LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Waiting for bus service
I remember our mayor and local member promising a bus along East Boundary to run directly to GESAC at the last election.
A regular bus service would reduce the need for the council to build more car parking spaces with ratepayers picking up the tab. It would mean more people could use GESAC. I hope the mayor is lobbying Ms Miller to honour her promises and a bus service will be travelling to GESAC very soon.
Be fair to the retailers
When I was a councillor for the City of Moorabbin (1984 to 1990), I introduced a council policy that council buildings not be allowed to be used/hired for the purpose of becoming retail outlets.
I did this because it is not fair on the ratepaying retailers, who put in all year, to have blow-ins come into your area at prime times, such as Christmas, set up shop in a non-retail building, thus taking away potential customers from the local retailers.
It would seem to me that Glen Eira Council needs to introduce a similar policy. How such places as Caulfield Race Course are allowed to become retail outlets from time to time is beyond me and in fairness to all genuine retailers in Glen Eira, it should not be allowed.
I counted 13 empty shops in Centre Rd, Bentleigh, from Wheatley Rd, to Jasper Rd. Of course, the Bentleigh Sunday Market has a huge impact on the viability of retail shop/businesses in the local area. Many of the “professional” retailers at the Bentleigh Market every Sunday do not come from Glen Eira. So what input do they have to our community? They take but give nothing back. Caulfield Race Course, seems to want to be “all things, to all people”. It is a racecourse on crown land.
Woman of fine principles
Last week I had the great privilege of attending the state funeral for the Honourable Joan Child AO. Ms Child was the first female member of the ALP to be elected to the House of Representatives and later served as Australia’s first female speaker of the House.
A long-time residents of Glen Eira, Ms Child raised five children largely as a single parent after being widowed at 42. Her much discussed campaign headquarters in Grange Rd serves as a reminder of the important role our area has played in progressive political activism.
May favourite saying of hers is “everybody counts or nobody counts” because it is a simple phrase of lofty principles which I hope to uphold in my role as a local councillor. It is why we must accept petitions, seek consultation on important issues and support strong community groups because everybody counts or nobody counts.
Vale Joan Child, life lived in pursuit of fairness.
Cr Mary Delahunty
Glen Eira Debates 
March 13, 2013 at 10:40 AM
Just been told that Barry Neve, a former Mayor of Glen Eira died last week. Barry Neve was a very active member of our Community and I think he was also a former Moorrabin Councillor. This is indeed a sad loss of a decent person.
May 15, 2013 at 8:21 PM
Yes, Barry will be missed by all, including his Rotary friends at Bentleigh Moorabbin Central. I think Barry was mayor of Moorabbin not Glen Eira.
March 13, 2013 at 11:24 AM
Dear Councillor Delahunty, I salute you for sharing your thoughts on current issues with local residents via this very important blog. Most residents of Glen Eira may never set foot in a Council meeting, have never spoken to a local councillor but would definitely be concerned about local issues such as you noted above (Gesac and the Caulfield Racecourse) and dont know how to share their concerns. Once residents hear that you and other Councillors listen and respond, the use of this blog may grow. The blog is far better than the local paper in feeling the pulse of the local community.
thanks
Roslyn Gold
March 13, 2013 at 9:12 PM
Delahunty’s words are fine sentiments and on the evidence definitely not shared by many of her colleagues and senior officers. If these sentiment could only be half put into practise then this council would improve 150%. I wish Cr Delahunty luck in trying to change a culture that is so entrenched and anti community.
March 13, 2013 at 11:46 AM
The racecourse and Bentleigh market aren’t the only “blow ins”. The town hall is forever having “sales”. It’s good revenue for them. The best one though is the tabaret on crown land giving the mrc a fortune each year on the pokies.
May 15, 2013 at 8:25 PM
In response to Alan Slater’s letter to the editor of 13 March 2013 Moorabbin Leader, “Be fair to the retailers”, I must point out that his suggested connection of ‘the Bentleigh Sunday Market having a huge impact on the viability of local traders’ and the number of empty shops on Centre Road Bentleigh is totally an erroneous conclusion. Quite the contrary, without the Bentleigh Sunday Market attracting thousands of shoppers each Sunday, many of the local retailers, especially the cafes close by would not have enough pedestrian traffic to warrant opening on Sunday.
The Bentleigh Sunday Market is primarily a “Trash and Treasure” market. There are 145 stalls with some 60 of them being “regulars”, only a dozen of which I would classify as “professional”, and of these, several actually have shops in Bentleigh or Glen Eira. The most visible professionals you will see there are the nurserymen who provide a large variety of outdoor plants and seedlings to the public. I don’t believe any of the 13 empty shops on Centre Road were garden shops.
So, Mr Salter’s statement gives the impression that the Bentleigh Sunday Market is teaming with “blow-ins” is also missleading. The market gives many local people the opportunity to sell their personal goods in a community atmosphere and earn a few extra dollars in the bargain.
The main purpose of the Bentleigh Sunday Market, run by the Rotary Club of Bentleigh Moorabbin Central, is to raise funds for local charities and Rotary projects. And for 35 years countless numbers of people and organisations in need have benefited from donations made possible by this Rotary Market.
The market follows strict conditions set out by the city of Glen Eira, in exchange for the use of it’s carpark area, such as not allowing the sale of food or cut flowers. These and other requirements have been in force since 1977 with the former Council of Moorabbin and since 1993 with the City of Glen Eira. Also, The Bentleigh Sunday Market has a good relationship and line of communication with the Bentleigh Traders Association.
In closing, the Bentleigh Sunday Market is not a “retail outlet” as described by Mr. Salter. It is a Bentleigh institution that many other areas would be glad to emulate.
Bentleigh Sunday Market Manager
May 16, 2013 at 10:32 PM
Agree with you 100% on the Bentiegh Rotary Market. I frequent it on a monthly basis and make it an outing. I not only visit and shop at the market and but also at the various stores along Centre Road. It’s a fun Sunday a.m. outing that has been established for a long time and enhances the community. Definitely not a blow-in and does a lot for the local retail sector and charities.
.
March 13, 2013 at 12:56 PM
Whats the prob there is still that paddock out the back of Ballsac for another 5 pools and the paddock to the right for hundreds of cars.
March 13, 2013 at 4:02 PM
Dead right. Plenty of parkland left to rip up. Go for it and hire another 50 staff while you’re at it.
March 13, 2013 at 9:49 PM
Gesac is the biggest social, environmental and economic disaster ever to hit Glen Eira.