By ANEEKA SIMONIS
TENANTS surrounding a factory they’ve dubbed an alleged ‘ice house’ are at the end of their tether, now rallying to oust the young male operators awaiting their day in court over several criminal charges.
A petition has been launched to evict operators at the notorious Bormar Drive, Pakenham factory which has been raided several times by police in recent months.
It comes as the real estate agency managing the site gives the young tenants notice for eviction.
In September last year, a man was hospitalised with facial injuries after a violent attacker or attackers allegedly bound the man and physically assaulted him behind the garage doors.
In May, police retrieved a car, motorbike, and jetski from the site.
More recently on Thursday 7 July, two male youths were arrested and charged with drug related offences as stolen goods including a car and car parts were seized by police investigators.
The Gazette can reveal a 25-year-old Endeavour Hills man arrested at the site was charged with theft of motor vehicle and possessing drug of dependence and a 24-year-old Pakenham man was also charged with possessing drug of dependence.
Both were bailed, one to appear before the Dandenong Magistrates’ Court on 18 August and the other at Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on 7 November.
A two-page, 10-point petition has also been launched by tenants in a last ditch effort to evict the operators still at the site.
It will be distributed to equally fed-up factory owners and tenants in the Bormar Drive and Bate Close industrial premises.
Tenants are confident the petition will receive up to 60 signatures in support of the eviction.
It reads: “These people have very obviously been involved in illegal activity. They are not good neighbours and are not the type of people or business that we want or should have to tolerate in this area.”
It refers to previous run-ins the operator has allegedly had with youth gangs, sighted by the Gazette on CCTV surveillance.
“Involvement of other criminal gangs in a potential war is definitely a security and safety concern for each one of us,” it reads.
Factory property manager, Cameron Real Estate, issued the tenants three breach notices early this month which outlines their possible lock-out or eviction on Thursday 21 July.
Documents provided to the Gazette outline the breaches relate to issues with parking, rental payment and tenants living inside the property.
It is believed to be their second default notice, with the real estate threatened to evict the operators for payment failure in mid-June.
It’s a last ditch effort by the tenants who claim to have found bags of ice and drug paraphernalia in the street and repeatedly pleaded for help by police, the real estate agency and Cardinia Shire Council.
Council inspected the property on 7 January but declined to comment on the nature of the allegation under investigation.
It is believed they were investigating a number of breaches to their planning scheme, namely tenants sleeping at the premises, but found no evidence to take further action.
Cameron Real Estate workers dealing with the tenants have expressed concerns about their own safety when discussing inspections at the site.
The Gazette can reveal at least one tenant is taking advice on possible legal action against the tenants.
CCTV surveillance sighted by the Gazette shows cars driving to and from the premises at night on many occassions.
The factory has been dubbed the ‘ice house’ by those in the industrial premises.
