Qiang (Mark) Li, owner of the The Two Up Shop is one of many traders on Lonsdale Street facing a ban on footpath displays in Dandenong. PIcture: Meagan Rogers.85724
By NICOLE WILLIAMS
AFTER two years of roadworks, Dandenong traders are angry City of Greater Dandenong Council decisions are still making them lose customers.
At Monday’s council meeting, councillors resolved to introduce a two-year trial ban on footpath displays outside shops along Lonsdale Street.
The move comes after council received feedback from community members, visitors and officers from Places Victoria that it detracted from the ‘overall visual amenity of the central activity district’.
There are currently 20 traders with permits for footpath displays on Lonsdale Street.
The Star spoke to three traders who believed footpath displays attracted customers into their stores and didn’t detract from the ‘urban’ look of Lonsdale Street.
Qiang Li, owner of the The Two Up Shop, said any ban on footpath displays might reduce customers so much the shop would have to close.
“We have been here for two and a half years and the business has been here for more than 10 years and we have always had a display,” he said.
“For shops like ours, it is really important to have street displays and if it’s not allowed we will have to move.”
Mr Li, along with Kim Lim from SK Giftshop and Ben Le from Anthony Butcher and Seafood, said the shops had suffered during the revitalisation of Lonsdale Street through ongoing roadworks and cuts to parking.
Mr Lim said everyone was in the same situation.
“It was two years to build the road and now it is starting to pick up but still not good enough,” he said.
“It is not even one year since the footpath opened and it will only make it worse if we have to take the displays away.”
“The last two years have been bad, council didn’t do anything to help and now things are starting to go a little bit better, they want to cut us down.”
Mr Le, manager of Anthony Butcher and Seafood, said the displays attract customers and provide extra ‘shelf’ space for goods.
“Business hasn’t picked up since the construction and if this trial happens, it will impact us even more,” he said.
For Mr Le and Mr Lim, if the trial is successful, the only option may be to move the shop out of central Dandenong.
“Who would want to stay at a place where people are pulling money out of your pocket? You make money so you stay or you don’t make money so you move somewhere else,” Mr Le said.
Council will give traders until 31 January 2013 to allow them to maximise sales during the Christmas period.
Greater Dandenong Director City Planning, Design and Amenity Jody Bosman said this wold give traders time to consider other strategies to promote their businesses.
“Council sees the new standards as an opportunity to improve and grow businesses, through investment in higher quality presentation of merchandise and the business’s overall image,” he said.
“Officers will report again to council in early 2013 with an update on the progress of council’s intention to implement the new footpath trading policy.”
