Macedon Ranges Shire Council will sell Hanging Rock’s East Paddock to the state government with conditions aimed at securing community priorities.
Retaining public open space in perpetuity and ensuring any development on the East Paddock is consistent with protecting the natural, cultural values and views of the site will be vital to any agreement.
Ensuring concerts, events and markets can continue, and having council remain on the Committee of Management for the Hanging Rock Precinct will also be key factors.
The council will seek an offer equal to, or within 10 per cent of, the current valuation assessed by the council’s appointed valuer. In December 2020, the council disclosed that valuation was $3.065 million.
The council rejected a DELWP bid in May 2020, which it described as “significantly below” council’s valuation.
MRSC CEO Bernie O’Sullivan told the Express the most recent valuation, completed in March, was “commercial in confidence”.
Discussions with DELWP on the ownership of the East Paddock began in 2018 after the Labor state government signalled its intent to purchase the land as part of an election commitment to protect the entire precinct.
DIFFICULT DECISION
The hefty decision, attracting 245 community responses, proved tough for councillors last week who voted 6-3 in favour of the sale.
With some uncertainties still ahead, including the outcome of the Draft Hanging Rock Precinct Master Plan, councillors were forced to consider the risk of losing bargaining power should the state government compulsorily acquire the land.
Councillor Annette Death said the sale was the best option to negotiate a balanced outcome for the community, council and state government.
“Through this sale process, council has been in the position to include conditions on the sale that address key concerns raised through the community engagement process,” she said.
“A risk to council is that, delay or defer, the state government can undertake compulsory acquisition. The officer’s report notes this can occur without council’s consent on the sale price.
“But it actually goes further than that, because the council could lose the option to have conditions as outlined in this recommendation.
“We would then lose the open space for perpetuity and also a say in the future governance of the East Paddock.”
FUTURE GOVERNANCE
The council will remain on the Committee of Management for the Hanging Rock Precinct and East Paddock for a transition period of at least three years.
Councillor Janet Pearce sought to strengthen the council’s future involvement with the added condition that the council be formally represented as a permanent member of the future management and governance arrangements of the precinct.
“Many submissions raised that, in selling, the council would lose power, lose its voice and wouldn’t have its say in the future management and governance of the Hanging Rock precinct,” Cr Pearce said.
“We know that is currently under review … but we can most definitely put our feelings, that we want to continue to be a part of this permanent governance structure, to the minister and that can be made very clear.”
Councillors heard it was the original intention the Woodend-Newham Shire to amalgamate the East Paddock with the Hanging Rock parkland. The move aimed to improve ongoing planning and management.
OPPOSITION
However, not all councillors were convinced a decision should be made on the East Paddock sale before completion of the draft master plan.
Cr Rob Guthrie said the council should wait until the master plan was endorsed and council had time to examine it.
“To me, this is a half-hearted effort when not all of the information is available to us,” he said.
“We should be waiting until we have all the information to make an informed decision with all the facts in front of us like we do on any planning matter.”
Cr Anne Moore had flagged the council should defer the decision until the draft master plan was endorsed but no new motion reached debate.
SPORTING GROUP SUPPORT?
Community sporting groups located within the Hanging Rock Precinct have not been ignored in the council’s East Paddock sale conditions but some argue it has not gone far enough.
Hanging Rock Cricket Club has called Crown land at the Rock home for a century and is one of the groups slated for relocation in the draft precinct master plan.
The council has agreed to “highlight the importance of alternative facilities for existing Hanging Rock sporting groups being identified, planned, funded and delivered” should they need to relocate in the final plan.
Early in the debate, Cr Geoff Neil moved a motion that council not proceed with the sale of the East Paddock “unless the Victorian Government provides a suitable alternative site for sporting groups to relocate should they be required to do so” as part of the master plan implementation.
The master plan is a DEWLP-led project that will be decided in a separate process. Other councillors argued the master plan could be enacted regardless of who owned the East Paddock.
“The Hanging Rock Master Plan, however it occurs, when endorsed by the minister will be able to be implemented independent of who owns the East Paddock,” Cr Pearce said.
“We know that council is currently working on a number of options for alternative facilities for sporting clubs for in the vicinity.
“The cricket club is on the land owned by the state and we want to do absolutely anything in our power to be assisting.”
A flaw highlighted in Cr Neil’s motion was that it failed to address any other community or council concern about the sale. It still gained the votes of Crs Moore, West and Guthrie, but was defeated 4-5.
Councillors voted 6-3 in favour of selling the East Paddock. A division recorded Crs Anderson, Death, Ridgeway, Pearce, Bonanno and West in favour of the motion. Crs Moore, Guthrie, Neil voted against.
WHAT NOW?
Should the sale of East Paddock proceed, it is proposed that a new separate financial reserve be created and that the funds be held in this account.
A further report to the council will be presented within three months after completion of sale to provide options for the use of these funds.
The allocations for suitable future use in the shire will then occur in accordance with the current annual budget and mid-year budget processes, requiring a resolution of council for its release from the reserve.
