Old church land in Viewbank drawing squatters, homeless to the area, residents say
A former church hall in Viewbank is being spruiked as a multi-million-dollar townhouse development opportunity, but right now it’s a haven for troublemakers, neighbours say.
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A group of squatters camping out in an abandoned church building metres from a Viewbank school has sparked safety concerns.
The people were spotted living in an old church hall, just 200m behind Viewbank College, on Graham Rd.
The church building has been earmarked for a 33-townhouse residential development worth around $8 million.
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But residents fear until a developer snaps up the sale, the site may remain as a home for squatters.
“The old church buildings behind Viewbank College are full of unemployed squatters who are itinerant folk,” resident Paul Haych said.
“It is actually really unsafe having these (people) so close to the school.”
Resident Damian Cesario said the people had sprawled their belongings across the front of the old church.
“I saw blankets and fold out chairs and toys at the back of that old church hall behind the high school,” he said.
The discovery follows a string of squatter-sightings in Banyule, with numerous cases of squatters reported in front yards and garden sheds over the past month.
A Viewbank resident, who wished to remain anonymous, told Heidelberg Leader she found a homeless woman laying in the bushes of her front garden last month.
“I didn’t know what she was doing, but it seemed a bit suspicious,” she said.
“She was very scraggly dressed and she didn’t have bags or anything with her.”
“As we pulled out of the driveway, she jumped up and got scared off.
“If she was going to hang around a bit longer, I was going to say I’m not comfortable with you staying there.”
The woman said she did not feel safe going to the supermarket that evening.
In another case, a man found a woman sleeping in his Viewbank backyard shed around the same time.
He said the woman apologised for squatting in his shed, but gave no explanation other than the “gate was open”.
“When woken she was quite apologetic, but didn’t seem fazed about sleeping in a random’s house. It’s quite scary.”
Other residents said they had seen squatters at Banyule Cricket Club Oval and Banyule Flats Reserve in homemade tents.
A Viewbank College community page said the school were aware of the squatters camping in the church.
But Viewbank College acting principal John Munro said he was not aware of the issue.
“We are not going to investigate anything, because we are not aware of anything that is happening there,” he said.
Banyule Council Mayor Wayne Phillips said council would contact the property owner to remove the squatters.
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