In recent months, Moira Shire Council has progressed constructive talks with the Victorian Government about the prospect of council acquiring the Yarrawonga Primary School site under the First Right Or Refusal (FROR) process, including a meeting between Council Administrators Graeme Emonson and Suzanna Sheed and the Assistant Treasurer Danny Pearson on June 20.
In September last year Assistant Treasurer Danny Pearson confirmed in a letter to Member for Ovens Valley Tim McCurdy that the Department of Transport and Planning (DTP) was happy to extend the FROR to council, “subject to the completion of due diligence and all required approvals”.
In July’s Moira Shire Council Meeting Agenda is states that conservative estimates of approximately $5 million of investment are required to make good the site and buildings for occupancy and it is critical that council does two things through this process:
• That it secures the site on the most advantageous terms possible, noting that the intention of securing the site is for community purposes, and
• That it identifies potential future users and their capacity to invest/co-invest in the renewal and ongoing upkeep of the site.
Once council has an acceptable agreement with the state government regarding the acquisition of the site, it is recommended that they undertake a master plan for the site, considering the heritage elements and the need for a conservation management plan. In addition, they intend to conduct an expression of interest process to identify potential future users of the site.
Council will also need to undertake public consultation on the proposed acquisition prior the finalisation of the acquisition.
Moira Shire Council Chair Administrator Graeme Emonson said that there were still hoops that need to be jumped through and due diligence done, but the progress looks promising.
“There is an opportunity to acquire the former Yarrawonga Primary School site for future community use, however this requires further exploration of opportunities for co-investment into the refurbishment of the site and buildings, development of a master plan and conservation management plan and identification of future users,” Mr Emonson said.
“It also requires development of an acceptable agreement between the state and council as to how the land is made available for community purposes, whether by purchase, lease or dedication.
“Once an acceptable agreement is conditionally in place, council will be able to commence further consultation with the community about the acquisition and future use of the site.
“It is good to see this update report before us. The former site is of keen interest to a broad range of people in the Yarrawonga community and council has been doing a lot of work in terms of working with the state government towards securing this site for community use.
“It has and does require, from a good governance perspective, a range of due diligence activities to be undertaken and these are within the update that was provided.
“We do look forward to these negotiations continuing with an aspiration that we will be back here at our next council meeting in August with a further update in relation to where we are at with these proposed arrangements for acquisition.”
Administrator Suzanna Sheed added that there are challenges with the site but council are working to acquire the site back from the Department of Education.
“This school site has been empty since 2018 and there are several old buildings on the site. The school site itself and an avenue of heritage trees that means it is certainly a challenging site but one close to the hearts of many people in Yarrawonga and they are certainly taking an interest in it,” Ms Sheed said.
The community interest in the site is twofold, in the sense of the social value of the site to the community, which is represented by various heritage listings at both state and local level as well as the practical need for additional space for community groups and organisations within Yarrawonga.
In December 2022 local philanthropic group the Alexandra Park Club offered to fund the entire purchase of the site for the benefit of it remaining in civic hands and would then pass it on to Moira Shire for restricted community use.
The Alexandra Park Club has been advocating for the former YPS site to be back in civic hands since the Yarrawonga College P-12 moved off the premises at the end of the school year in 2018 and in the past 12 months has worked together with the Yarrawonga Mulwala Community & Learning Centre (YMCLC) to explore the purchase the site and potential community use options.
Alexandra Park Club directors Jim Judd OAM and Bruce Pigdon OAM made a joint statement following the July 24 council meeting saying they are in complete agreement with and are supportive of the efforts being made by the Moira Shire Administrators and CEO to negotiate the best terms to acquire the former Yarrawonga Primary School site for exclusive community use.
“The Alexandra Park Club offer to fully fund the purchase price of the YPS site by the Moira Shire, made nearly two years ago, still stands,” the directors said.
