By GEORGIA WESTGARTH
IS CRANBOURNE ’Struggle Street’ material?
Some locals – and the mayor in particular – believe it is not.
But that wasn’t the feeling on Melbourne talkback radio, when two callers suggested Cranbourne and Cranbourne West for the next round of the controversial documentary series, set to air late next year.
Casey Mayor Sam Aziz told The News such a suggestion was an “insult”.
He added that Cranbourne featured “great schools, great shopping” and “recreational opportunities”.
It’s been more than a year since SBS launched the first series of Struggle Street, filmed around Mount Druitt in Sydney’s west, sparking claims of “poverty porn”.
But SBS has endorsed what the show stands for in a statement, saying it will “shine a light on social and economic disadvantage in Australia”.
In late April SBS announced the commissioning of a second series which will be filmed in several locations around Queensland and Victoria.
A spokesperson from SBS confirmed it is “early in the production process, but that a number of councils have been approached for filming permits”.
However SBS confirmed no locations had been decided on.
Maribyrnong Council has already turned down a request for filming in Braybrook and Cr Aziz advised that the Casey Council had not been approached by SBS.
Suburbs being tossed around as suitable locations for the Struggle Street cameras include Broadmeadows, Sunshine and Dandenong but talkback radio callers turned the spotlight on Cranbourne on Friday 3 June.
One caller, a former resident of Cranbourne West, recalled having her birdbath stolen in a new estate and put the area forward for filming.
But Cr Aziz said Cranbourne’s community spirit was alive, denying it was material for the observational documentary series.
“When we show people around Cranbourne they say things like ‘we haven’t got this in Melbourne, you’re so lucky’,” Cr Aziz said.
“Rather than exploiting the disadvantage of vulnerable people in our communities for TV ratings, we should be working together to assist those that need it the most.”
But an SBS spokesperson said the series was not about locations – but about people, communities and their stories.
“First and foremost this is a series about the issues of hardship that people and communities can find themselves in for a whole range of reasons,” they said.
“The issues faced by these people and communities are representative of issues faced by people and communities across Australia.”
They are issues Glenn Munso, a Cranbourne North resident and former drug dealer and addict turned youth worker, believes Cranbourne has in abundance.
Mr Munso, the creator of the Youth YOU Program in Hallam, helps Melbourne’s youth get off drugs and said there were “definitely” areas in Cranbourne which would be suitable for such a documentary.
“At the moment I see people on Facebook saying we need to get our area back, we need to claim it back, it’s getting out of control – the break-ins, the car thefts and burglaries,” Mr Munso said.
“Drugs in Casey is a big issue, I have dealt with kids on ice as young 13.”
Cranbourne West resident, Sonia Pau, 22 said her home town was a nice area and didn’t deserve the scrutiny Struggle Street would bring.
“I have lived in Cranbourne West a year and I find it’s better than Noble Park, Dandenong and Frankston,” she said.
“I was living in Noble Park since I was five years old and I feel safer in Cranbourne West – I would care if Struggle Street came to Cranbourne because I don’t think it deserves it.
“You can walk the streets at night in Cranbourne, you can’t walk the streets at night in Noble Park or Dandenong.”
But it seems even if series producers, Keo Films were to approach the City of Casey, it would be futile.
Cr Aziz told The News, “I would not support Cranbourne or any other community in Casey as a location for Struggle Street.”
