A bottle shop in Melbourne’s east fears it will be defenceless against burglars after it was ordered to remove a “fortress-like” shutter by the council, sparking debate about what brick-and-mortar businesses can do to combat crime.
Oakleigh Cellars recently lost a tribunal appeal against Monash City Council’s decision to refuse retrospective approval for a black roller shutter on their Atherton Road shop.
Co-owner Chris Thompson said the shutter was needed to protect his liquor store from elevated property crime, particularly after they were burgled within months of opening in late 2023.
VCAT member Jane Tait, however, agreed with the council, finding the solid shutter was a “harsh” and “unappealing” facade, contrary to planning policies that seek to avoid “dead” frontages.
Tait said the shutter created an inactive streetscape that reduced the sense of safety for pedestrians in Oakleigh.
But the bottle shop’s owners say their shutter is a symptom – not a cause – of concerns about crime.
They argue planning rules are outdated, the council’s demands are too onerous, and fears about reduced amenity are misplaced as they open daily from 10.30am to 11pm, meaning the shutter is not down for much of the day.
Thompson said he felt “a little bit shocked, surprised and kind of disappointed” when he received a council letter requesting his shutter be removed.
“When we first opened up the store, within the first three months, my doors got smashed and kicked in. There was tens of thousands of dollars worth of stock [taken] and damage done,” he said.
“So we put the shutters up, and ever since we’ve had the shutter, we’ve had no break-ins – nothing like that. So they clearly work.
“I didn’t think it was an issue because there are plenty of other shops and buildings around us with these shutters as well … So there’s a bit of confusion there about why they’ve just singled us out.”
Monash Council, however, told VCAT it was investigating the unauthorised installation of external roller shutters across Oakleigh and would take further action.
The council said security shutters should be inside a shopfront and have a transparent “open grill” to provide passive surveillance of the street and store.
VCAT member Tait agreed a “blank black wall” would harm safety overall, adding: “It will also have longer-term economic impacts on the safety and security concerns for other businesses nearby.”
Monash Mayor Stuart James encouraged businesses to contact the council before changing a shopfront to work through security options and avoid unnecessary costs.
“Roller shutters extend into public space on the footpath and attract graffiti, making our shopping strips feel less welcoming and safe,” he said in a statement.
“Shutters can be installed inside without a permit, as this does not impact on public space.”
However, Thompson’s business partner Sanjeer Mandhan said their building’s design meant it could not support internal shutters.
Renovations to fix this would cost tens of thousands of dollars and the shop would be unprotected for some time, he said.
“We’re just going to be at a burglar’s mercy,” Mandhan said.
Oakleigh Cellars offered to pay for a translucent shutter to replace the black roller to improve shopfront visibility and passive surveillance.
However, the tribunal judgment said: “Council responded to say that its preference is for a security measure that is internal to the shopfront as it is more aesthetically pleasing.”
The VCAT decision – issued on March 27 – also said previous cases “indicate a lack of policy support for solid external shutters in areas where active frontages are promoted, particularly in activity centres”.
Thompson argued planning rules needed to give greater weight to modern security needs.
“I definitely think they are outdated,” he said. “I thought safety trumps looks in any industry.”
The latest Crime Statistics Agency data shows property and deception offences in Victoria climbed significantly to reach 5176 offences per 100,000 people in 2025 – a 42.2 per cent increase since 2022.
Retail crime has particularly spiked alongside the rising cost of living.
However, the rate of property offending is still below 2016 levels when adjusted for population growth.
Monash Council said it had not recorded a recent increase in planning applications for external shutters.
The mayor suggested alarm systems, CCTV, improved lighting, reinforced glazing and security film could bolster security instead.
He said the council also tried to improve safety in Oakleigh by running events to attract people into well-lit public spaces.
Thompson, however, said: “I think the council is quite out of touch with what’s actually happening in our suburbs.”
He worries removing his shutters will also complicate his business’s insurance, which had already proved tricky to obtain after the March 2024 burglary, despite other upgrades.
“I don’t know what I’m going to do,” he said.
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