Wyndham council chief executive Kelly Grigsby has taken the Property Council of Australia to task for recommending it sell off a Hoppers Crossing community centre.
In a report titled Hidden in Plain Site, the property advocacy group earmarked the Central Park Community Centre and carpark as one of 101 local government assets in Victoria that could be sold to the private sector to help rejuvenate neighbourhoods and improve local community services.
The Property Council’s deputy executive director (Victoria), Asher Judah, said the Lonsdale Circuit site was identified as ideal for private sector investment based on its proximity to public transport, retail amenity and the local industrial belt.
He added that the final decision was up to Wyndham council.
Ms Grigsby said the council was disappointed the property council had “chosen to produce this report on a property it does not own, without having any discussions with us about the Central Park Community Centre or any other properties within Wyndham”.
“The publication of this report means communities are now unnecessarily concerned about the future of their local facility,” Ms Grigsby said.
“We share their concern about the insensitive way this information has been released.
“Council would like to reassure residents it has no plans to run an Expression of Interest [EOI] process on the Central Park Community Centre, nor any other council-owned property at this point in time, other than those currently under way for the Werribee City Centre Catalyst sites.
“Council regularly reviews its property portfolio to ensure Wyndham City property is utilised in a way that provides maximum benefit to the community.
“The community can rest assured that if council was to enter any EOI process for the sale of one of its properties, it would engage with the community, as it always does.”
