At the same time the council is gathering information about requirements for public open-space acquisition and development of the site considering the circumstances.
The expanse of rail-corridor land is bordered to the south by a Melbourne-
Adelaide rail line and a dilapidated cyclone fence on Mill Street to the north.
It presents a sparse industrial and dilapidated vista, especially for northbound traffic on Kalkee Road overpass.
The site became obsolete to contemporary rail-transport needs when Wimmera Intermodal Freight Hub at Dooen became fully operational.
Horsham council community wellbeing director Kevin O’Brien said the council acknowledged the site was a municipal eyesore.
He said VicTrack was under instruction to clean up the site by 2023 and the council needed to be in a position to move forward. “VicTrack has to carry out requirements involving the site, but we also want to use our own assessment procedures to gain information to inform the council around the process, costs involved and potential purchase of the land,” he said.
“There are complexities with this site but we are very focused on it and are in regular communication with VicTrack to continue to push the issue forward.”
City planning investigations have long identified a lack of connective passive recreation parkland in Horsham north of the railway line.
Creating a new open public space in the rail corridor at Mill Street, if appropriate and based on investigations, is part of an overall scheme to address the issue.
The north-west part of Horsham, originally Oatlands sub-division, was previously home to Oatlands Park, now a fully developed housing estate, and Langlands Oval, partly developed for housing but retaining a relatively undeveloped Langlands Park area of open space featuring an off-leash dog area.
The Oatlands area also has some passive recreation areas in some street verges.
Dudley Cornell Park, the home of Kalkee Road Children’s Hub as well as a sporting oval surrounded by houses, sits in the overall heart of Horsham North.
Horsham North east of Kalkee Road also has some community verge-style passive recreation areas and Police Paddock reserve on Rasmussen Road on Horsham’s fringe.
The entire October 23, 2019 edition of The Weekly Advertiser is available online. READ IT HERE!
