Campaign to save Keysborough park from development a success after state government announces it won’t be sold

A GRASSROOTS campaign has saved the much-loved Chandler Road Reserve in Keysborough from the bulldozers and locals are celebrating.

Keysborough locals with State MP Martin Pakula after it was announced their park would be saved from being sold to developers.

A GRASSROOTS campaign has saved a much-loved park from the bulldozers and locals are celebrating.

The Chandler Road Reserve in Keysborough was earmarked for development and the Department of Education and Training, which owns two-thirds of the land, was preparing it for sale.

Campaign leader Phillip Brown at the Chandler Road Reserve. Picture: David Smith.

Neighbour Phillip Brown started a Facebook campaign to save the park and Greater Dandenong Leader took up the cause.

Last week the State government announced the section of the reserve it owned would be saved.

The land, adjacent to the former Maralinga Primary School, now vacant after the school was closed in 2014 and buildings demolished in June this year, is used by local people to walk their dogs or play with their kids.

“It’s great news, a win for the Keysborough residents,” Mr Brown said.

“All of the residents are really happy. It shows what you can do it if you get people together and its shows that council and the State government are listening to the people.

“They could see how unfair it was to let people use a park for over 40 years and then take it off them.”

The section of Chandler Road Reserve saved from development by locals. Source: Google Maps.

State MP for Keysborough Martin Pakula met residents at the reserve on Tuesday to announce the park would be kept as a public space.

He said it comes after the locals stressed the important role the park played in the health and wellbeing of the community.

“This is a good outcome for Keysborough and I commend community members who worked to save their local park,” Mr Pakula said.

Minister for Education James Merlino said they understood “how outdoor areas can make a big difference to the general wellbeing and lifestyle of families and create a stronger sense of community.”

The former school site at the eastern end of the vacant block has been declared a surplus to education requirements and will be sold but access to the reserve from McMahen St and Maralinga Avenue will be retained.