Following community engagement, the Greater Bendigo City Council has voted to commence a process to sell seven City owned properties that are not planned for future use, in line with any City strategies or plans.
The properties to be put up for sale include:
- 53 Eaglehawk Road, Ironbark
- 10 Sibley Place, Strathdale
- 101 Alder Street, Kangaroo Flat
- 5 St Johns Close, Kangaroo Flat
- 17 Edwin Street, North Bendigo
- 27 Hamelin Street, White Hills (part of)
- 11 Carolyn Way, Maiden Gully (part of)
City of Greater Bendigo Mayor Cr Andrea Metcalf said eight properties were identified as part of an ongoing review of City owned property holdings.
"Seven of the eight properties have been determined as surplus to the City's needs and Council has authorised the CEO to undertake the land assessment, preparation and sale processes of the properties with the proceeds from any sale deposited into the Public Space Reserve or the Land and Buildings Reserve," Cr Metcalf said.
"However, a property located at 3-4 Lindsay Court, Strathfieldsaye will be retained at this stage to allow officers to undertake further investigations regarding the future needs, constraints and opportunities of the site.
"The City has a commitment to consult with the community in line with its Community Engagement Policy and the Local Government Act 2020 and residents were invited to make any comments on the potential sales on its Let's Talk community engagement website for a five-week period.
"During the community engagement period the Let's Talk webpage was viewed 3,355 times from over 902 unique visitors.
"In addition to the Let's Talk webpage, signs were placed on all of the properties and letters were sent to nearby residents and landowners. The project was also advertised on social media and via newspaper advertisements. Word of mouth within neighbourhood Facebook groups also helped to promote the project and generate interest.
"Over 140 individual pieces of feedback were received, including survey responses, written submissions, email enquiries and phone calls, and a petition with 70 signatures was received. Internal City business units were also consulted, and all feedback received was considered.
"The City manages a portfolio of 1,500 assets valued in excess of $600M. As part of the City's strategic asset management and long-term financial plan, the asset portfolio is continually reviewed. These reviews include strategically acquiring land when needed, disposing of surplus land, repurposing land to respond to the community's changing needs, and retaining land to maintain existing levels of service.
"As the assessment, preparation and sale process could take some time, Council has requested the CEO to provide quarterly reports about the process as it progresses."
