The forced trimming of its budget due to rate capping next year will not stop Brimbank council building a community park on half the site of the former Sunvale Primary School.
Brimbank council’s city development director Stuart Menzies said there was no chance the 1.1 hectare land parcel, which cost $3.025 million, would be sold back to the state government.
The council takes ownership of the land next year.
“Council … looks forward to delivering a high-quality park for the community,” he said.
Council’s infrastructure and environment director Paul Younis said a master plan would soon be developed for the park site and community feedback would be sought.
“We plan to have another community consultation at the site later this year to discuss the draft, with the aim of finalising the master plan by the end of 2015,” he said.
Mr Younis said details of community feedback would not be released.
“The community’s initial input and ideas for the Sunvale Park … was not a formal submission process, just face-to-face consultation at that stage.”
The developer of the other half of the site wants to build a 60-unit housing complex and is fighting council demands for an environmental audit after concerns were raised that excavating the land could pose health risks.
Mr Menzies said a park development did not require an environmental audit.
