Call-out for residents in cladding affected buildings

By a member of Flammable Cladding Statewide Action Group 

I write as a resident and owner myself who bought eight years ago, thinking that my beautiful new apartment was safe. I now find that the quotes to replace the flammable cladding on our block start at $1.6 million and my share is in excess of $100,000. As a retiree this is devastating. 

 Sadly, the government will not assume any responsibility and are expecting the owners to find these funds. The cladding action group have the support of the Greens who will take this attached petition before Parliament in mid-June. 

The plan includes a request to the government to ban this product immediately. To request a full inquiry into this flammable cladding and request that the government provide financial support for the owners affected. You may be aware that last week Great Britain agreed to rectify the flammable cladding issue with a grant of 200 million pounds. 

The following Facebook groups are available to connect residents, owners and others affected by dangerous cladding:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/308887426649222/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/334796497346353/

An online Victorian Greens petition is here: https://victoria.greens.org.au/flammable_cladding

Common sense approach

I am surprised to read that, after eight years away from NewQuay, the public toilet issue is still ongoing.

When I was owners’ corporation chair of Boyd, Palladio and St Elia we were happy to open the public toilets along NewQuay subject to the City of Melbourne cleaning them. 

It seems crazy to spend large sums to build a public facility when purpose-built toilets are available for the cost of cleaning them.

I recall hearing that after I left, the toilets were closed because of the CoM refusing to clean them. I would have hoped that common sense might have prevailed since that time.

Paul O’Halloran

Deserves a long holiday

I believe this is the last edition of Dockland News for Shane Scanlan before he retires passing over the baton to Sean Car.

Whilst I have only lived in the Docklands precinct for 21 months I had previously been involved in a Bendigo community newspaper for over 20 years so know what’s involved.

Running a newspaper is all about people and issues that affect the community and I must say it has been an honour to get to know Shane as a person and editor. His professionalism as a journalist and his ability to get the scoop on breaking stories is what the newspaper industry is all about.

As a newcomer to the area, I have been involved in trying to stop the ridiculous tram bridge across the Yarra and Shane has always been fair and balanced with his reporting of this important issue. He has always reported all sides of the debate so that the public have all the facts.

Being a community paper is just that – reporting on people and the issues that affect them and since moving here I always looked forward to the next edition to see the latest items of news. Whether it be politics, transport or the environment Shane was always at the forefront of keeping us informed and I will sorely miss his quirky reporting.

Whilst sorry to see Shane retire, he thoroughly deserves a long holiday which is impossible to do when running a newspaper.

The new editor Sean Car has been at Dockland News so the transition is an easy one for us readers and, having dealt with Sean, the paper is in good hands with the experienced back-up staff they will continue to keep us informed.

Keith Sutherland

Chairman 

Yarra Residents Action Group