Note in street reveals 'ridiculous' complaint about elderly Aussie couple

A Melbourne council has responded after annoyed neighbours rallied together to provide seating for an elderly couple to rest during their daily walks, only for the temporary chairs to be repeatedly removed.

The “lovely” pair from Westbourne Street in Prahan, near the inner city, often need to stop during their outings, but there are no benches close by, a local woman complained online this week.

“Their neighbours have rallied, placing their own outdoor chairs out for them,” she wrote on a Facebook page dedicated to the Stonnington council area. “Sadly the council has been quickly (within a day!) removing the chairs yet has been ignoring multiple requests for a permanent park bench on the spot.”

The woman said residents would be happy to fundraise to cover the cost of the bench. “Why remove the temporary chairs but not offer any solutions?” she continued. “This has been going on for months. It is sad and it is shameful. Let’s support our elderly neighbours.”

Neighbours' plea for elderly residents

A photo included in the post shows the smiling elderly couple sitting on the footpath, with the man sitting on what appears to be a walking frame and the woman resting in an outdoor chair. Two cardboard signs can be seen taped to the pole behind them, one of which urges the council to please leave the temporary seating in place.

“Due to a complaint to council this chair will be removed. Please contact the council to advocate for permanent seating for our friendly neighbours,” the other states alongside the Stonnington council’s email address.

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Councillor responds to backlash

The social media complaint has ruffled the feathers of other Aussies, one of which deemed the removal of the chairs as “disgusting”.

“Ridiculous that someone complained to council about a couple of chairs,” one woman said, while another local argued that it “would not be appropriate or practical to put seats through all our residential streets”.

The post drew the attention of Stonnington council member Kate Hely, who revealed “another neighbour has been in contact with council for a while” about the issue. “And as of an email I saw on Saturday, officers are looking at installing a standard bench seat in the area after they consult with neighbours,” she commented.

Locals said the update was “excellent” and they were “pleased to hear it”.

However, the woman who snapped the photo said there is concern among locals that it will take “months if not years for the council to [take] action”.

“I understand that these processes can feel long but it is important that officers go through the process to ensure that there is majority support for the bench locally,” Ms Hely said. “I have faith in the goodness of people so I can’t foresee this will be a big issue. I have alerted the CEO to the issue given it has received such strong community concern.”

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