Green light for college land

A $9 MILLION expansion of Drysdale’s St Ignatius College can proceed after Geelong council agreed to sell the land required for the new facilities.

The college aims to move quickly on its long-awaited development, which will create a Year 9 campus and new multipurpose facility.

“This project means our Year 9 students will be located in contemporary learning facilities instead of portable classrooms,” principal Michael Exton said yesterday.

“(It will also) enable construction of a multipurpose centre so that our entire school community can meet under the one roof for the first time in many years.”

The Roman Catholic Trust Corporation had been trying for six years to secure land, the plan stalling in mid-2015 when councillors rejected a deal.

However, the City of Greater Geelong this week agreed to sell a 2.67ha holding in the education, arts and sports precinct on Peninsula Drive to the corporation.

While a new valuation will be carried out to settle on a price, the land was last year valued at $740,000 plus GST.

The proposal received 47 submissions, with 30 of those against selling the land.

Opponents included Bellarine Secondary College, which argued the sale process had not been open and transparent.

It called for the land to be retained to cater for population growth and for any expansion of the Potato Shed arts facility.

“The sale of land will not affect the growth options for the Potato Shed arts venue, to which St Ignatius College plans to remain a user and financial contributor,” administrator Peter Dorling said.

“Any concerns about environmental or cultural issues of the nearby basin area will be addressed by the city as part of the planning permit process.”

The Committee for Bella- rine and the Drysdale and Clifton Springs Community Association also shared major concerns, especially around traffic build-up in the area.

The council is preparing to realign and extend Peninsula Drive through to Belchers Rd, in conjunction with works on the $109 million Drysdale bypass.

The school expansion has grants from the State and Federal governments.