By Laura Wakely
BRIMBANK City Council will fund improvements to the Ballarat Rd shopping strip in Deer Park in an effort to make the area safer.
General manager of Community Wellbeing Kelly Grigsby said the council was planning a “comprehensive community safety audit” of the area next month, with day and night audits across six areas, including Ballarat Rd, to identify safety priorities.
Ms Grigsby said the council was also spending $350,000 to implement the Deer Park Village Shopping Centre Urban Design Framework.
“This will create more inviting and safer public spaces and help to revitalise the shopping strip,” Ms Grigsby said.
She did not comment on when the redevelopment would begin.
The news comes after Ballarat Rd post office owner Dung Nguyen was murdered at his store on Tuesday 6 December (Horrific attack, 13 December, Star).
Traders told Star the murder was the worst of a series of crimes, which have included armed robberies, drug offences, bashings and assaults, one of which involved a shopkeeper being stabbed with a syringe.
Ms Grigsby said there had been three inquiries about safety on the shopping strip and none about vandalism since June 2010.
“We understand that there is concern about safety and the perception of safety in the Deer Park shopping strip on Ballarat Road,” Ms Grigsby said.
“Council has been working with the Deer Park Traders and Residents Group throughout the year to facilitate meetings with representatives from council and Brimbank police to discuss local issues and work towards solutions.”
But traders claimed council was at fault for refusing to close off the car park behind Ballarat Rd to the public, increase lighting and install cameras.
Ms Grigsby failed to respond as to why the council is refusing to allow traders to close the car park, but she did say lighting was the responsibility of shop owners.
Deer Park Residents and Traders Association spokesman Les Tarczon said shopkeepers had “done the right thing” and installed more lighting in and around their own shops, but that council could do more to light up the whole area.
“We are still, and will continue, to press council and take a more serious stance. They’re going to have a massive fight on their hands if the council isn’t going to do these things,” Mr Tarczon said.
