Breakthrough in dispute over former school site
Published on 24 August 2016
Monash Council welcomes aged care provider Bupa’s announcement that it has bought the former school site in Beryl Avenue, Oakleigh South.
Mayor Geoff Lake said Bupa’s purchase offered a new way forward after the local community and Council had fought for more than a year to stop overdevelopment on the site.
More than 1,000 people had objected to the previous owner’s original plans for the site, an amended version of which are before VCAT.
“I have met with Bupa and they have confirmed they will not be proceeding with the current plans before VCAT which means that this application will be discontinued. This is great news for the local community,” Cr Lake said.
“It is early days in terms of what Bupa will propose for the site but we expect their plans will be much more respectful of the surrounding neighbourhood than the previous massive ugly concrete proposal.
“We expect that Bupa will have a far smaller building footprint with lots of open space and vegetation,” he said.
“We would also expect that trees identified for retention in the Development Plan Overlay will be retained.
“Increased traffic from a massive housing development was a major concern for local residents whereas an aged-care facility would be expected to result in much less traffic movements in and out of the site.
“We look forward to Bupa meeting with Council and local residents to talk about their plans for the site and how they can respectfully join this community. Once we receive a proposed development plan from Bupa, it will be analysed in detail by Council and the community.”
Cr Lake said the former State Government sold the site - and four other former school sites in Monash - in 2014.
He congratulated local residents for their strong advocacy when faced with previous proposals for the site, including the original proposal for a three-storey apartment building (with up to 65 apartments) and 56 townhouses.
When Council emphatically rejected that proposal, the previous owner Oakleigh Garden Pty Ltd appealed to VCAT. The previous owner has since submitted an amended proposal to VCAT which Council had significant concerns about, but Bupa’s purchase of the land will bring the current VCAT application to an end.
“I have never seen such a well-organised and professional response to a development application by a community group before during my 16 years on Council. The care, dedication and effort which the leaders of the Beryl Avenue community group has put into its opposition to the VCAT application has been nothing short of astonishingly impressive. They deserve much credit for scaring the previous owner away and causing it to sell the site.
“Council is pleased to have worked with local residents in protecting the liveability of this neighbourhood for now and for future generations.”
Media Contact: Jo Robertson 0418 391 979 or email Joanne.Robertson@monash.vic.gov.au