Karkoo Nursery owners snubbed as site set to be sold by Mitcham Council to fund Blackwood Hub
It amassed a big following in the four years since it opened, but this nursery is facing a fight to exist after Mitcham Council decided to sell the site to fund a new library.
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The owners of a Blackwood nursery that faces eviction says Mitcham Council failed to tell them the idea was up for discussion.
Peter and Jane Rowat face having their family business – Karkoo Nursery – shut down, with Mitcham Council planning to sell the site to help pay for its $20 million Blackwood Hub.
Mayor Heather Holmes-Ross said she wanted to help the business, but Mr Rowat said no one from the council bothered to contact him to say the matter would be discussed at a special meeting, despite Business SA being invited to address councillors in support of the proposed hub.
He has now presented to the council a 3871-signature petition opposing the site’s sale, which is set to be discussed at a meeting next week.
Mr Rowat said he would be willing to buy the site himself, for a fair market price, but the council had indicated it would prefer to sell the nursery land with the next-door library.
It would most likely be purchased by a developer for housing.
“We’re a local business trying to support local and everyone wants us to stay,” Mr Rowat said.
“We would happily pay fair market value but they (the council) say that wouldn’t be fair, they have to let developers put in an offer.
“They should do what’s best for the community.”
Mr Rowat said the site was “derelict” when he took it over four years ago on a two-year lease.
He is now on a three-year lease with the option of a two-year extension at the council’s discretion.
Dr Holmes-Ross said she had personally offered to help the nursery find another site and would seek the support of councillors.
She said the Rowats being able to buy the property was “not impossible, but at this point it was unlikely” and suggested the business might not have been allowed to continue in any case.
“They would have wanted the lease to continue because they’re a great little business and they’ve done very well on that spot … however, it is a short-term lease and I don’t think they expected that it would be automatically be renewed,” Dr Holmes-Ross said.
“I will do whatever I can to help them stay in the area.”
The nursery has amassed nearly 20,000 fans across Facebook and Instagram.
Mitcham Council last month narrowly voted to include the $20 million Blackwood Hub, set for Waite Street, in its 2020/21 budget.
It would replace the Blackwood Library.