By Matthew Sims
Hobsons Bay council has endorsed the sale of the former Hobsons Bay Kindergarten site, after restrictions were lifted on parts of the site.
Councillors passed a motion six votes to one to support the sale and distribute the proceeds to a number of proposed projects during its meeting on Tuesday, July 12
Council originally agreed on the sale of the property located on 122 Woods Street in Newport in 2010, with the Hobsons Bay Kindergarten and Toy Library relocating to the Newport Gardens Early Years Centre in 2014.
However, the site could not be sold due to a restrictive covenant registered on two of the lots.
This covenant has now been removed through a planning scheme amendment.
Under the motion, the sale would see 50 per cent of proceeds contributing to the Western Aquatics Facility Construction Reserve, 25 per cent to the Wetlands Centre Construction Reserve and 25 per cent to the Hobsons Bay Property Development Fund Reserve.
Councillor Jonathon Marsden said the funding would support council’s push for further state and federal funding for these proposed projects.
“I think, in this case, it’s apt and wise,” he said.
“They are intergenerational projects and this sale of a superfluous property means that we can start to imagine these facilities taking shape.”
Cr Marsden said he was keen to see the Williamstown Historical Society, who are the outgoing tenants of the building, to be adequately housed, as council continues to seek funding partners to facilitate the restoration of the Williamstown Mechanics Institute.
Cr Pamela Sutton-Legaud said allocating the proceeds of the sale towards the ongoing projects would be a “fantastic contribution to the west”.
Cr Tony Briffa opposed the motion and said council should wait until the property market was in “better shape”.
“The market is down, interest rates have gone up substantially in recent months and if this sale was six months or a year ago, it might be different but now the market is down,” Cr Briffa said.
