Tara Murray
Vandalism is behind a proposal to demolish buildings on two former Sunshine College sites, which are set to be retained for education purposes.
The two sites in Sunshine have been vacant since 2020, when the school merged from four campuses to two.
The Department of Education and Training recently released details of plans to demolish buildings on the sites.
It said the Victorian School Building Authority is intending to release a request for tender in September to demolish existing buildings, reinstate grassed areas and hoardings as required.
The project will also include asbestos and services removal.
A department spokesman said both sites would be retained.
“Sunshine College has undergone a major capital works upgrade, with the Sunshine College West campus being completely rebuilt and a new STEM facility built at the north campus,” the spokesman said.
“This project consolidated the school onto two campuses.
“As a result, the former senior campus and former Ardeer campus of Sunshine College were vacated during 2020.
“These two sites are being retained for future education provision given the future development expected in and around the Sunshine Priority Precinct.”
In the past five years, the state government has sold off five school sites in Brimbank deemed surplus to its needs, causing much backlash in the community.
As reported by Star Weekly, Brimbank residents earlier this year called for the Ardeer site to be repurposed for community use and wanted to know whether it met the council’s assessment criteria for land acquisition for community use.
Mayor Ranka Rasic said at the time that the state government was yet to provide the council with an update on its future plans for the site.
