Report slams failures

By Nicole Williams
A REPORT into the Revitalising Central Dandenong (RCD) project has put a dampener on the initiative designed to breathe life back into the city.
The Victorian Auditor-General’s report revealed a lack of performance standards and no structured collaboration between the involved parties with the $290 million 16-year project, led by VicUrban and the Department of Planning and Community Development.
“While RCD has made notable progress since 2005, it has occurred in the absence of sufficiently clear, agreed and monitored performance standards,” the report said.
It is the largest urban renewal project since the Docklands and VicUrban’s Acting CEO Sam Sangster said the RCD initiative had contributed to $297 million of private sector development investment, 700 more jobs, 400 more homes and 800 more residents since 2006.
“The report addresses issues of management while acknowledging notable progress has been made in revitalising central Dandenong,” Mr Sangster said.
However, the report said the lack of performance standards did not offer assurance the progress is enough or was what the project intended.
In 2006, a business case said evaluation was needed but it was never developed therefore, “it cannot monitor whether RCD is achieving the expected results”, the report said.
A lack of cross-agency collaboration meant there was no accountability for late projects or problems with the project.
“The department needs to clarify accountabilities, reinforce them through government endorsement and monitor their operation,” the report said.
Planning Minister Matthew Guy said the blame lay with the previous government.
“Dandenong is a vital city to Victoria’s future and yet the previous Labor Government did not bother to set appropriate targets to ensure the city could grow and evolve, attracting new business and new residents,” Mr Guy said.
“I intend to take the Auditor General’s comments very seriously.”
The recommendations from the report include improving performance standards, strengthening co-ordination and regular reports on the project’s achievements.