Anger boiled over at last week’s Hobsons Bay council meeting as dozens of members of the Maltese Association Hobsons Bay vented frustration at missing out – for a seventh year – on budget funding to expand their six-space car park for 700 members.
As reported by Star Weekly, the association’s membership has swelled, yet its Altona East car park has only a handful of spaces.
Addressing mayor Sandra Wilson, association president Joe Attard said she had promised members funding in the 2014-15 budget at a meeting on March 25.
“At that meeting, in front of 315 people, you promised us that it was going to be in this budget,” Mr Attard said. “Last year, we received a letter from the council telling us it’s definitely going to [happen in] 2014-15 and engineers are going to work with us. It never eventuated.”
But there was no budget joy forthcoming with Cr Wilson responding that at no time did she make a promise of funding at the March 25 meeting.
Mr Attard responded: “Sorry, madam, what you’re saying is not true.”
A member of the gallery shouted: “Bullshit, we voted you in and now you’re turning on us”.
Cr Wilson has previously said funding for car parks was determined by community need. “The Maltese Association car park … was considered last year during the mid-year review but did not make the budget.”
