by Cam Lucadou-Wells and Sahar Foladi
Greater Dandenong’s council meeting tonight will be hosted online, but the public banned from attending due to security concerns.
Meanwhile, mayor Jim Memeti has dismissed a colleague’s call for him to step aside over his public comments on the issue.
Acting chief executive Sanjay Manivasagasivam said closing the gallery was a “responsible” decision to ensure the safety of residents, councillors and staff.
He said a “tiny number of people” had used “violent and threatening language online” in a dispute over the possible renaming of Afghan Bazaar in Dandenong.
“We understand Victoria Police are actively investigating these matters.
“These threats are not directed at Councillors or Council staff.
“In this context, we have made a decision to keep our gallery online-only this week. We didn’t take this decision lightly.
“Based on all the available information at this time, we think it is a responsible decision, in order to ensure the safety of residents, Councillors and staff.”
Manivasagasivam said recent meetings had been “orderly” and “peaceful” while many people attended the gallery to speak “passionately” on the issue.
“We emphasise that the overwhelming majority of our community are peaceful, respectful people.”
Questions will be answered from the public “as usual” but will be read by the acting CEO.
“We are not closing the meeting,” Manivasagasivam said.
“Across Victoria, we are one of the most open and transparent councils.
“This week, we will remain open and transparent, while limiting public viewing to online-only in the interests of community safety.”
Earlier today, mayor Jim Memeti was reported by The Age that the council may cancel the meeting. There were also other reports that councillors and Manivasagasivam were blindsided by the comments.
Cr Memeti later told Star News that he was “misquoted” – that the meeting was never going to be “shut down to the public” and would have been viewable online.
He says Manivasgasivam briefed him last Friday evening on the possibility of a “hybrid” meeting – streamed live online but with a closed gallery.
After a “confidential” briefing from police today, it was Manivasagasivam that made the decision, Cr Memeti said.
“There’s a lot of ongoing investigations we were advised of. I don’t have all the details that the police have, but there’s enough there for the CEO to decide we will have a hybrid meeting.”
He said that concerns over a threatening TikTok video that was linked to the controversial naming-dispute over the Afghan Bazaar precinct in Thomas Street, Dandenong had been defused.
“Now we’ve got confirmation that it’s nothing to do with the Afghan Bazaar situation.”
Councillor Rhonda Garad, who was not consulted in the decision, said she was “completely in the dark” on the “pointless” move.
“I don’t understand what putting this meeting online does.
“I don’t know who the threats are between or how this is addressing the issue. I don’t know why that impacts on a very important public meeting.”
She called on mayor Memeti to step aside to undertake governance training over his comments in The Age.
“Why is the mayor doing things and not telling councillors or the CEO?
“The first I heard about it was when I was alerted to The Age article.
“It’s frightening that a person can announce unilaterally such a big call and put this out to the whole country.”
Cr Memeti said that Cr Garad didn’t have “all the information” to make a judgement.
On the call to take governance training, the six-time mayor said “I’ve been doing it for a little while now. But I’m always continuing to learn.”
In January, a Hazara community group announced a bid to rename the precinct to Little Bamiyan – after a province in Afghanistan. Its online petition has more than 34,000 supporters, as of 11 March.
It has been met with strong opposition from other Afghanistan groups, including a petition of more than 29,000 supporters to retain the Afghan Bazaar name.
Last month, Cr Memeti held a peace talk with community faith leaders and members of both groups.
A written statement was signed by attendees calling for peace and calm, but tensions have remained high.
At tonight’s meeting, councillors Phillip Danh (ALP) and Rhonda Garad (Greens) have listed rivalling notices-of-motion on the issue.
Cr Garad is calling for an “inclusive peace meeting” that ensures “inclusive representation from key stakeholders”.
Cr Danh’s motion notes council chief executive Jacqui Weatherill is seeking external funding for an independent consultation process for a “constructive resolution”.
It also calls for a long-term initiative to facilitate dialogue between “people of all ethnic backgrounds in Afghanistan” living in Greater Dandenong.
Cr Memeti said an independent consultation taking several months and “allowing the community to speak” was “the way forward”.
