Former Berwick mayor Syd Pargeter has written a book on the history of Doveton and the “money miracle” that made it possible.By Rebecca Fraser
LOTS of problems, lots of people, not enough money.
That’s how former Berwick mayor Syd Pargeter has described what life was like in Doveton more than 30 years ago in his new book The Money Miracle That Paid for a ‘New Town’ and Created Australia’s Best New City.
The 77-year-old’s book reflects on local politics and the development of Doveton and its surrounding areas.
In the foreword to the book, the Mr Pargeter’s wife Pearl wrote the book looked at the “money miracle” that made Berwick City possible and changed it from a rural rump shire to a city that had been envied and admired across Australia for a third of a century.
Mr Pargeter said it dawned on him one day in the 1960s that car-making giant General Motors Holden (GMH) was paying only £5, the equivalent of $10, a year for their gigantic garbage and rubbish output – the same amount households and residents were paying.
He said this situation was similar with the Heinz factory and International Harvester, and at the time he thought changing the garbage collection rates could bring in millions of dollars every year – money he said was required to meet the needs of an “expending, young, active and vigorous population”.
“I thought if that $10 per year was revised and the cost of garbage collection was revised and the cost of garbage collection was to come from the general rates, GMH’s council rates would rise by 34 per cent,” Mr Pargeter said.
“Before this a little old lady or pensioner in a one-room flat was paying the same as these big industries.”
Mr Pargeter said successfully changing this and making big industry pay bigger rates led to the money miracle that lasted for more than 30 years until 1999.
He said once these industrial land sites were incorporated into the City of Greater Dandenong, the City of Casey lost about $500,000 of annual revenue.
“It was a terrible and silly mistake made by an incompetent and naive local government board to let those three big companies go into Dandenong,” he said.
“That land could still bring in $500,000 a year to Casey and if I were them (council) I would be going as mad as bullants to get it back,” he said.
Mr Pargeter also recalled how the community lobbied for the Doveton Pool following public meetings and strong concern over drownings in the Doveton Creek.
He said he had also been an avid campaigner for fluoride in drinking water, and after three attempts at council he finally encouraged eight of the 15 councillors to support the idea and it was implemented in Berwick Shire in 1968.
“I look at all the smiling and white teeth now and think, gee it was good that we got that,” he said.
Mr Pargeter said the book also looked at how Doveton overcame and obtained more sporting facilities for its young population and how the suburb had flourished and changed.
This week the former councillor also spoke of the Sister City program, which he said he started, and how this was a great program that gave many people the opportunity to travel.
But he said some current councillors had abused the program for their personal enjoyment.
The book will initially have a limited run and anyone interested in gaining an insight into the making and history of Doveton and purchasing the volume can contact Syd Pargeter on 9707 1220.
