Choklits Childcare Ringwood’s Jade Ingleby wants derelict dump razed
THE owner of a childcare centre next to an abandoned, graffiti-filled property on one of Ringwood’s busiest roads says it’s a safety and fire hazard, and should be demolished.
Outer East
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THE owner of a childcare centre next to an abandoned, graffiti-filled property on one of Ringwood’s busiest roads says it’s a safety and fire hazard, and should be demolished.
The multistorey property on Canterbury Rd, opposite Ringwood Golf Club, has been abandoned for years and is filled with graffiti and broken windows.
Neighbours have also previously told Maroondah Leader they have seen squatters going to and from the site.
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Choklits Childcare Centre owner Jade Ingleby described the building as a “complete eyesore” and told Maroondah Leader she feared it was filled with snakes and rats.
She said she had contacted Maroondah Council and Deakin Federal Liberal MP Michael Sukkar on numerous occasions about its condition.
“They tell me there’s nothing they can do about it because the structure is safe,” she said.
“I don’t know if there’s anyone living in there but I wouldn’t want to go in there and find out.
“It’s unsafe and you never know what you’re going to find.”
Ms Ingleby said she had seen “bored kids on school holidays” go into the property, smashing windows and climbing on the roof.
She also said the building had left a bad first impression with potential customers for her centre and some had turned away “just a result of seeing it”.
Ms Ingleby believed the property was owned by an overseas investor who “claims they don’t have enough money to knock it down”.
In a statement, Maroondah Mayor Nora Lamont said the property was privately owned and it was “up to the landowner to determine what they wish to do with the site”.
She said the council did not have the authority to order the demolition of the building and its local laws officers monitored the site for overgrown vegetation and rubbish dumping.
Cr Lamont urged anyone who sees any alleged illegal activity at the site to contact police.
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