By Colin MacGillivray 

Ararat Rural City Council has scrapped plans to sell a pocket park between Banfield and View Point streets after receiving record feedback opposing the plan.

Earlier this year the council received a request to sell the land, which is zoned for residential use, and in May councillors voted to seek community views on the proposal.

At the council’s August 27 meeting, chief executive Tim Harrison announced the proposal had garnered a record 155 community submissions, including 151 through the council’s Engage Ararat website.

Of the 151 online submissions, fewer than 10 supported selling the land.

“I’ve got to say we were overwhelmed with responses, receiving 155 submissions, which is a new record – 151 through Engage Ararat … and four via phone, letters or in person,” Dr Harrison said.

“The 155 submissions were overwhelmingly opposed to the sale of the park.”

Dr Harrison recommended the council defer making a decision on the sale until after October’s elections in order to analyse the large volume of feedback received, but councillors voted to scrap the proposal immediately.

Cr Jo Armstrong said while the land was zoned for residential use and the council was keen to diversify housing options in the region, it was clear the community was opposed to the park’s sale.

“We have had an overwhelming indication from the community that the proposed sale of this land is not desired by the community and by the neighbourhood,” she said.

“I appreciate the report that Dr Harrison has put forward explaining that we have an option to defer making a decision about the sale of this land until the next council period, but I think we are responsible for making a decision at this point in time with the information that has come to hand from the community. I’d like to stress that this is not a judgement of the proposed use of that land. 

“That is an entirely separate element that would have been up for discussion if we had taken the step of selling this land. 

“We’re not judging development in this town, we’re not judging housing typology in this town – what we are deciding today is whether it is appropriate to sell land that our community has indicated is very important to them to keep as open space, even though it’s zoned residential.”

Cr Henry Burridge said it was incumbent on councillors to listen to public feedback.

“We put this forward for public comment, and overwhelmingly we’ve got that public comment,” he said.

“Whether we agree to the sale or not, I think it’s important the public must get considered as part of this process.”

Councillors voted unanimously in support of Cr Armstrong’s motion to scrap the sale.

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