Local activists reverse Moreland Council plans for cars in Coburg laneway

FOUR grassroots activists have succeeded in stopping a northwestern council from opening a laneway off Sydney Rd to traffic.

Thi Nguyen, Sophia Handris, Joan McLachlan and Anthony Taranto changed Moreland Council's mind about shared access in a Coburg laneway.

FOR more than a month, four local campaigners were a constant presence in Coburg’s Page St and eventually changed the mind of Moreland Council about opening the laneway for vehicles.

Sophia Handris and Anthony Taranto kickstarted the campaign after hearing the concerns of business owner Thi Nguyen about cars accessing the street, as they believed the cars would come perilously close to pedestrians.

COUNCIL TO DEBATE VEHICLE ACCESS TO PATH

Combined with the tireless work of Joan McLachlan, the four spent their spare hours lobbying the council and gathering more than 1900 signatures in a petition against allowing car access.

At Wednesday’s council meeting, North-East Ward councillor Sue Bolton put forward a motion to start the process of closing the lane to cars for good, which was approved unanimously.

The laneway was planned to be a shared space for pedestrians and cars.

“We’re happy they listened to the voice of the people,” Ms Handris said.

“A retailer needed support because she felt fear. As her customer I felt her concerns and reached out to help her as she didn't have the confidence and skills to stand up to the council.

“Standing up for what you believe in and doing something about it is rewarding.”

South Ward councillor Lambros Tapinos said the council change was a result of the public campaign.

“You create better places if you remove vehicles and pedestrianise places,” he said.

The council will now consult the public on closing the road, while the campaigners will put their feet up.

“What will I do with my Saturdays now?” Ms Handris said.

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