Vineyard at Scoresby Rd, Boronia could face the chop after review into future use of the site
BORONIA’S hopes of competing with the Barossa or Burgundy could be uprooted.
Outer East
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BORONIA’S hopes of competing with the Barossa or Burgundy could be uprooted.
The suburb’s only vineyard has been left untended since 2015 and is now in such a poor condition it will take a minimum $20,000 of maintenance to be restored, according to a viticulturists’ report prepared for Knox Council.
The report said the council-managed vines, at 254 Scoresby Road, were dehydrated and neglected, its historical yields were extremely low and it was “almost certainly economically unviable”.
The council is looking at ways to rejuvenate the prime 7ha piece of land that includes the old vineyard and Knox Community Gardens.
BORONIA’S OLD ORCHARD VINEYARD LEFT ‘TO ROT’ BY KNOX COUNCIL
OWNERS DESPERATE TO REOPEN OLD ORCHARD WINERY
The site, behind Genesis gym, is on crown land and is maintained by the council.
Under one proposal being considered, the vines would be ripped out and the community gardens expanded to include more space for plots.
Other options include leasing out the vineyard to a winemaker or keeping it for aesthetic reasons and replacing the grapes with alternative vine species plants.
Sketches show the land could also feature a children’s play area and cafe/multipurpose learning centre.
The concept options were detailed at last week’s council meeting and the plans will be open to public feedback.
It is the latest chapter in the controversial history of the vineyard that was planted in 1981 as part of a work-for-the-dole scheme sponsored by the council.
The true cost of the venture was revealed when State Government-appointed commissioners took over the city during council amalgamations in the mid-1990s and shut down the ratepayer-subsidised operation.
The site was most recently managed by Old Orchard wines, who won several awards, including best shiraz at the 2008 Victorian Wines Show, before their lease expired in July 2015.
To see the designs and read the full report on the vineyard and community gardens go to page 69 of the council meeting agenda http://www.knox.vic.gov.au/Files/MeetingsCouncil/2018_05_28_Agenda_Council.PDF
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