Two Brimbank school sites that the Victorian education department has deemed “surplus” are on the market, despite repeated pleas from Brimbank council to hold onto them.
The former Deer Park Primary School site in Ballarat Road and Kealba Secondary College’s old home in Driscolls Road, Kealba, have been listed for sale by public tender.
The Deer Park primary school 2.35-hectare site is expected to fetch more than $8 million. Offers are being accepted until Wednesday.
Offers for the Department of Education’s 6.07-hectare site in Kealba will be accepted until June 7.
Both properties are being advertised as “exceptional development opportunities”.
In an online advertisement, listing agent Melbourne Acquisitions described the Driscolls Road site as: “an exceptional opportunity for developers to maximise the residential potential of this large in-fill parcel of land”.
Savills agent Nick Peden, who is jointly selling the Deer Park primary school site with Julian Heatherich, said there had been “very strong” interest in the property, which is zoned general residential 1.
In February, the Brimbank council vowed to write to all local members of Parliament, the department of education and the premier requesting the business case justifying the sale of the school sites be made public.
Three months later, the business case remains behind closed doors.
A Department of Education and Training spokeswoman this week said the state government’s position had not changed since February, when it said it had already invested in school infrastructure to meet growing student numbers in Brimbank.
The council has been lobbying for the land to be used for future growth or for recreation and sporting facilities.
In Parliament last Thursday, Western Metropolitan MP Bernie Finn called on the minister for education to put a hold on the sales and to discuss with Brimbank council how the sites could be used for community facilities.
“I ask the minister to come on board and to support the community in this way,” he said.
Related
February 28, 2017: Keep school sites public: council
May 30, 2016: Council, government at odds over school sites
May 10, 2016: Resident slams ‘greedy’ Calder Rise sale
March 20, 2015: Brimbank school sales yield $30 million for state government
August 9, 2014: Keilor residents slam state’s plan to sell Brimbank school sites
March 28, 2014: Brimbank council ‘no’ to five former school sites
