General News
24 December, 2021
No place to call home
MORE than a few feathers were ruffled in Camperdown last Thursday.
MORE than a few feathers were ruffled in Camperdown last Thursday.
Contractors were on site to demolish a pond in front of the housing units in Paton Street Camperdown.
Unfortunately a family of ducks along with their ducklings was displaced.
Concerned residents have voiced their frustrations about why the works could not have waited until the ducks had moved on in a few weeks time.
Long-time visitor of the pond Sandra Drake said she moved to the area in 1984 and the pond had been in place for about 10 years prior to that.
“I’m terribly distraught about what’s been done. Each year a pair of ducks would come and have their baby ducklings,” she said.
“I’m upset because they have removed the ducks access to water before they can fly and they will more than likely perish without water.
“I’m most upset they’ve got people behind the desk in the city making decisions without any consultation with residents.”
Mrs Drake said she felt sorry for the contractors completing the work who were “bombarded with people stopping” to question the works.
“It will be planted out to grass and in six months time it will just a big dusty area of capeweed,” she said.
“I had tears in my eyes when I saw the water being drained.
“The fish pond was a nice place for residents and people to reflect.”
Fellow resident Carole Eagle also expressed her frustrations at the removal of the pond while the ducklings were there.
“Why it couldn’t have waited two weeks is beyond comprehension,” she said.
“A bit more thought needs to go into these decisions.”
Mrs Eagle said the same family of ducks had been returning for at least 20 years.
“There’s now a family of ducks in Camperdown without access to water,” she said.
The ducks have since been seen sitting in the dirt of their previous home and around Camperdown.
A Department of Fairness, Families and Housing spokesperson said the decision to remove the pond was made after complaints were received.
“Following several complaints about the state of the pond at the Paton Street units, a series of inspections by the department took place,” the spokesperson said.
“Department staff identified several serious safety risks and made the decision to remove the pond.
“The department worked with Corangamite Shire and sent a letter to residents at the Paton Street units advising them of the safety concerns and that the pond would be removed.”
The spokesperson said the letter was sent in June 2021 to residents.
