Mixed views on school site offer

A non-binding offer to buy the former site of the Yarragon Primary School will be made by Baw Baw Shire Council.

However, last week’s council meeting also left a final decision until after it hears further from the State Valuer-General.

Council did not disclose the amount it was offering for the site of almost 8900 square metres in Rollo St, Yarragon under the First Rights of Refusal process and provided it was for community use.

The State government placed the property on its surplus government land sales list in 2015.

There was strong urging for council to buy the land from three people that made verbal submission to last week’s meeting.

And about three-quarters of the 20 people in the public gallery attended to show their support for the site to be bought by the shire.

There were some mixed views around the council table.

Two of the three East Ward councillors that represent Yarragon - Darren Wallace and Michael Leaney – strongly backed buying the land and the other Peter Kostos, who described it as an “emotive issue”, said council had obtained a “formal valuation” but had not had one from the Valuer-General’s office.

Cr Wallace said the land had “so much potential” for community benefit but the “State government was not playing fair and only sees a dollar sign”.

Cr Leaney said if the opportunity was lost, council would look back in 10 years and say why did we let that slip through.

Central Ward representatives Crs Danny Goss and Joe Gauci expressed their doubts.

Cr Goss said figures “thrown around” – one of the community presenters at the meeting Michael Fozard had said the government valued the land at $900,000 and offered it to council for “half of that” ($450,000) – made him feel that “a bit of a stitch-up was coming”.

He said he’d like to see the price (what the government was offering for council to buy) against the value council believes the land is worth.

Cr Gauci said he was wary of the local community’s expectations if council bought it.

Both Mr Fozard and another presenter, former Baw Baw Shire councillor and mayor Murray Cook, said they believed community members would be prepared to financially contribute towards the purchase.

Council has not included funds for buying the land in its current budget and would need to make ongoing financial commitments for maintenance and improvements.

However, funds from its Statutory Land Sales fund could be used although this would impact options for other strategic land acquisitions of which four have already been identified.

Another issue raised during discussions with presenters was the use or uses the community wanted.

These varied from a community garden, parking for recreation vehicles, a site for a new fire station, a community hub, arts and cultural centre, parkland and an historical display.

Mr Fozard said the community would like to form a partnership with council to establish and run any facilities. A collection of Masonic Lodge medals has been found on the side of Greenshields Road, Drouin. The medals, pictured above, are held at the Warragul police station.