By Cam Lucadou-Wells
Residents are skeptical whether their feedback will shape the final design of Dandenong Community Hub.
On 11 April, the council will vote on a preferred concept design for the hub at Clow Street, Stuart Street and Sleeth Avenue.
Dandenong Community Association spokesperson Silvia Mastrogiavanni fears the council is set to overlook residents’ desired changes to the concept design.
The residents are pushing for a common foyer linking the children’s and community wings, as well as a larger playground on adjoining council-owned land.
Community strengthening acting director Marcus Forster told a 27 April council meeting that the latest community feedback would “absolutely not be ignored”.
The “complete consultation findings” would be included in a report tabled on 11 April.
The “important feedback” would be incorporated at a later ‘detailed design’ stage, which would involve further consultation, Mr Forster said.
However, Ms Mastrogiavanni told Star Journal that the concept design is “when the final layout of a building is determined”.
“Our feedback will be simply be swept under the carpet, because when they get to the detailed design there won’t be anything but minor changes.
“We won’t get a foyer linking the children’s and community wing to make it a fully integrated hub.
“We won’t get a larger playground that children are actually going to want to use and that will also act as a drawcard for the hub.”
Ms Mastrogiavanni questioned why a different process was applied for the Keysborough South Community Hub, where the concept design was modified due to community feedback.
“It seems that Dandenong residents are getting the poor man’s treatment.”
After a “16-year wait” for the facility, a finalised concept design was the key to seeking state and federal funding – and showing that the hub would be built in the “near future”.
“Finishing the detailed design makes it shovel ready and gives Council an even more accurate costing to seek funding and also for its own budget planning.”
According to the council’s project website, works that were expected to start in 2023-’24 have been pushed back to 2024-’25 “subject to funding”.
Councillor Jim Memeti recently said council officers have advised that the hub will be “hard to deliver” at the same time as other major projects like the $22.9 million Keysborough South Community Hub and the $98.4 million Dandenong Wellbeing Centre.
He said the council should “hang back a while” and seek state and federal funding when detailed designs were done and the project was “shovel ready”.
“When the time comes, we can advocate for funding. We will be able to deliver this but it won’t happen for a few more years.”
