Newsagent threatens to leave

By Jim Mynard
NARRE Warren North businessman and former City of Berwick councillor Marco Ciavarella has threatened to shift his newsagency and post office business if opposition to building a new shopping facility persists.
Mr Ciavarella said people trying to stop development of a shopping facility at Main Street were bending things to suit themselves.
Berwick RSL members was upset about a plan to shift two young oak trees from the Narre Warren North Avenue of Honour to make way for the development and have sought further information on the plan.
Mr Ciavarella said he would move his business next year to a site in Ernst Wanke Road if the development did not go ahead.
He said the Ernst Wanke Road site was still within his newsagency board territory and that his lease would run out in a year but no one else could set up a newsagency.
Mr Ciavarella said most of the opposition was coming from people who did not want two oak trees removed from the Avenue of Honour.
However he said a photograph of the avenue taken in 1957 showed the trees were not there at that time.
Nearby resident Judy Ellis said the trees were part of the Avenue of Honour and should not be removed from the line.
“This is a memorial to soldiers that should not be interrupted.”
Mrs Ellis insisted that traffic should not be allowed to go through the memorial.
“They should provide an alternative access from the other side of the site,” she said.
Mrs Ellis said she and her husband, Clive, were considering the feasibility of taking their protest to VCAT.
Edrington Ward councillor Mick Morland said the council had unanimously agreed to issue a permit for the development.
He said, however, that during debate he had asked that the two young oak trees be saved and this was made a condition on the permit.
He said the plan was to relocate the two trees to be the first on either side of the driveway into the estate.
“More oak trees will be planted along the drive and this will enhance the Avenue of Honour,” he said.
“Traffic will drive into the estate between the new trees and turn left for the residential area and right for the shopping centre.”
He said he believed that Narre Warren North people have been waiting years for a shopping centre.
“The applicant has a permit that meets all regulations and it has council approval.
“The council will oppose any opposition if the matter goes to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal,” he said.
Narre Warren North resident Bob Street said he planted the two oaks trees in the avenue nearly seven years ago.