alcohol is also a drug,” Cr Sampey said.
“People get behind the wheel with drink in their system and unfortunately kill innocent people in the process.”
But Mr Defa said if alcohol was the problem then the other shops – not just his – should be shut down or banned from selling alcohol.
Mr Defa said he was willing to cooperate with other traders, police and residents to ensure he could open the business.
“But if they stop me and I cannot open this business then it will affect my life and my family.”
