The Save Sunvale group has vowed to continue its bid to reclaim the eastern section of the former primary school site.
Spokesman John Hedditch says the group is pursuing options to ensure the entire site remains public open space, despite the state government selling the eastern section of the land to a residential developer for $4.2 million last month.
“We believe it’s totally unfair that the people of Sunshine have effectively lost 40 per cent of the open space and park- land that was available to them,’’ he said.
Mr Hedditch said the group was seeking advice about the legality of the tender process and had urged the Auditor-General to investigate the sale. It is also urging the opposition to buy back the land and give it to Brimbank council if it wins November’s state election.
Mr Hedditch said an Ombudsman’s report into the tender process would be released in coming weeks. He said the group was bitterly disappointed that the government sold the land when, in a meeting with Education Minister Martin Dixon and Planning Minister Matthew Guy last year, the group discussed plans to have the entire site turned into a park.
Mr Guy said the government had never promised to reserve the whole site. “The government kept its pledge to work with the council to keep most of the site as open space. This is a better outcome than Labor’s plan to sell off the whole site after they closed the school.”
