Wheeler’s Hill Shopping Centre: bus sits abandoned for eight months

UPDATE: The owners of the Wheelers Hill shopping centre where an abandoned bus has sat in the carpark for eight months have been given 14 days to move it.

The abandoned bus at the Wheelers Hill Shopping Centre's carpark has become an eyesore to shoppers. Pictures: Supplied

UPDATE: The owners of the shopping centre where an abandoned bus has sat in the carpark for eight months have been given 14 days to have it moved.

Monash Council mayor Rebecca Paterson said the council had this morning issued a notice to comply to Wheelers Hill Shopping Centre to have the abandoned bus removed.

“Whilst the bus is on private property and it is not council’s responsibility to ensure its removal, given the terrible state of the bus we have undertaken this unusual step to force centre management to remove it,” Cr Paterson said.

She said the council had received two complaints about the bus.

“If centre management doesn’t move it after 14 days we would have to look at moving it and we would charge the centre to recover our costs.”

“As this is a private carpark and is not controlled or owned by the council, the shopping centre is responsible for its removal.”

The bus has attracted serious anti-social behaviour, according to a shopper.

There are signs that people may have been using the bus as a place to stay.

The move comes as neighbours expressed fears the bus, which has been parked near Woolworths, is being used as a drug den.

Kathrin Lenarcic, of Wheelers Hill, who regularly shops at the centre, said she wanted the abandoned bus to be removed as soon as possible.

“It’s a real danger to the community because there is broken glass scattered everywhere as several windows have been smashed,” Ms Lenarcic said.

“It’s covered in offensive graffiti and it’s clearly attracting anti-social behaviour.”

When the Monash Leader visited the bus this week, there were mounds of rubbish inside, and it appeared people had been using it as a place to sleep.

It is unclear who is responsible for the job of removing the bus.

It has been abandoned in the carpark since November 2016.

Ms Lenarcic said she had contacted Monash Council and police last month, but was told the matter needed to be dealt with by centre management as the bus was on private property.

“I phoned Teska Carson (who managed the centre) ... but they said it was a VicRoads issue,’’ she said.

“I spoke to VicRoads and they told me that it was not their issue and this annoyed me because I feel like Teska Carson had not dealt with my complaint appropriately.”

Ms Lenarcic said she was concerned about the safety of shoppers.

“There are several people who park nearby in the evening and I’m worried that their safety is at risk,’’ she said.

“It could potentially be used as a drug den and no good can come from that.”

Teska Carson’s Wheelers Hill centre administrator Jimmy Wong said: “Legal counsel have been engaged by our client in order to have the bus removed as soon as possible, and to take action against the owner.”