Kilsyth former Pembroke Secondary College site push for parkland not housing
More than 6000 people are behind a push to stop a huge piece of State Government land in Kilsyth being sold for development after the council agreed it should be turned into housing. The final decision rests with the Planning Minister. What do you think he should do?
Outer East
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The battle to turn a former school site into a park continues, with thousands signing a petition to prevent it being turned into another housing development.
The foothills community is pushing for the 3.58ha former Pembroke Secondary College site to be turned into parkland, which is at odds with a decision made last year by Yarra Ranges councillors to endorse the State Government’s proposal to rezone the land for development.
The land was cleared when the campus was demolished in 2013.
The Department of Education requested Planning Minister Richard Wynne rezone the land after it was no longer required for use as a school.
According to the State Government, the Education Department offered to sell the land to the council, but the offer was rejected.
The proposal before Mr Wynne is to decide whether to rezone the site to a Neighbourhood Residential Zone or for public open space.
John Phillips, who is leading the community push for parkland, said there was a serious lack of open space in the area and more than 6000 people had signed the petition against the land being turned into housing.
“This is not Punt Rd, it’s the foothills of the Dandenong Ranges,” Mr Phillips said.
“I want to make the minister aware that this is the community at the foothills and by rezoning to residential it will erase a suitable and proper location for a parkland resource.”
He said the community was not anti-development and understood the need for more affordable housing but asked, “at what cost?”
“If you reduce our parkland, we have nowhere to go to rest and relax,” Mr Phillips said.
Croydon state Liberal MP David Hodgett said he believed Mr Wynne had the power to make a decision to change the site’s zoning into parkland.
“He can decide whether he accepts that report or makes an alternative decision,” Mr Hodgett said.
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He said the area lacked public open space and once it was sold for development it would be gone forever.
“He (Mr Wynne) has choices and I think he has the power and ability (to turn it into a park) but he needs the wherewithal to listen to the community,” Mr Hodgett said.
A State Government spokeswoman, who didn’t want to be named, confirmed Mr Wynne was considering an application to rezone the former school site in Cambridge Road in Kilsyth.
No decision has been made yet.