Melbourne's community groups have challenged the State Government to act on a suggestion that residents be encouraged to "adopt" their local railway station to improve safety and cleanliness.
The move comes after Transport Minister Peter Batchelor indicated the adopt-a-station idea - in which communities would clean and maintain their local train station in a bid to improve safety - was worthy of further consideration.
But most community groups contacted by The Sunday Age said that while the idea was good in principle communities should not have to shoulder the responsibility themselves. The Government would need to give a firm commitment to the project, and financial support, if it was to work, they said.
Adopting a station was one of several ideas suggested by readers of The Sunday Age on how to improve the safety and appeal of Melbourne's railway network, after figures showed that public transport crime in Victoria had surged over the past five years.
Jenni Mitchell, spokeswoman for the Williamstown, Newport and Spotswood
Association, said stations were generally well-kept before railway staff were
removed.
"I would like to see the Government putting a bit more in (to improve stations) rather than the community having to take on the responsibility once again," she said.
Janis Rossiter, chairwoman of the Seddon Community Group, said Seddon station in Melbourne's west was probably one of the city's worst. Much of the station was vandalised or filled with rubbish, she said.
Fitzroy Residents Association president Geoff Barbour said encouraging communities to adopt a station was a good idea.
However, he said: "I wouldn't like to see it be the only way facilities get maintained, because some communities haven't got the time or the commitment."
Only one community group contacted by The Sunday Age, the Cranbourne and District Residents Association, said it would approach the government with a view to adopting its station.
President Steve Beardon said the group wanted to improve its local station, Merinda Park, but could not do so without financial support.
Keep Australia Beautiful Victoria has run an adopt-a-station program for the past 11 years. The initiative has about 65 registered groups, only 24 of which continue to maintain stations throughout Victoria.
General manager Brian Klemm said the group's operations had been hindered largely because of the drought. However, he said, the group had asked the Department of Infrastructure for more money to rebuild the program after Mr Batchelor indicated support for adopting stations. The group is also preparing an anti-graffiti proposal.