The first of five Brimbank school sites the state government has deemed “surplus” to its needs has been sold.
The former Deer Park Primary School has sold through a public tender process for about $11.5 million, far exceeding its estimated sale price of $8 million.
The Department of Treasury and Finance sealed the deal with a local property developer who is tipped to pursue a townhouse development.
Managing agent Julian Heatherich, of Savills Melbourne, said the purchaser had just missed out on an 8.78-hectare VicRoads site in Albanvale, next door to the Brimbank Shopping Centre, in April.
Mr Heatherich said the price paid for the 2.35-hectare Deer Park site, at 814 Ballarat Road, exceeded expectations.
“It was above our expectation, and that’s just evidence of the demand for these types of infill sites,” he said.
The property, zoned general residential 1, was advertised as an “exceptional development opportunity”.
The old school site is the first to sell of five former Brimbank school sites that the Department of Education says it no longer needs, and has readied for sale.
Brimbank council was invited to purchase the properties in 2014 but council administrators said they had no interest in acquiring the former schools.
Since their election last year, Brimbank councillors have been vocal about their opposition to the sale of the school sites. In February they voted unanimously to try to stop the Andrews government selling the properties, saying the decision was “short-sighted”.
But just last week, the council knocked back what was revealed to be a third offer to purchase the former Calder Rise Primary School in Keilor.
Niddrie MP Ben Carroll stalled the sale of the Green Gully Road site and secured a meeting between the council and the Department of Education’s Victorian School Building Authority’s chief executive to discuss the sale of the vacant property last Thursday.
But Brimbank mayor John Hedditch said: “No purchase of these sites is being considered by council. It [the council] suggests the Victorian government keep the sites in public hands for the longer term while highest and best use is discussed and agreed.”
