STATE GOVERNMENT WANTS TOP DOLLAR FOR MONASH PRIMARY SCHOOL

The future of the Monash primary School buildings and land remains confused although the Department of Education and State Government appears to want top dollar for the area when sold.
On Tuesday night (11 March) the Monash Council meeting was due to consider the rezoning application made by the Department to have the school rezoned from being an area of public use to a residential zone, making the site more valuable for developers, and ensuring that the land would be sold at current very lucrative market prices.
The Council has already ruled that any rezoning and development should include the preservation of a number of old growth trees (native to this region) on the eastern boundary and across the east-west axis of the site, and this was confirmed in the papers attached to the item withdrawn on Tuesday 11 March.
The Council was planning to recommend that a Panel should be appointed by the Minister for Planning to consider the application, and that all submissions before the Council – that is, the request from the Education Department and all submissions already received from residents – should be referred to the Panel.
The Council documents also included an agreement that the Department of Education was to be asked to sign. The agreement included the following principles:-
24 Samada Street
That any development of the site is to to include a subdivision creating a lot or public open space with an area equivalent to 5% of 24 Samada Street (former Monash Primary School) plus 5% of 17 Duerdin Street (former Monash Secondary School) - an area of 3950 square metres approximately. The Public Open Space is to be located at the North East corner of the
site with frontage to Samada Street. This is the most central location for access via the surrounding residential area.
All pavement and buildings, located within the area to be set aside as Public Open Space, are to be demolished and removed and the site is to be left in a clean state.
Ownership of the land to be set aside as Public Open Space is to be transferred to Council.
Duerdin Street
The public open space contribution requirement for the whole of the site has been satisfied.
No further public open space contribution is to be made for all or any part of the site.

But this did not happen. The application for the rezoning has been withdrawn and the Council deferred voting on its recommendations and the rezoning. No reason has been given for the deferment, but it appears that the Department has requested more time to consider the proposal.

The Council had claimed in support of its recommendations that:
“The Department has advised that the site is to be sold with the existing buildings to retain flexibility for the future owner. It may be redeveloped for residential purposes however, a number of existing school groups have indicated interest in the site. The future use of the site will be a decision of the future owner.
It should be noted that it has been the Department’s decision to rezone the land prior to sale, and not to treat with any of the interested school groups.
The primary objective of the process adopted by the Department would appear to be designed to only achieve maximum financial return.
Definition of the Public Open Space provision to the north east corner of the site and its impact on the existing buildings does not prohibit the potential use of the site for school purposes or any other permissible use in a R1Z-Residential 1 Zone.”

While many aspects of the situation remain unclear, the bottom line in the Council’s recommendations seems to be that:
At the Primary school almost 4,000 square metres of land for public use would be retained off Samada Street (approaching the size of a hockey field), and trees to the east and in the centre of the development site should be retained by the developer.
The community would retain nothing from the Monash Secondary Collage for public use.

The committee of the Notting Hill Community Association are considering a response to these documents, to be taken to the next meeting of Council. All comments and suggestions are very welcome, either in the Neighbourhood House letter-box, or by email to nottynews@gmail.com A full copy of all the recommendations and original Council papers are available at the Neighbourhood House.