Maria Doherty and her mum Francesca Ferraro speak with MP Edward O’Donohue about the need for their signage to be returned.
By Melissa Meehan
JOBS have been lost, business is slow and closure is imminent.
But the Garfield Berry Farm’s owners Maria Doherty and her mum Francesca Ferraro say they will not step down from their David and Goliath battle with VicRoads.
For months the mother-daughter pair have fought tooth and nail to keep their business alive despite what they say is VicRoads’ attempts to close them down.
“They (VicRoads) seem to have a hardened approach to small business,” Ms Doherty said.
“We don’t understand why we can’t have signs promoting our business that we have had for years.
“How can they just decide to take them down, and in reality ruin our business?”
Berry Farm’s signage plight has even made its way to State Parliament.
Last week Eastern Region MLC Edward O’Donohue raised the matter in the chamber.
“VicRoads seems to have a particularly aggressive and heartless approach to existing road signage that has been on VicRoads road reserves for some time,” Mr O’Donohue said.
“After completing a study of roadside signage along the Princes Freeway and without adequate consultation with the affected family and business owners, VicRoads has removed the signage which had been in place for many years.
“The consequence of this has been that business has dropped by 60 per cent, making it unviable.”
He asked for the Minister for Roads and Ports Tim Pallas to intervene as soon as possible.
Mr O’Donohue met with Ms Doherty and Ms Ferraro on Monday.
“I am not going to give up,” Ms Doherty said.
“We have already had to make staff redundant. These are good people, with mortgages – it’s not fair on them.
“Not only our staff, but the decline in business is also hurting local farmers and because of that we will fight to survive and return to the way it was.”
Mr O’Donohue said while he understood the need for VicRoads to have measures in place to ensure rules were followed, they seemed to have a heavy-handed approach towards local businesses and organisations.
Now Ms Doherty and her mum say they are waiting to hear from Mr Pallas.
