A publication of the Centre for Advancing Journalism, University of Melbourne

Residents fight threat to Merri Creek trail in Melbourne’s north

A strip of parkland along Merri Creek in Melbourne’s north could be developed as an industrial site after Darebin Council twice declined to purchase the land from the state government.

Words by Derrick Krusche
 

The 1.9-hectare stretch, which lies adjacent to the former site of Lakeside Secondary College on Radford Road in Reservoir, was considered excess to government requirements and was offered to the council by the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development as part of a routine stocktake.

But the council balked and residents now fear a firesale, paving the way for private developers to build an industrial site on the land and disrupting the Merri Creek trail, which runs through the frontage.

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The vice-president of lobby group Friends of the Merri Creek, Ann McGregor, told The Citizen the frontage along the creek was of significant environmental worth.

“The Merri Creek corridor has been revitalised through revegetation as a movement corridor for migrating birds,” she said. “There is a nationally listed endangered plant called Matted Flax-lily on the frontage area, too.”

State departments and statutory agencies must review their land holdings annually to determine whether they are needed for “current or future service delivery needs”.

If land is deemed surplus to requirements then it is offered to the local municipality or federal government for purchase. If both decline, the land can be offered to the market for private investors.

Ms McGregor said the frontage was on the same property title as the rest of the site so it could not be developed separately.

“We are wanting the frontage portion to be subdivided from the rest of the property and retained in public ownership, either state government or council ownership,” she said.

In September 2014, the government offered to sell the Merri Creek strip to Darebin Council. However, the council declined, asking if the land could be gifted to it instead.

The government offered to sell the land to Darebin a second time in September last year, but the council did not formally respond

Darebin’s assets and business services director Steve Hamilton said: “Council resolved to contact the Minister for Environment and ask that the land be made a Crown Reserve and, if that was not successful, to negotiate with any future owner of the land to secure the site for public use.”

“Council resolved to contact the Minister for Environment and ask that the land be made a Crown Reserve and, if that was not successful, to negotiate with any future owner of the land to secure the site for public use.” — Steve Hamilton, Darebin Council executive

However, the Department of Environment and Primary Industries told the council the land was not considered to be of state significance and would not be protected by Crown reservation. 

Mr Hamilton agreed with Ms McGregor that the parkland was of regional significance.

“The Merri Creek itself is significant to the whole northern region of Melbourne,” he said. “Council is currently working with the Department of Planning in an attempt to achieve an open space zoning for the lands.”

But Ms McGregor argued it was inequitable that Darebin Council was being asked to pay for the land.

“The site has been declared surplus and has been offered to commonwealth and local governments who both said no,” she said. “The next step is to rezone it and put it up for sale on the private market. It’s all about getting money for the state treasury, which is a one-off thing as far as I can see.”

The state government was now getting advice from the Government Land Standing Advisory Committee on how to rezone the property to sell to private entities.

But Ms McGregor, along with a group of campaigners, wants to see the land transferred free of charge to Darebin Council and rezoned as a public park and recreation zone. Alternatively, it could be designated Crown Reserve with Darebin Council responsible for its management, say the campaigners.

Mr Hamilton said the council was willing to continue maintaining the frontage as part of the Merri parklands.

“Darebin has been maintaining this land for the past two decades and is more than willing to continue to maintain this land,” he said.

“The Merri Creek corridor has been revitalised through revegetation as a movement corridor for migrating birds. There is a nationally listed endangered plant called Matted Flax-lily on the frontage area,  too.”— Ann McGregor, Merri Creek campaigner

Ms McGregor said an industrial development on the site would stick out like a “sore thumb” because there would be parkland on either side of it.

An easement has been placed along the Merri Creek trail for continued public use as a walking and cycling track but Ms McGregor said industrial buildings could be developed on either side of the trail under the proposed rezoning.

Ms McGregor, with fellow resident Rebecca Mayo, met with Preston MLA Robin Scott on Friday to press their case.

“He said he now recognises that the easement over the trail is not enough to protect the wider values that people are concerned about,” Ms McGregor said.

But departmental staff had not so far come up with a solution in discussions with Darebin Council, according to Ms McGregor.

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