Kilsyth former school site caught up in community and Government fight
A former Kilsyth high school site has become a battleground for a community who desperately want it turned into parkland. But the State Government has other ideas.
Outer East
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A fight is brewing over the future a former Kilsyth high school site with the State Government favouring housing over the community’s wish for a park.
The foothills community are pushing for the 3.58ha site to be turned into parkland, with more than 80 submissions lodged and two petitions with almost 700 signatures against rezoning the site for profit.
The former Pembroke Secondary College land was cleared when the campus was demolished in 2013.
Pembroke College merged with Mooroolbark Tech and Mt Evelyn Secondary College in the 1990s.
A new $22 million campus was built in place of the old Mooroolbark Tech — with the combined school renamed Yarra Hills Secondary College — and the Cambridge Rd buildings demolished.
Earlier this year, Yarra Ranges councillors unanimously voted to endorse the State Government’s proposal to rezone the land from educational use to a neighbourhood residential zone, allowing for development.
According to the State Government, the Education Department offered to sell the land to the council, but the offer was rejected.
John Phillips, who is leading the community push for parkland, said there was a shortfall of parkland for Kilsyth’s population of more than 10,000.
“Here is a shortfall problem, here is surplus land within the same shortfall area, an easy remedy, no-brainer really,” he said.
Mr Phillips said a 280-signature petition was submitted to Croydon state Liberal MP David Hodgett office, who plans to table it in Parliament.
He said the online petition was still going with the aim of getting 5000 signatures.
Cr Len Cox said he had been lobbying the State Government and Monbulk state Labor MP James Merlino — who is also the Education Minister — to gift the land to the council.
“It would make a wonderful edition to the Elizabeth Bridge Reserve,” he said.
As it stands, the Government has loaned the former school’s sporting oval to the council for 20 years, which sits next to the reserve.
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“The whole lot should become council land because it’s an ideal addition to the Elizabeth Bridge Reserve,” Cr Cox said.
He said with the amount of medium density housing in Kilsyth, which the Government wanted, back gardens were disappearing and there was a need for more open space.
“The land is owned by the State Government, which means it’s actually owned by the people, and I don’t think anyone has the right to sell land to private individuals,” Cr Cox said.
Education state Labor MP James Merlino said the site had been assessed and was no longer required for education purposes.
“In accordance with policy, the Department is required to rezone the site before sale,” he said.
“Money raised from selling former school sites goes towards maintaining, creating and improving Victoria’s public infrastructure, including the provision of education.”