Surplus land sales have netted Brimbank council nearly $10 million in the past five years.
Figures obtained by Star Weekly reveal that the council sold six parcels of land across the city between the 2009-10 and 2013-14 financial years, reaping a total $9,792,500.
The most recent sale was of land along Furlong Road in Cairnlea that was being considered as the site of the council’s new civic centre and was later shunned in favour of the Sunshine library site on Hampshire Road.
The $6.41 million sale will be settled in March next year.
Other sales include $900,000 for a park along Trickey Avenue in Sydenham, $700,000 for a former pre-school on Driscolls Road in Kealba, and $450,000 for a former child-care centre on Rhodes Street, St Albans.
The council was compensated $445,000 after VicRoads acquired part of the Keilor Public golf course to upgrade the Calder Freeway.
Land on Zagreb Court in Keilor Park that has been vacant since 1988 has been authorised for sale, while the council intends to sell another piece of land, at Marchant Crescent in Sunshine, following community consultation.
Infrastructure and environment director Paul Younis said the council assessed its land holdings every year to ensure council-owned land best met the needs of the community.
“Through this process, land is both purchased and, where it’s identified as being surplus to community needs, considered for sale,” he said. “The purchase and sale of appropriate properties is part of council ensuring it has the right facilities in the right places at the right time to meet the needs of residents.”
Mr Younis said proceeds from the sale of surplus land were used to improve and maintain community infrastructure and to buy new pieces of land.
About two years ago, the council purchased 10.4 hectares of land along Taylors Creek in Keilor so it could extend the Taylors Creek Recreational Trail from where it ends near Burrowye Crescent and connect it to Brimbank Park. The council also recently signed a
contract to buy the public-use portion of the former Sunvale Primary School site at Sunshine, with plans to create a park there.
