By Alesha Capone
A family whose Werribee farm has been earmarked for acquisition by the state government says they are frustrated authorities failed to offer a fair price for their land.
The Maugeri Bros first leased the McGrath Road farm – named Wahroogna – in 1963, using the site as a market garden and for cattle grazing.
In 1976, the brothers purchased the land.
The Maugeri family still owns and farms 142 acres of Wahroogna.
In May 2018, the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) notified the family that the farm would be acquired to become part of a future 340-hectare Werribee Township Regional Park, to be delivered by the state government.
The DWELP document stated that the Maugeri’s farm would be placed under a public acquisition overlay (PAO) before being purchased and that purchases were typically via a negotiated process, in which land owners decide when to sell their property.
Maria Maugeri said that in a subsequent PAO information sheet provided to her family, it was stated that DELWP was “committed to ensuring a fair and open land acquisition process”.
Ms Maugeri said the family were supportive of the prospect of their farm becoming part of a park to be used by the community, rather than “another eyesore that locks this beautiful part of the river up for housing”.
“Our farm has the incredible Werribee River flowing around the north and east border while the western and southern neighbouring farms have all been developed into housing or earmarked for housing,” Ms Maugeri said.
However, she said the family has been not been offered a fair price for their farm.
“Despite the land continuing to being used for market gardening and grazing, we have only been offered one third of what the going market rate is for equivalent land in this area,” she said.
“We were recently notified that our farm will now be subject to a compulsory acquisition.
“Our frustration is the inequality the state government has shown for this property and the lack of respect to the property owners.
“We have entered our fourth year of the acquisition process of compulsory acquisition and all we want is the fair amount of compensation for the land – unfortunately the state doesn’t see it this way.”
A state government spokesperson said:
“Land values are determined by the Valuer-General Victoria and the process for land acquisition is overseen and approved by the Victorian Government Land Monitor.
“Landowners are given the opportunity to table independent valuations. As with all property sales, many factors determine a property’s value and DELWP’s preference is to work with landowners to reach a mutually agreeable position.”
