Home to ghetto

By Casey Neill
LOCALS fear a new social housing project could create a Ferntree Gully ghetto and have slammed the State Government for bypassing community consultation.
Department of Human Services will build 87 two and three storey social housing units on the former Ferntree Gully Primary School site on Dorset Road, which has been vacant for almost four years.
It will also turn the heritage-listed school building into accommodation.
State Government spokesman Chris Owner said not-for-profit agency Community Housing Limited would manage the estate.
“We regard this as a very positive development which will provide much needed affordable housing for local people while keeping a community asset in community ownership,” he said.
But Ferntree Gully Salvation Army’s Major Merv Lincoln said the move would segregate the disadvantaged and could make residents feel they were ‘a lesser class’.
“That would be a terrible stigma on people,” he said.
“In my opinion it is better to mix people into the community.”
Major Lincoln said there was a high need for social housing.
“I just hope we don’t create a ghetto,” he said.
“I think it can create a ‘them and us’ syndrome.”
La Trobe MP Jason Wood ‘fully supported’ an increase in social housing but favoured a ‘salt and pepper’ approach – spreading it throughout the community.
“You put all these people with a lot of social issues together and it breeds more social issues,” he said.
“It will be a nightmare for residents and police to deal with into the future.”
Knox Acting Senior Sergeant Rod Luke was unaware of specific plans for the site.
“Wherever there’s public housing confined to a small area you’re going to get issues,” he said.
“But you can’t generalise.”
Baird Ward councillor Peter Cole said the development was ‘a disaster waiting to happen’.
“This site will become an instant slum,” he said.
Cr Cole was furious the State Government had ‘steamrolled residents’ by sidestepping usual planning processes.
The State Government amended Victorian Planning Provisions in May to tap into the Federal Government economic stimulus plan’s housing projects.
Construction is subject to strict deadlines the usual planning application process could not meet.
Now applicants do not need to advertise the application or seek community feedback and Planning Minister Justin Madden decides its fate instead of local councils.
Cr Cole said the council would normally receive and assess objections and a planning officer would consider the application against local policies.
“We have no idea whether the 87 residences to be crammed on the site even comply with planning regulations,” he said.
Knox Council City Development director Angelo Kourambas said the council had written to advise nearby residents and businesses of the plan and would submit a comment on the proposal to the State Government.
Ferntree Gully MP Nick Wakeling said the State Government had ‘completely ignored’ residents.
“Which is outrageous given the level of community interest in this site and its historical importance,” he said.
“The Brumby Government clearly wants to rush through this project so the first anyone in Ferntree Gully will know about it is when they are woken by bulldozers.”