Community calls on Moonee Valley Council to protect Strathmore reserve from dumping
It’s been a serial dumping site for years, but two instances of concrete dumping at Mascoma St Reserve in two weeks has fed up community members seeing red. But their calls for action may have fallen on deaf ears.
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Furious community members are calling on the council to protect Mascoma St Reserve after concrete was dumped at the site twice in two weeks.
Angry environmentalists are insisting the area needs to be bollarded or fenced to prevent the area from being used as a dumping ground after two instances of concrete dumping – one contained and one loose – took place at the reserve on February 15 and 25.
But the council said they would not support the installation of bollards or fencing along the road.
Strathmore’s Nina Franceschi said dumping at the reserve had been happening for years.
“The constant trashing is getting locals upset,” she said.
“We feel it looks like a tip so people treat it like a tip.”
Ms Franceschi said besides the concrete, rubbish from sporting events, dumped furniture, dumped sand and garden waste was also accumulating at the site.
“We’ve had enough and we want it bollarded because the reserve belongs to the reserve, it’s not a tipping ground and it belongs to the Moonee Ponds Creek – it’s not a carpark,” she said.
She said since the council had installed gravel in the area, instances of dumping and illegal parking had increased.
“It’s just going from worse to worse,” Ms Franceschi said.
Both instances of concrete dumping have since been cleaned up by the council.
Although much of Mascoma St is already bollarded, the community is calling on the council to bollard the stretch from Strathmore Reserve to Strathmore North Primary School.
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Moonee Valley Mayor Samantha Byrne said she did not support the installation of bollards or fencing along any road to deter illegal parking.
“This is consistent with VicRoads, who also do not support fencing due to safety reasons,” she said.
The council is expected to install signage and line marking in the next couple of months around the reserve.
“Enforcement will then resume – which is the most appropriate way to tackle illegal carparking,” Cr Byrne said.
The council is still considering whether or not stage two carpark works will be undertaken on Mascoma St – which would transform the natural reserve into a carpark.
A demand assessment will be undertaken this winter to decide the viability of the potential project.