By Mikayla van Loon
The campaign to keep an old school campus in Kilsyth as open space has been a constant battle for residents but those instrumental in the fight have reason to believe a decision will be made in early February.
With support from over 7000 Yarra Ranges Shire residents who signed a petition to keep the land, senior campaigner and Kilsyth resident John Phillips said he hopes those people will show their support again by contacting the council and ward councillors to plead for the land to be kept as open space.
The site at 150 Cambridge Road, once home to Pembroke High, has been used as community land since the school was demolished in 2013.
Mr Phillips said late last year Yarra Ranges Council were officially given the opportunity to purchase the land from the State Government for $6.44 million.
“In a way it means we’re still on the agenda and for the community, the ball is still rolling. I guess that means if it’s not sold [to developers], we still have a fair chance,” he said.
Councillor Len Cox has been working alongside Mr Phillips and other concerned residents to get this item on the council’s agenda at one of the meetings in February.
The Walling Ward councillor said it would be a disaster if developers got their hands on the vacant block because it would mean more medium density housing would be established in an already overcrowded area.
“There’s more and more backyards disappearing and we need more public open space, more passive open space than what we’ve got. 150 Cambridge Road, it’s absolutely essential that the council can get hold of that and retain it as more public open space,” Cr Cox said.
Although the debate about whether the council can afford to purchase the land in the current landscape has been raised, particularly after the storms in June and the costs associated, Cr Cox said in 10 years time no one will remember how much the land cost.
“This happened 30 years ago, when the then council, which was Lilydale at the time, looked at building Lillydale Lake.
“A lot of them didn’t want to spend the money on building the lake. Can you imagine what we would have missed out on if they’d got their way and we hadn’t built it.”
Support from politicians on both sides has also been offered, with Croydon MP David Hodgett requesting the government offer Yarra Ranges Council a five year peppercorn lease during a parliamentary speech in November.
Mr Phillips has also received support from Victorian Greens parliamentary leader Samantha Ratnam who noted the need for open space in Kilsyth.
“Look what the last two years has done to people’s mental health and well being and the scars on children that will carry that through decades in their life and adulthood, they will need this space,” Mr Phillips said.
