A wreck … a car which was dumped in Anderson Rd, Sunshine, for more than three weeks. 54822Picture: ALESHA CAPONE
By Alesha Capone
CARELESS car owners and thieves have dumped almost 120 vehicles within the Brimbank municipality, which the council has impounded during the past 12 months.
The Brimbank City Council has impounded 118 vehicles since October last year.
“There are many more vehicles which have been issued with a Vehicle Warning Notice, and the owners’ complied with the notice,” the council’s general manager of city development Stephen Sully said.
Under the Local Government Act, the council can impound any vehicle which is “deemed to be unregistered, derelict or abandoned on council land or on a council-controlled road”.
On 5 October, Star contacted the council about a beaten-up Falcon which was abandoned on Anderson Rd, Sunshine.
Residents said the car had been there for more than three weeks and was making the area look like “a ghetto”.
However, Mr Sully said the vehicle “was first brought to the council’s attention on Wednesday 29 September”.
He said an investigation commenced on 4 October and the council contacted Sunshine Police about the vehicle the next day.
Sergeant Rod Stein from the Brimbank Highway Patrol said police could move abandoned cars to a safe location, if they posed a danger.
Mr Sully said after the council received notification about a possible abandoned vehicle, a council employee visited the site and noted details such as registration plates.
If enough details were visible to identify the car as stolen, the council then contacts police.
However, if the vehicle is not registered as stolen, the council puts a “Vehicle Warning Notice” on the car.
The notice lasts for three days if the vehicle is not registered and seven days for a car with current registration.
“On either the fourth day or eighth day (depending on which notice has been affixed to the vehicle) a recheck is conducted,” Mr Sully said.
“Should the vehicle still be there and the council has not been contacted by the owner or an agent on their behalf, authority to impound is faxed to the council’s towing contractor directing them to impound the vehicle.
“This is usually carried out by the contractor within a short period of time after receiving the authority.”
