By Goya Dmytryshchak
A petition calling for Hansen Street in Altona North to be returned to Newport has been submitted to Hobsons Bay council.
A supporting document submitted to the council states that residents on the eastern side of Hansen Street bought property advertised and sold to them as being in Newport, only to find out at the 11th hour that they had purchased in Altona North.
Residents say issues associated with the boundary include a reduction in house value, increase in insurance premiums for homes and cars, problems with mail delivery and GPS, and residents having mixed identification and property documents.
The supporting document states that the boundary inexplicably changed in 1999 but the reason why is unclear.
“Local rumour mills suggest that there may have been a conflict of interest involved in the decision making process at the time – however this has not been substantiated,” it states.
“Residents that were owners here at the time do not remember being advised or consulted about the proposed change.
“Some older owners and residents of Hansen Street are unaware of the change and believe that they still belong to the suburb of Newport.”
The petition, signed by 64 people, requests that Newport’s western boundary be brought back to the middle of Hansen Street in line with Newport’s historical location, Australian Bureau of Statistics maps, Hobsons Bay’s garbage collection route, and Hobsons Bay’s neighbourhood residential zone and neighbourhood character precinct.
The supporting document states that a housing estate in Mason Street has been split in two because of the boundary.
The petition is being considered by the council.
