Healesville Community Market green to be sold to the highest bidder by VicTrack

A COMMUNITY market will be turfed from its home of 40 years when the State Government cashes in on the Yarra Ranges land to boost its coffers.

A LONG-running Yarra Ranges community market will be turfed from its home of 40 years when the State Government sells the land to boost its coffers.

VicTrack refused to transfer the land at 13 Green St, which has been used to host the Healesville Community Market since 1980, and plans to sell it next year, reaping a million-dollar windfall.

VicTrack initially valued the land at $400,000 and the council had overwhelming community support to buy the site, but the price later blew out to $1.185 million when the Valuer-General appraised it based on the best potential use of the land.

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The council refused a State Government offer to buy the land at the inflated price.

Healesville Action Group president John Anwin said the land, which was leased by Yarra Ranges Council for use as a market, should remain in community hands.

“The market has been using it for almost 40 years,” Mr Anwin said.

“Prior to 1980 it was leased to the Ford dealership, which is no longer there. They had it as a workshop with a shed that burnt down.”

He said VicTrack had not done any work on the land since the council first leased the site.

“VicTrack has contributed nothing by way of cost to this land in the entire time it has had possession and received the lease fees as a bonus,” Mr Anwin said.

“It could well afford to hand the land to the council for public open space.”

Yarra Ranges environment and engineering director Mark Varmalis said the council had written to Premier Daniel Andrews asking him to intervene in the process in favour of the council.

Mr Varmalis said the council was referred to Public Transport Minister Jacinta Allan, who advised VicTrack was bound by State Government rules to sell a property for the best value.

VicTrack spokeswoman Jo Mayall said government policy required the body to sell land no longer required.

“The Valuer-General has valued the land at Healesville at $1.185 million, therefore VicTrack is obliged to sell the land at this price or above,” Ms Mayall said.

“As Yarra Ranges Council has decided not to purchase the land, we will now begin the process of preparing it for a public sale on the open market.

“This will take several months, so we expect the land to be on the market during 2019.”

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