Ringwood East mum fears for her children’s safety after Maroondah Council rejects front fence proposal
A mother of two children with special needs fears they could be hit by a car after the Maroondah Council rejected her simple application for a front fence to keep them safe.
Outer East
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A Ringwood East mum who escaped domestic violence and has two children on the autism spectrum has had a plan to keep them safe rejected by her local council.
Catherine, who did not want her surname published, is planning a VCAT appeal after Maroondah Council refused to grant her a permit for a 1.8m fence.
She first submitted her plans in February 2019 when she and her children, aged three and 15, moved to a unit on Mines Rd.
Along with being on the autism spectrum, Catherine said her children had sensory processing issues and suffered from other mental health challenges including anxiety and neurodevelopmental disorders.
She said her son doesn’t go outside because he doesn’t feel safe, while her daughter could get hit by a car on the road or in their communal driveway.
“We’ve had several near misses in the driveway and she’s been grabbed a couple of times by neighbours,” Catherine said.
“It’s a huge added stress, I’m constantly on high alert everyday to make sure she won’t run out onto to the road.”
Catherine claimed the council asked for further information before it refused a permit on June 15, despite two letters of support from psychologists.
She said a reason for the council’s decision was it felt it was “out of character” with the surrounding streetscape.
Catherine also claimed officers asked her to consider moving the proposed fence 3m towards her house, which would put it up against her windows.
“I’m shocked they were more worried about the visual appeal of the street than they were about my children’s lives,” she said.
Association for Children with a Disability chief executive Karen Dimmock urged the council to reconsider its decision.
Ms Dimmock said Catherine’s case was one of many it had heard from families of children with special needs who also had plans blocked by councils.
“The fact you can’t put in a request, get it approved and have to go through all these hoops, is what makes it so tough on families,” she said.
“This shows how hard families have to advocate for their children, they are doing it for their children’s safety, that is their number one priority.”
Mayor Mike Symon said the council supported a front fence at the unit block but the proposed 1.8m height was not appropriate.
He said Maroondah households not located on main roads generally had a front fence height limit of 900mm.
Cr Symon said officers were discussing options with Catherine resident to explore alternatives which “will not detract from open well landscaped character of the existing unit site and surrounding area.”
He said the council expected to grant a permit with conditions on height and location after it assessed additional information.
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