• Keilor, Taylors Lakes, Sydenham Star
• St Albans, Deer Park, Caroline Springs Star
• Sunshine, Ardeer, Albion Star

By Alesha Capone

17th November 2009 11:05:04 AM

Disrespectful... Brian Carroll from Sunshine RSL believes a proposal to build low-cost housing on the club’s land is disgraceful.39036

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A SUNSHINE RSL member has expressed outrage over a proposal to build 30 social housing units and 20 carpark spaces on the Dickson St club site.

“My father and his friends went to the RSL for 40 years and they’d be turning over in their graves at what’s happening,” said Brian Carroll, whose father fought in World War II. It’s going to take a while for it to happen because there will be a big stink, especially about putting it on grounds sacred to returned servicemen.”

Mr Carroll said residents were worried tenants with alcohol and gambling problems would live in the development, which would be detrimental as the RSL has a bar and pokies. He said Sunshine RSL members only became aware of the development at a community meeting on a different topic on 5 November, after Brimbank City Council CEO Nick Foa was asked about the issue.

In response, council officers said they had no knowledge of the plans, but afterwards Mr Foa sent a letter to residents which said the council had received a copy of the application that afternoon.

The document lists RSL’s Victorian branch, a building company and Women’s Housing Limited (WHL) as the land’s owners who will “develop the site to provide new housing designed to meet the needs of women who are experiencing housing difficulty”.

A spokeswoman for Brimbank council said it was the landowner’s responsibility to advise the Sunshine RSL club about the development.

But when Star rang president David Twidle last week, he said he had not been informed about the plans.

However, the state president of ANZAC House, David Mclachlan, said the Sunshine RSL committee had known about the proposal for months. “This is not social housing, it is a community opportunity so war veterans and widows can get accommodation at reasonable prices. I wouldn’t think people who have come out of jail will live there,” he said.

But WHL’s website lists them as a “Specialist Transitional Housing Service” for homeless women and those most at risk in relation to housing, including an outreach program with Tarrengower Prison.

In addition, the plans submitted by the developers to the council state that the proposal will be developed under the federal government’s Social Housing Initiative.

The application was originally lodged with the Victorian Minister for Planning, who is responsible for giving the decision approval.

Under state social housing legislation, the application is exempt from the public consultation process most developments go through.

A Brimbank City Council spokeswoman said the council was planning to hold a community information session about the development last night (16 November).

The council’s response to the proposal is due at the Planning Minister’s office by tomorrow (November 18).

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