Nine people attended the meeting - marginally more than the minimum of six needed for the association to survive.

Attendees were president Betty Thuan and her husband, secretary Liz Neubauer, Ann Barker MP, Monash Council economic development manager Jeff McAlpine, Clayton Traders Association president Bill Pontikis, Oakleigh Centro manager Paul Maple and two newcomers.

OTA president Betty Thuan said a decision on the fate of the association had been held off but it needed "a groundswell of support from traders and the business community" to survive.

She said the meeting identified, as a central issue, the continuing failure to respond by Oakleigh traders, bankers, accountants, lawyers, most real estate agents,

landlords and community leaders to take part in the association.

"Oakleigh has a history of minimal response.

"Participants in the meeting suggested various tentative explanations such as apathy, cultural differences, complacency, high workloads and a narrow focus, but there was no feeling that the problem had been fully decoded."

Kirste n Leiminger