Council ‘should buy prime site’

By Jim Mynard
EDRINGTON Ward councillor Brian Hetherton wants the City of Casey to buy land at Timbarra initially set aside for a secondary college.
The land is near the corner of Parkhill Drive and Ernst Wanke Road.
The property, next to Timbarra Primary School, is considered to be prime land.
Cr Hetherton last night asked that council officers investigate the possibility of acquiring the parcel of Department of Education land adjacent to the primary school for recreation purposes.
He asked that a report be made to an incamera committee meeting.
He asked also that the Department of Education be requested to delay any consideration of the disposal of the land, pending the council’s consideration of the incamera report.
He asked that council officers explore the possibility of funding assistance from the State and Federal governments towards acquisition of the land.
Cr Hetherton said he was advised that education and council projections said the land was no longer needed for educational purposes.
He said, however, that there was a desperate need for the council to set aside vacant land for community use.
He said the land should also be considered a possible site for a specialist technical school.
“I am looking to go to the State and Federal governments for assistance to buy this land.
“You only have to look at Dandenong and Pakenham to see the enormous growth in their facilities needs, particularly for activities such as netball and basketball.
“They built centres and before long they needed to be doubled in size.
“We need to foresee and prepare for these things.
“Narre Warren North is crying out for a major sporting facility and this land would be ideal.
“It is ideally located north of the highway and right in the centre of a major residential area.
“The land could serve a huge area and still leave space for a technical school,” he said.