By CASEY NEILL
IT’S 20 years to the day since Marg Nicholls helped to bring the cities of Dandenong and Springvale together.
And the former commissioner couldn’t be prouder of City of Greater Dandenong’s progress, particularly Dandenong Market, Lonsdale Street and the new civic centre.
“It’s like a mother – your child grows up and you think they’ve gone off and done their own thing,” she said.
“You still have a pride.
“I really loved my time at Dandenong.
“I wish the people of Greater Dandenong all the best and I hope their future goes to bigger and better things.
“They’re such a resilient people and I’m sure that they’ll get there. They need to not lose heart.”
The Victorian Local Government Board instigated council amalgamations to make the system more efficient.
“We originally had 210 municipalities in Victoria. The government was bringing it down to 72,” Ms Nicholls said.
It was on 15 December 1994 that the former cities of Dandenong and Springvale and small parts of Berwick and Cranbourne were proclaimed the City of Greater Dandenong.
Heatherton and Sandown were put forward as potential names, but Greater Dandenong won out because Dandenong was already recognised as a regional hub.
“I was a councillor at the old City of Oakleigh and was the last mayor there,” Ms Nicholls said.
“I was invited by the government to become a commissioner. I was naturally delighted.
“Our role involved making the transition, combining the two municipalities.
“Springvale and Dandenong had different staff structures. They had different departments.
“It was a fantastic challenge.
“We were so lucky in Greater Dandenong, the community were fantastic.
“We had a lot of community consultation and they took part in it.
“It was the most fabulous time of my life.”
Alongside her were commissioners Ian Cathie and John Nixon and acting CEO Warwick Heine.
“We put two and a half years into getting the city into shape,” she said.
“A lot of the groups had been promised things by the former councils.
“You couldn’t put two A-grade facilities for hockey in the one municipality.”
The first City of Greater Dandenong council was elected in 1997 and included many councillors from the former cities.
Cr Roz Blades was a Springvale councillor at the time of amalgamation.
“When I first heard we were going to be the City of Greater Dandenong, my heart dropped,” she said.
“I felt a great sense of loss. And I was quite down in the dumps.
“And then I, with a few other people in the community and former councillors, we set up a bit of a council watch group, which was useful.
“Because there was a lot of new staff and we spoke directly to them about issues.
“So someone rang me to say the speed humps in a particular street, we were thinking of taking them up, what do you think?
“I wasn’t going to get in anyone’s way – we were just there to help.”
Cr John Kelly was a Dandenong councillor when the merger took place.
“Generally the whole idea was good,” he said.
“I think we’ve come a long way, both ends of the town since then.
“By having a combined city it’s cut costs that ratepayers would have had with separate cities.
“There was passion in both ends of the town, and to some degree there’s still passion for the two ends of the town.
“There’s not one thing wrong with that.”
