By CAM LUCADOU-WELLS and CASEY NEILL
DANDENONG Civic Centre’s basement car park will reopen to the public despite concerns that it could me a terror target.
The councillors over-ruled a council report, which last week recommended continuing a public-ban from the 39-space car park put in place since a security review began late last year.
The confidential security-risk assessment rated the car park a “high risk” to the building and precinct’s security though a “very low” terrorist-target risk.
Councillor Matthew Kirwan opposed the car park’s closure to the public which was important access for older and disabled library and civic centre users.
“I’m not convinced there’s any serious risk to this building that can’t be mitigated. I think this is a panicked action.
“What image do we project by closing this car park permanently?
“To me, this is a fortress mentality.”
Councillor John Kelly supported the closure, citing a recent car-park bomb in Thailand injuring 25 people.
“No one expects these things to ever happen. We have a duty of care.”
But Cr Sampey said: “Where’s the risk? Have we been threatened? Is there going to be a bomb?”
“They can go into the library and down the lift. It doesn’t have to come in by car.”
Some of the security risks included “many instances” of unauthorised public access to the building via the car park, and potentially sexual assaults, thefts from cars and assaults in the car park.
There was also potential access to the council’s essential services generator with a “large capacity fuel supply”, major services such as power, communications and water, and access to underground storage and sensitive facilities and services, the report stated.
“Whilst it would be technically possible to undertake works to address some of the physical issues of concern in the car park… the cost of such works would be prohibitive.”
As an offset for the car park’s closure, the report proposed extra public parking spaces in the Thomas St multi-deck and a free permit system for seniors library members.
Other security boosts were endorsed by councillors, such as a digital visitor-access system, restriction on library lift access, improved CCTV coverage, firm sanctions against disorderly behaviour and an in-house security service.
The report noted more than 480 “disorderly and offensive” incidents had been logged in the 12 months since the civic centre opened, many of them in the library precinct.
