Joint statement from City of Whittlesea Mayor and CEO Yarra Plenty Regional Library

On Friday 17 November, staff at Yarra Plenty Regional Library (YPRL) directed City of Whittlesea Mayor Cr Kris Pavlidis to park in a designated disabled parking space when she arrived for the launch of Chancez Cafe at Mill Park Library.

Yarra Plenty Regional Library would like to sincerely apologise to everyone, particularly people with a disability, for this mistake.  

CEO of YPRL, Di Shaw, states:

"YPRL staff responded to the increase in demand for parking for the duration of the event. Care was taken to ensure that parking was available for all people with a disability who attended the event. The decision to use a disabled parking space for the Mayor was made by staff.                                                                                                                                                   

“We apologise for this mistake and any embarrassment we have caused the Mayor. The Library supports all requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act and in future staff will ensure all disabled spaces will remain allocated as signposted.

“The Launch of Chancez Café was highly successful and is a wonderful collaboration between the Whittlesea Community Futures Partnership, YPRL and Araluen to give people with an intellectual disability an opportunity to work independently.”

Mayor, Cr Kris Pavlidis said:

“As someone passionate and committed to empowering and supporting people with disabilities, I am disappointed that I didn’t follow my instinct not to park where I was directed to.  Library staff have reassured me that my error of judgement didn’t inconvenience someone that genuinely needed the parking space. 

“Nevertheless, I do apologise for parking there and although the fine of $159 can’t be issued in retrospect, both myself personally and Yarra Plenty Regional Library will be donating $200 each to Chancez Café to support the work of this wonderful initiative.”