Moonee Valley Council refuses to “buy” public park from VicRoads
KIDS have been locked out of a public Strathmore park because two arms of government are fighting about who “owns” it.
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KIDS have been locked out of a public Strathmore park because two arms of government are fighting about who “owns” it.
Moonee Valley Council is refusing to purchase the two blocks of Strathaird Reserve, in Strathaird St, for $600,000.
VicRoads “offered” the parcel of land to the council twice last year; the entire reserve for $1.495 million, and two blocks for $570,000. Both offers were rejected by council officers.
PLAYTIME IS OVER FOR STRATHMORE CHILDREN
MOONEE VALLEY COUNCIL TURNS DOWN SECOND CHANCE OFFER FOR STRATHAIRD RESERVE
FEARS VICROADS-OWNED OPEN SPACE IN MOONEE VALLEY
Moonee Valley Mayor John Sipek said the council’s limited open space reserve funds were divided between each suburb and there was not $21.4 million sitting in the council coffers just for Strathmore.
Cr Sipek said the council had paid for the upkeep of the reserve for 40 years and at the very least deserved a larger discount off the valuation price of the land.
“Why is the State Government trying to sell it off when it should be giving it away? We wanted it gifted,” he said.
“There’s no compensation for those 40 years.”
But Strathmore resident Sharon Mumford led a petition last year signed by more than 400 people for the council to buy the land.
Ms Mumford’s children used to play at the reserve and she said she was furious the council continued to make decisions on the fate of the land behind closed doors.
She said there was a lack of other areas for her children to play nearby.
“There’s not one safe crossing to get to another park in the area,” she said.
Essendon state Labor MP Danny Pearson said the council was offered a significant discount to the residential value of the land.
“There’s no local or state government that would hand over land to another authority without receiving payment,” he said.
“We’ve got obligations to the taxpayers of Victoria that there is some sort of payment received, $600,000 is a fair price for two blocks of land, that is significantly cheaper than what you would sell on the open market.”
Mr Pearson and Ms Mumford are calling on the council to discuss the fate of Strathaird Reserve in an open council meeting.
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