By Kath Gannaway
Healesville Action Group (HAG) is weighing in on the latest debate around the future of Healesville Green.
Yarra Ranges Council is running a second residents’ survey on whether the council should buy the VicTrack-owned land to retain as green open space, or rezone to allow for commercial development.
An original survey showed overwhelming support for retaining the land, but a revised valuation by the State Government Valuer-General from $400,000, on which the survey was based, to $1.18M, council believed, called for a second look at the proposal.
HAG chair John Anwin said the group believed that despite an increase in the cost to ratepayers, the investment on behalf of Healesville community would be “money well spent”.
“If this purchase doesn’t proceed, that option is lost forever,” he said.
HAG is however backing another strategy flagged in the Mail last week by long-time supporter of the ‘keep it green’ option, Healesville resident Ray Donkin.
Mr Donkin argued that the State Government should gift the land back to the Healesville community.
Mr Anwin said their inquiries opened the door for a potential compromise.
“One of the things that has come to light is that VicTrack has a clause in their operations whereby they support community groups and the community generally as a social responsibility,” he said.
“If the Valuer-General could have another look at it (the value) and could establish that the $1.18M is a bit high, with a more realistic value being around $800,000, then VicTrack under their social responsibility could look at making a grant that would bring the price closer to the $400,000 on which the Healesville community made its wishes clear.”
Another avenue, Mr Anwin said, would be to look at how VicTrack acquired the land and whether it would be reasonable then that it should just be handed back.
He said HAG supported Mr Donkin’s suggestion that residents made their views known to the ministers involved, Tim Pallas (treasurer) and Jacinta Allen (transport).
“This land was bought with taxpayer money and as a good will gesture, if nothing else, it should be returned to the Healesville community, preferably at a nominal figure, or at least a discounted rate,” he said in a letter to the Mail this week (see page 6).
“This is one level of government dealing with another level, it should not be viewed as an opportunity for one level of government to raid the coffers of another.”
Cr Fiona McAllister said if council did buy the land, the funds would likely be funded in part from the Ryrie Ward Public Open Space Fund which currently has $664,000 available.
Cr McAllister moved to clarify some concerns that if the land were purchased with those funds, other planned projects in Healesville, such as the upgrade to the Queen’s Park playground, would be impacted.
“That funding is there for Ryrie, for open space, and that can be used for anything from a contribution towards a new aquatic centre, a block of land or whatever is deemed to be the best use,” she said.
“It still needs a decision of council,” she said, adding that there are numerous other sources of money for works such as playgrounds and pathways.
“It doesn’t mean we don’t get these things, but we need to ask, what is most important to the community.”
Cr McAllister said the Valuer-General would be carrying out a second valuation on the Green Street land.
For more information, and to fill out the latest survey, visit yarraranges.vic.gov.au/haveyoursay .
Anyone who would like to comment and does not have online access can call in at the council’s Healesville Community Link and talk to staff about completing the survey there.
The online survey will be open until 5pm on Friday, 17 November.
