VCAT housing hearing

KNOX City Council last week fronted the Victorian Civil Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) to defend its decision to refuse an application for the establishment of a private boarding house in Craig Avenue, Ferntree Gully.
The five-day VCAT hearing – which finished on Friday – pitted the council against Drewgood Pty Ltd’s sole-director Basil De Jong, who currently owns a cluster of four boarding houses on Milton Street and The Avenue.
During the hearing, the Tenants Union of Victoria, Knox Police and former tenants of Mr De Jong’s properties provided evidence to support the council’s decision to refuse the application, while city planning experts from both sides disputed the suitability of the property for social housing.
With a decision expected within four to five weeks, neither the council nor Mr De Jong’s solicitor were willing to comment on the hearing on Monday.