By Campbell Spence
Local St Kilda resident Mark Gason has posed the question following receipt of a letter on Friday evening from the venue manager of the Espy, owned by Australian Venue Co (AVC). The Espy plans to monopolise Pollington Street for 5 days over the forthcoming Grand Prix period.
Mr Gason stated “I am starting to wonder if AVC owns the council”
Local residents had previously provided the Council with extensive evidence of road safety concerns relating to Pollington Street and significant anti-social issues, in particular urinating in private gardens - rivers of urine.
The issues and risks are attributed to two parklets (beer gardens) operated by AVC that have displaced what previously was precious waiting / parking / taxi space out of the front of the Espy and Ichi Ni (now shutdown). AVC took over the former Ichi Ni site last month.
Furthermore, just last week new lengthy independent professional undercover video surveillance has captured serious road traffic and tram issues relating to the Espy.
The professional surveillance report states:
“On numerous occasions, vehicles queueing up to enter this side street [Pollington] caused the bank up of traffic on the main road. On a number of occasions vehicles are seen to have to travel on the tram tracks to get around this traffic.
The congestion caused by vehicles collecting patrons, caused backup of traffic on numerous occasions, and also caused the trams to stop and ring their bells to try and encourage vehicles, doing three-point turns, to get off the tram tracks”
Therefore, on what possible basis could the City of Port Phillip Council now add to existing social issues and human risks by granting AVC a monopoly on Pollington Street for 5 days? Without community consultation.
It appears a straight trade off, residents amenity and safety for AVC profits, enabled by a Council that continues to bizarrely sponsor AVC unilaterally and unchecked. For reasons that remain a mystery and devoid of any community consultation.
Finally, as recently as January the Council agreed to the transfer of the lease of West Beach Pavilion, that sits on Crown land, into AVC’s name. The transfer came as a complete surprise to local residents.
