Casey councillor Wayne Smith says locals are happy the council finally moved in to clean this former Hampton Park eyesore on the weekend.By Alison Noonan
A HAMPTON Park man’s treasure has become Casey Council’s trash.
Council officers raided the property, on the corner of Willow Drive and Hallam Road, on Saturday after more than 10 years of complaints from locals about the eyesore.
River Gum Ward councillor Wayne Smith said officers removed truckloads of old furniture, car parts, car bodies, household goods and other rubbish that had swamped the yard for so long.
“They took everything visible,” he said.
“The garage was so chockers council officers couldn’t get in and there was a lot of stuff under the house.
“It absolutely looks better now.”
Cr Smith said neighbours had been complaining about the poor state of the home since he was elected to council in 1993, becoming increasingly frustrated at the council’s lack of action to fix the situation.
“Council has successfully prosecuted the owner numerous times over the years,” he said.
“He has pleaded guilty and been ordered to clean up but he never really complies. The property still remains an eyesore.
“We found out that council had the power to go in and clean up itself so I put the pressure on and they finally went down,” he said.
Cr Smith said the mess was visible to passing motorists on Hallam Road and did not make for a pleasant first impression.
“There were also safety issues associated with such a mess, including fire hazards, and the effect on the liveability of the area.
“This cleanup has certainly made a big improvement.
“The neighbours are very happy,” he said.
Casey manager customer service Rob Colling said council officers entered the property as a last resort after the owner was given every opportunity to clean up.
“The neighbours had complained numerous times about the condition of the property,” he said.
“It had become unsightly, littered with anything and everything.
“We had given the owner more than 15 notices to comply.”
Mr Colling said the property was so full of junk it had become a health and safety hazard.
“It could have hampered emergency service workers and attracted rats, snakes and other potential hazards,” he said.
“This is not something we take lightly and we don’t like to do it.
“We explore every option and avenue before we get to this stage.”
Mr Colling said the seized goods were being stored at the council depot and would be made available to the owner upon payment of a release fee.
“However, he is under clear instructions not to take it back to the property,” he said.
