A state government plan to rezone land at the former Calder Rise Primary School in Keilor for units and townhouses is a decision based on greed, a resident says.
Paul Barbuto, who lives near the Green Gully Road site, said that at a community forum last Tuesday, about 50 local residents argued against the government’s proposal to rezone the school land from public use to general residential.
The government wants to rezone and sell off five parcels of Brimbank land, including the former Kealba Secondary College and Deer Park and Keilor Park primary school sites, after the Department of Education and Training deemed the land surplus to requirements.
Further “undeveloped school land” at 18-24 Robertsons Road and 16-28 McCubbin Drive, Taylors Lakes, is also up for sale.
Mr Barbuto, general manager of civil construction contractor Winslow, says land surrounding the former Calder Rise school is zoned neighbourhood residential and the school site should be similarly categorised.
Brimbank council’s general residential zone allows for unit and townhouse development.
“The difference is that with general residential you can cut smaller-sized blocks and have multi-storey buildings – more residents so the developers make more money and so does the government.
“Green Gully Road’s a busy road as it is, especially at peak time. Greed is overriding common sense here.”
Planning Minister Richard Wynne said a “lengthy and thorough process” had identified five parcels of land in Brimbank “no longer required” for their original purposes.
“An independent and open process is now being undertaken to engage with the community and stakeholders to ensure the most appropriate rezoning of the sites,” he said.
Submissions can be made to a government committee until May 27.
Brimbank city development director Stuart Menzies said the council would consider at a future meeting making a submission to the committee.
