By Alesha Capone
CONTROVERSY erupted when Hobsons Bay City councillors debated a 125 signature petition against a decision to build two car parks in a Williamstown street last week.
Residents of Victoria St lodged the petition in protest, after the council decided on 28 June to install the $15,000 off-street car spaces in front of a house, to compensate for the loss of on-street car parking when a roundabout is built.
The petitioners – many of whom said they were misled by the man who lodged the original petition requesting the off-street car spaces and wished to withdraw their support for his request– said the new car spaces would pose an unnecessary risk to road users and pedestrians at the new roundabout.
Hobsons Bay councillor Angela Altair said “given the overwhelming opposition to the proposal” she would support abandoning the decision to build the car parks.
Cr Altair said as construction of the car parks has not yet begun, the council could rescind the decision to construct them.
But Cr Tony Briffa interjected with a “point of order” and said Cr Altair’s proposed motion “would be contrary to local law”.
However, Cr Altair said she was willing to “consider requests from people of Hobsons Bay to abandon that ridiculous, expensive decision” to build the car parks.
“People have gone to a hell of a lot of trouble and are relying on the council to show some common sense,” she said.
“People are going to be very, very angry if the council accedes to the demands of one person for their own ends.
“It is a waste of ratepayer’s money and I can tell you there is a greater need for parking elsewhere in Hobsons Bay.”
Cr Altair said the car park decision was “quite unconscionable really” and the design was “quite dangerous if you saw it”.
Cr Peter Hemphill said he believed the decision to install the two car parks was “a political decision, not a sensible one” and the original 28 June verdict was “appalling”.
However, the council ended up voting on a division of two to four that the car parks would be built.
