Proponents are “shocked” and “angered” that a future Dandenong Community Hub may not cater for children.
To date, Greater Dandenong council’s community services director Martin Fidler has not confirmed or denied whether children’s services are part of the mix.
Dandenong Community Association spokesperson Silvia Mastrogiovanni said suspicions were raised when the council raised an option for a double-storey building with no room for a playground.
“By leaving out children’s services the hub will no longer be a central meeting place for all ages and cultures in Dandenong.
“Why would they leave us with a white elephant and forget Dandy kids and their families?”
By Cam Lucadou-Wells
The first steps for the sell-off of Walker Street Gallery and Arts Centre have formally started.
City of Greater Dandenong will open public submissions on its desire to sell the 1000-square-metre block at 1-9 Walker Street, Dandenong.
The public art and open space at the site’s northern side would be retained by the council.
It makes way for a contemporary gallery housed in a refurbished ex-Masonic Lodge in nearby Mason Street.
The council has provisionally dubbed the new venue ‘Dandenong New Art’.
A ‘special committee’ of mayor Angela Long and councillors Jim Memeti and Bob Milkovic will hear and report on the public submissions.
By Cam Lucadou-Wells
Days after being selected, a would-be director at Greater Dandenong Council’s new $2-million leisure-centre company has withdrawn from the job.
Domenic Isola – a former City of Hume chief executive and Community Chef director – was one of six South East Leisure Pty Ltd directors announced in a council report on 15 June.
He and the four other ‘ordinary-member’ directors were to be appointed for three-year terms of $25,000 a year from 1 July 2021, the report stated.
Greater Dandenong community services director Martin Fidler said Mr Isola withdrew his application due to “being offered other roles and therefore believed he could no longer fulfill the expectations of the board role if appointed”.
Greater Dandenong’s massive Covid food-relief program has been extended at least six months.
The council’s material aid program had distributed more than 730,000 kilograms of food and 260,000 sanitary items to aid agencies between April 2020 and March 2021.
The $555,000 program was extended thanks to State Government partnership funding, Greater Dandenong community services director Martin Fidler said.
It would provide direct payments to aid agencies for food, material aid and vouchers until at least 15 October.
The State Government contributed $230,000 to the program, including the six-month extension.
Meanwhile the council’s Covid hotline has fielded an “upsurge” in calls for help during the latest lockdown.