By Russell Bennett
MONBULK traders are disgusted with Yarra Ranges Council’s new streets and roadside trading policy, saying it is “just more revenue raising”.
The council will be placing tighter restrictions shire-wide on “street trading” – the practice of local business owners selling their wares on the footpaths outside their shops – in order to strike a better balance with footpath safety.
But Accent on Main owner Angela Barley said she and other local traders, like Friends on the Hill’s Michael Hester, worked hard to put Monbulk on the map “and we just get opposition from the council all the time and I think that’s wrong.
“They should be supporting us.”
The council, in its ‘Streets and Roadside Trading Policy’ information pack sent out to traders across the hills, said it wanted to ensure that all members of the community could walk safely along its footpaths.
“Under the Commonwealth Disability Discrimination Act, it is illegal for anyone to make it difficult for a person with a disability to enter a business or use a footpath,” it said.
Traders will still be able to place goods on the footpaths outside their shops but must have a local law permit to do so.
The cost of the permits depends on whether traders are displaying merchandise, exhibiting advertising signs or placing furniture.
Traders’ positioning of their signage and furniture must comply with the “trading zone” – at least 1.8 metres away from the walls of their shops.
“The aim of the Street Trading Policy is to maximise the width of the ‘pedestrian zone’, while allowing an adequate area to accommodate footpath trading where possible,” said the council in its roadside trading policy summary.
But Ms Barley and Mr Hester said added restrictions on where they could place A-boards, tables and chairs would take away from their business – restricting their ability to display their wares, and put off potential clientele.
They both told the Mail they have never had any customers – disabled or otherwise – complain to them that it was too hard to navigate the footpaths outside their shops.
Ms Barley said she had spoken with the council previously about her concerns on the Main Street streetscape.
“Monbulk is quite a nice little village but it’s quite sad-looking,” she said.
“It needs a facelift and we, as traders, are working very hard to improve the streetscape.
“Hopefully we can come together on that, but doing something like this just makes it more difficult.”
Yarra Ranges Council did not provide any direct comments prior to the Mail’s deadline.
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