Source: Wentworth Courier
VICTORIA ST residents and Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore got the result they had been hoping for in the battle against backpackers selling their vans in the streets.
Last Wednesday, Local Government Minister Don Page announced the state government would support Ms Moore’s private member’s bill.
The bill amends the local government act to give councils the power to ban vehicle sales in their streets.
It comes after increasing numbers of backpackers were using the street to sell their vans, taking up all the parking spots and frustrating local residents and business owners in the process.
The powers are restricted to the City of Sydney for now, but Mr Page said that individual councils can apply to use the legislation.
Waverley Mayor John Wakefield confirmed that he will apply for the powers as soon as he can.
Woollahra Council general manager Gary James said more research would be conducted to see whether the legislation was relevant for the local area.
Ms Moore said Sydney council’s three-step plan, including banning backpacker van sales, re-opening the Kings Cross car market and spending more than $1 million on the beautification of Victoria St, shows that the residents were winners in the long affair.
“We’re saying that we’ve reclaimed Victoria St,” she said. “This is a very beautiful street already. But we’re now putting in a lot of street landscaping, which will really raise the morale for all the people on the street.”
Campaign a common sense win
RESIDENTS’ campaigned for a year to move backpacker campervans from Victoria St, Potts Point.
The Clean Up Victoria Street action group was set up when residents’ frustrations hit a peak.
Up to 80 campervans were parked on the street on any day.
Committee member Geoff Field said it was proof that people power got results.
“I wasn’t surprised that all sides of state politics agreed on this,” he said.
“I was confident that once the politicians came out here and saw the situation for themselves, they would put party politics aside.
“My advice to anyone else going through problems in their local area is that people power does work if you have a reasonable and logical argument.”
Source: Wentworth Courier