Mayor makes good

By Bridget Cook
IN HIS last week as the City of Greater Dandenong mayor, Jim Memeti has achieved something he vowed to do when he was elected in December last year.
When he was elected, Councillor Memeti said he wanted to make sure there was a clear direction for a new municipal building for the City of Greater Dandenong.
Initial investigations show that merging the Springvale and Dandenong municipal building would reduce the annual operating costs by $1 million.
That wish came true last week when the City of Greater Dandenong and VicUrban moved to sign a memorandum of understanding focused on the creation of a new civic precinct in central Dandenong.
The memo, while not committing the council to anything, acknowledged the need to investigate the site on the corner of Walker and Lonsdale streets as a potential site for a civic precinct.
Cr Memeti said the new civic precinct would incorporate a regional library and civic space, offering increased access to council services.
“When I was electedas mayor I made a commitment to our community that Iwould advocate for a central administration office for the City of Greater Dandenong,” he said.
“It has been 16 years since the City of Dandenong and City of Springvale amalgamated and a central civic precinct is long overdue.”
As well as saving the council about $1 million, the building would have huge environmental benefits as its five-star energy rating would reduce greenhouse gas emissions, he said.