By Mikayla van Loon
Four parcels of land will be sold by Yarra Ranges Council even after objections from residents and councillors were raised.
At the council meeting on Tuesday 23 August the items referring to the sale of 182-184 Cambridge Road Kilsyth; 9A Tinarra Court Kilsyth; 9A Wannan Court Kilsyth; and 16 Ellis Court Mooroolbark were raised.
Walling ward councillor Len Cox said in order to purchase the land at 150 Cambridge Road Kilsyth, the site of the former Pembroke High School, the council needed to find funds from his ward.
To purchase the land from the State government, Yarra Ranges Council needs $6.5 million. Cr Cox said $3.5 million of that would come from the Walling Ward public open space fund but the sale of the abovementioned blocks would contribute the rest.
Cr Cox referenced the decision to purchase 150 Cambridge Road as “such an important decision council made earlier this year” and as the most significant land decision made since Lilydale Council decided to build Lillydale Lake.
While the sale of 182-184 Cambridge Road Kilsyth was uncontested by both councillors and the public, the same cannot be said for the remaining three blocks in question.
Walling ward resident and owner of a property bordering 9A Tinarra Court Kilsyth, Patricia Curtis spoke in objection to the sale of this land.
“Selling green spaces to buy green spaces…that to me is just madness,” she said.
“Green spaces don’t need to be used to be appreciated. I respect what councillor Cox has said but there is a passive use in some of these green spaces that needs to be considered as well.”
Putting forward the motion to sell the land anyway, Cr Cox said “I regret having to sell this land but I think we need to for what I think is the overall good of the residents of Kilysth.”
Cr Johanna Skelton objected to this motion being carried, questioning the directors on whether the council has some ability to control or guide the sale towards social or community housing.
Recognising the difficulty Cr Cox was facing, Cr Fiona McAllister spoke for the motion and said it “is one of the hardest things for a ward councillor to have to do to put forward a motion to sell green space.”
“We’re making a strategic, community focused, long term decision to sell small fragments of community space much loved and enjoyed by few for a large piece of green space…that will be much loved and enjoyed by thousands.”
Cr Skelton and Cr Andrew Fullagar voted against the motion to sell 9A Tinarra Court Kilsyth but were overruled by fellow councillors.
The property of 9A Wannan Court Kilsyth brought much deliberation from the councillors, with an alternate motion submitted.
Wannan Court resident Andrea Hook also spoke in objection to the sale of her neighbouring property, referencing that the land had been given to the council by Dorothy Olsen when she subdivided in the 1980s.
“She was a very community minded member of the Kilsyth area and had even put a covenant on the block so the area would be a certain standard,” she said.
Ms Hook said for 32 years, herself and residents of Wannan Court have maintained the reserve so aptly named after its donor, to ensure it was a space for the community to use.
Given Ms Hook raised the issue of the land being acquired by the council as a donation, Cr Cox moved an alternate motion to delay the decision until an investigation into the history of the land could be fully understood.
Cr McAllister seconded the motion and said “when a reserve is named after someone and we’re not sure as to whether this was property gifted to council by that individual, I think we need to be very certain of that before we make a decision.”
Director of environment and infrastructure Mark Varmalis said he was quite confident that this reserve was part of the subdivision which resulted in 18 blocks being created and as part of the subdivision act, it was a requirement that a five per cent section be used as open space.
Losing the vote for this alternate recommendation, Mayor Jim Child moved the original motion to sell the land and said he believed there was enough evidence to prove this land did not require further investigation.
Cr Skelton and Cr Fullagar both spoke against the sale of this land, with Cr Fullagar saying there was no rush for the council to locate the funds for the purchasing of 150 Cambridge Road.
While it divided councillors, the motion to sell the land was carried.
The final parcel of land for debate was 16 Ellis Court Mooroolbark, in which Stephen Wyatt said the council had a responsibility to provide a variety of active and passive open spaces in the shire, as well as to planting trees in urban communities.
“Council needs to retain every skerrick of land to plant and develop passive open space,” he said.
Mr Wyatt said in selling these parcels of land it was “devaluing the Yarra Ranges’ environmental credentials.”
Questioning the need to acquire funding so quickly, given the council has four years to pay the State government the full amount, Mr Wyatt said he does not believe the council has considered alternative ways of raising the funds.
Cr Cox resolved to move forward with the recommendation to sell 16 Ellis Court, while Cr Skelton spoke against the motion and said these small parcels of land “are only going to increase in their value both environmentally and culturally.”
Cr Fullagar and Cr Sophie Todorov also voted against the motion but it was passed by the council, meaning all four blocks of land are due to be sold.
