By ALESHA CAPONE
BRIMBANK City Council has announced a proposal to sell 1.9 hectares of land at Furlong Rd and Cairnlea Drive, in place of building a civic centre on the site.
The council’s plan comes weeks after Cairnlea residents expressed anger at a separate proposal from Places Victoria, which would allow 146 new townhouses, 50 apartments and 80 commercial sites to be built in the suburb.
The Places Victoria proposal concerns land bordered by Cairnlea Drive, Ballarat Rd and the Western Ring Rd.
The 1.9 hectares, which council hopes to sell, is located around the corner.
Last week, council director Paul Younis said the council would engage in public consultation before deciding whether to sell the land.
The site, which has been vacant for 13 years, was previously considered as a potential location to build a new civic centre or municipal building for Brimbank.
However, the council has decided they will redevelop the Sunshine Library instead.
He said the Furlong Rd address, if sold, could be used for low or medium-density housing, retail or commercial purposes.
Cairnlea resident Paul Landry said residents remained concerned about the potential industrialisation of their leafy estate.
He said in regards to the Places Victoria proposal, residents have been worried about multi-storey apartments, extra traffic, a lack of public transport, contamination and decreased property values.
“Our quality of life, our lifestyles, our standard of living are being compromised,” Mr Lendry said.
He said a Places Victoria public information session, held earlier this month, raised more questions than answers for attendees.
“I personally question the proponents of this ghastly plan as to whether they would consider a community of about 9000 people being represented by 30-odd as truly signifying a consultative process,” Mr Lendry said.
A Places Victoria spokesperson said during September and October, a four-week consultation process with residents was advertised in newspapers and letters were sent to surrounding residents.
The spokesperson said the proposed land uses, road networks and key features of the site had been set out in a draft version of the Cairnlea Mixed Use Precinct, but subdivision, lot yield and lot sizes would be determined at the planning permit application stage.
