Pakenham ‘slum’ fears

By Paul Dunlop
PAKENHAM is at risk of turning into a “slum” suburb, a leading local government and welfare figure has claimed.
Ray Canobie, former chief executive officer of Windermere Child and Family Services and longserving administrator with the old shires of Pakenham and Berwick, painted a grim picture of the future under visions for Melbourne’s growth.
Mr Canobie said last week he had been involved in the community for almost 45 years and lamented what he was seeing.
He blamed State Government directives for creating what he said would be enormous challenges for welfare and social support agencies in the growth corridor area.
“Pakenham’s social problems will grow alarmingly as a consequence of its rapid urbanisation and the bar for service delivery will need to be raised considerably,” Mr Canobie said.
“It’s like community planners have forgotten or ignored the social impacts of what they’re doing. New allotments are so small, you could barely fit an outside dunny on them,” he said.
“We are surely building the slums or ghettos of tomorrow, and those involved in the welfare field will face enormous challenges when the folly of today’s town planning comes home to roost — as it surely will.”
Mr Canobie’s comments came as he was honoured by Windermere for his work over more than a decade at the helm of the welfare organisation.
But his vision of the future was certainly not shared by Premier Steve Bracks.
Mr Bracks, who visited Pakenham last week, said the State Government was very aware of the pressures faced by the fastgrowing community and was acting accordingly.
Mr Bracks said the growth corridor area was crucial to the future development of Melbourne.
“We are boosting train and bus services, we are investing heavily in local community services, we are doing this more and more because Cardinia and Casey really are in the fast lane for growth,” Mr Bracks said.
“There will be 40,000 people coming to live in Pakenham, Beaconsfield and Officer over the next 15 years and we have a responsibility to make sure infrastructure keeps pace with that growth.”
Windermere’s Pakenham centre was last week named in Mr Canobie’s honour. More reports on page 17 and My View on page 21.
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