By CASEY NEILL
RESIDENTS and shopkeepers who are worried about crime in their Dandenong street are lobbying the council for cameras and lighting.
City of Greater Dandenong councillors noted a petition from 13 residents and shop owners at their 27 January meeting.
The petition objected to poor lighting and illegal activities in Woodward Lane off Hemmings Street and called for better lighting, cameras and signage in the laneway.
Councillor Matthew Kirwan said he’d been advocating for improvements to Hemmings Street for the past two years.
“This shopping strip has great shops and a huge potential,” he said.
“As a result, there are a number of improvements in Hemmings Street rolling out at the moment including improved lighting.
“However, these specific issues in Woodward Avenue need to be dealt with.”
Cr Kirwan said the improvements were in response to concerns about crime levels which had “reduced compared to a few years ago but is still a concern”.
“It was the written notification about the lighting that prompted the traders to launch their petition about the specific issues in Woodward Lane,” he said.
“There has been residents wanting CCTV in this area for the last 18 months in general and the specific concerns about Woodward Lane have been mentioned in the November 2013 community consultation previously.”
Councillors noted the submission and referred it to the relevant business unit for consideration.
