By CASEY NEILL
THE Dandenong Civic Centre car park will re-open on 1 July.
Councillor Matthew Kirwan said a short-term increased security presence would protect the building until safety improvements in the trouble-plagued car park were finished.
“Not having the car park open to residents is disadvantaging residents, particularly the aged and disabled, and the sooner it is open the better so the library is accessible to all,” he said.
“It will also aid visitors coming to the customer service desk, the planning department, public council meetings and the other consultation sessions and advisory committees the council runs.”
In April, the Journal reported that the car park would re-open to the public despite concerns it could be a terror target – but only after safety improvements were completed.
Engineering services director Julie Reid told the 25 May council meeting that the works would take six to eight months and couldn’t start until the 2015-’16 budget process was complete.
She said this would push the re-opening out until the first quarter of 2016, “sooner if we can”.
Ms Reid last night confirmed that the car park would open its doors on 1 July.
The council closed the 39-space car park when a security review started late last year.
Security risks identified included “many instances” of unauthorised public access to the building via the car park and potentially sexual assaults, thefts from cars and assaults.
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 underground storage and sensitive facilities and services, the report stated.
Security boosts are to include a digital visitor-access system, restriction on library lift access, improved CCTV coverage, firm sanctions against disorderly behaviour and an in-house security service.
