Stopping the ‘slum’

By DANIELLE GALVIN
A CENTRAL Ward councillor’s comments that Pakenham is starting to resemble a slum town have been branded “offensive”.
Newly-elected councillor Kate Lempriere, who has previously served as mayor, said she was very passionate about Pakenham and didn’t want it to look like a slum.
“It may not be the fault of the current administration – but Pakenham is starting to resemble a slum town,” she said at the poll declarations last Monday evening.
But as Pakenham residents and a fellow councillor hit out at the claims, Cr Lempriere said she was ‘proudly Pakenham’ and had big plans for the future of the shire’s most populated ward.
“We have to be very careful it (Pakenham) doesn’t deteriorate into a place that isn’t very nice to live in,” she said.
Cr Lempriere took aim at the entrances to Pakenham, saying she wanted residents to be proud of their town. She said she took issue with the look of Bourke Park and the railway station, as well as the entrances into Pakenham’s CBD.
“I’ll be really into lobbying and in touch with VicTrack and VicRoads to make sure they maintain these areas as a beautiful tourist destination,” she said.
“The gateway to this beautiful area – it’s just off, even when you come off the bypass it looks really very ordinary.
“I want people to be proud of Pakenham.”
Newly-elected Central Ward councillor Jodie Owen said she didn’t support the comment when she heard it at the declarations.
“I’m all about making Pakenham people feel proud of where they live,” she said.
“I do think areas such as Bourke Park and others need to be fixed so they are more attractive and presentable but I don’t think labelling it (Pakenham) a third-world country, a slum or a ghetto or whatever you want to call it is very pro-active.”
Pakenham resident Peter Summers, who attended the poll declarations, hit back at Cr Lempriere’s claims, saying that the town was a growing area, not a slum.
“The comments somewhat impede the character of the people that live in Pakenham and I don’t think it’s true,” he said.
“I think it was a bad choice of words – Pakenham has its problems but basically it is populated by good hard-working families.
“It was an offensive thing to say.”
But Cr Lempriere said she had plans to lobby the State Government to make sure the shire wasn’t forgotten.
“We are important – let’s make it a wonderful area, not just a makeshift area that will deteriorate,” she said.
“I want to see a beautiful area and a beautiful town in Cardinia Shire with the new towns coming on and the new population coming in – why can’t it be attractive too?”