By Shelby Brooks
Neighbours on a close knit Pakenham street feel they have been left in the dark about a rooming house that is being built on their block.
Pamela Fairbank and her neighbours on Licodia Drive, Scordia Place and Belvedere Drive said they are concerned they know nothing about the rooming house that they believe is currently being constructed at 3 Scordia Place.
“We just feel there’s been a lack of information,” Ms Fairbank said.
“We feel like it’s not the appropriate place for it, being such a small street.
“The council won’t tell us who will be living there, which sounds a bit snobbish- we’re not snobs by any means but we want to make sure our kids are still safe to play in the street.”
A Cardinia Shire Council spokesperson said the council understood a building permit had been issued by a private building surveyor for the site.
“In terms of planning, 3 Scordia Place, Pakenham is zoned General Residential – schedule 1 (GRZ1),” they said.
“A planning permit is not required from the council for a rooming house if it meets the requirements of Clause 52.23 (Rooming House) of the Cardinia Planning Scheme.
“These requirements limit the size of the building, the number of bedrooms and the number of occupants.”
Building surveyors BSGM were contacted for comment.
The proposed use of the land as a rooming house is a permitted use under the Victorian Planning Provisions Planning Scheme – Clause 52.23 (Rooming house).
In January 2020, as a result of Victorian Government policy, the planning provisions were amended to streamline application processes for specified accommodation, including rooming houses.
Fellow neighbour Hans said he was concerned about the increase in traffic and parking issues a boarding house could bring.
“We want to know the type of rooming house it will be,” Hans said.
“That’s the main sticking point for us, we’d rather have the knowledge.
“We’ve worked hard over the 10 years that we’ve been here to build a strong community.”
Ms Fairbank and her neighbours want clarification on how much increased traffic the rooming house will cause in their court.
“Our issue with a share house or boarding house is that history will repeat itself,” Ms Fairbank said.
“In Pakenham there has been two other boarding houses, that once occupied have caused an increase in crime along with 10 police call outs over the space of five for one property alone.
“Simply put, without prejudice is that our concern lies with the safety of our children. “We as a collective do not want people speeding in a street where our children and pets call home, we do not want an increased crime rate where there has been a peaceful existence for over 10 years.”
