Housing Minister Richard Wynne cancels December 14 auction of former Warrandyte police station
A community has won its campaign to keep a former police station as emergency housing after an auction slated for this weekend was cancelled following Housing Minister Richard Wynne’s intervention.
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Community campaigners are celebrating after Warrandyte’s historical former police station used as emergency accommodation for a quarter of a century was pulled off the market.
The Department of Human Services wanted to sell the run-down former station at 65 Yarra St later this month.
It had served as an emergency housing property for needy families in Manningham and Nillumbik for more than 25 years.
Real estate agent Jellis Craig was set to auction the property on December 14 and had scheduled inspections.
But the listing was removed from its website on Thursday after Housing Minister Richard Wynne determined it should remain as emergency housing.
Manningham Leader sent questions about the property to the minister on Wednesday and his spokesman Patrick Lane responded with a “significant update” later in the day.
“The Minister for Housing has carefully considered the matter and agrees that this site remain public housing,” Mr Lane said.
“He has requested the department to take the property off the market and ensure it remains in public hands to provide a safe place for Victorians who need a roof over their heads.”
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The department will refurbish the house so it is suitable to live in and all tenancies will be managed by the Director of Housing.
Warrandyte Community Association president Carli Lange-Boutle said she was “speechless and had a few tears” after learning of the outcome.
She said the property was a vital asset to meeting emergency housing needs in Warrandyte.
“We might not have the demand of other outer city suburbs but we still have a need and a demand,” she said.
“It’s got far more heritage than just 25 years serving the community.
“It is isn’t just for Warrandyte … to service those areas (Manningham and Nillumbik) is too important asset for our minister to let it go.”
Ms Lange-Boutle said she and other groups were preparing a business case to ensure the site was managed by a community taskforce.
“I assume they (DHS) will go on to manage it and we would like to help them do that,” she said.