by Cam Lucadou-Wells
Migration agent and energetic volunteer Thay-Horn Yim is active in the community on many fronts.
And he’s more than willing to pitch in for another job as councillor in the vacant Yarraman Ward seat on Greater Dandenong Council.
“I live in the area and I want the area to change.
“In the past people seem to play around and remain with the status quo and go with the flow.
“I’ll listen to the community concerns and take action. I think I can help the community there and represent Yarraman much better.”
One of five ALP members running in the Yarraman by-election, he insists his candidacy is “not about party politics, it’s about community”.
“Some of the candidates are not involved in the community. What I ask others is think who can best represent them – who lives in the area and understands the area?”
Yim has been part of a Dandenong West Community Action Group, which has combined residents, businesses, community groups, police and the council in cleaning up the Hemmings Street precinct.
For years, the area was blighted by high number of rooming houses, drug deals, street sex workers, hard rubbish dumping, burglaries and community safety concerns.
Yim recounts his daughter fleeing from a pursuer on the way home from Dandenong railway station.
“The police response was very slow. We think it is important that police respond a lot faster.
“However we’re not blaming the police force – we understand that they are under a lot of strain. We need to increase police resources in order to maintain community safety around Dandenong.”
Funding has flowed from the State Government and the council. The solution has been streetscape works, police patrols and CCTV to deter crime.
“It’s something moving on rapidly,” Yim says. “It’s much better there now.”
There’s room for more improvement, with ideas for a community garden and multicultural food fairs, he says.
