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21 June – 4 July 2011
MPNEWS (1300 676 397) or email: team@mpnews.com.au www.mpnews.com.au
Artist-led recovery for shops
Planting plan: Evelyn Sage, left, Cr Lynn Bowden and Brenda Thornell near some of the surviving Avenue of Honour plain trees in Station St. Plaques at the bottom of each tree were removed and lost by the former Shire of Hastings when trees were cut down in Eramosa Rd East to make way for footpaths and a wider road in the early 1970s. See Page 6.
By Keith Platt LANDLORDS of vacant shops in Hastings are going to be asked to become patrons of the arts. Concerned at the message being sent by the number of empty shops, Western Port Chamber of Commerce and Industry says letting artists use the space for free could be good for business. Chamber president Jim Schaefer said a similar proposal had helped turn around the fortunes of traders in Newcastle in New South Wales. “We need to convince landlords that it’s a reinvigoration of the town, not just a way to get free rent for artists,” Mr Schaefer said. “Hopefully, it will lead to them getting rent paying tenants.” Mr Schaefer said the chamber would make a proposal to landlords in “five or six weeks”. One real estate agent approached by The News believed problems could arise if artists sold works from the shops. “I see problems regarding insurance and it would depend on how tidy they are,” said the agent who did not want to be named because it seemed as though the comments were negative. “If there was any retailing [by artists] they would become quasi tenants and under the Retail Tenancies Act would then require being given a specific number of days notice to vacate the shop.” Mr Schaefer said the chamber would cover insurance costs and make arrangements for the five to 10 artists to use each shop “on a month to month basis”.
He said vacant shops at both ends of High St “there are about 15 of them, which is too many from my point of views and they make Hastings look like a not too vibrant place”. “Getting artists or jewellers into one or two shops would get the ball rolling,” Mr Schaefer said. Meanwhile, Dick Smith Electronics is understood to have spent $300,000 fitting out the 450 square metre 108 High St with plans to open its new store next week. Sid Ferguson of Satchwells Real Estate said it was “terrific the see the multi-national brand come into Hastings” and predicted it would “draw people”. “They might damage a few small businesses in the town, but it’s a real plus for the area.” Mr Ferguson said the electronics shop, a subsidiary of Woolworths, had taken out a long lease and would only have chosen to open in Hastings after research showed the business would be a success. “It’s moving into the old West End shopping centre as its anchor tenant. I think there will be a steady movement of commerce to the west end of High St.” Meanwhile, Woolworths is believed to have lodged an appeal with the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) against its failure to gain a permit for a 24-hour service station at 122-130 High St. The planning application, for a twostorey office building and four takeaway food shops, was rejected by Mornington Peninsula Shire.
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