Councillors look likely to set aside the entirety of the parkland at 11a Allambi Avenue as public open space at the council meeting on Tuesday (12th August).
The issue of what will become of the 21,893 square metres of land has been a long-running one with residents fearing it will be developed for affordable housing.
The land was originally set aside over 70 years ago by the Coleman family as open space during the subdivision for Bayview Heights Estate. Despite assurances never to develop it, a portion of the land was carved off in the 1970’s and used for Eastbourne Primary School.
The issue of what would become of the remainder of the land went before council in 2022 when councillors rejected a plan to allow affordable, or social, housing to be built on the site (Social housing site rejected, The News 13/9/22).
The fate of 11a Allambi Avenue will be subject to a vote by councillor at their meeting at Tyabb Hall on Tuesday where they will consider the shire’s “Open Space Strategy”.
Capel Sound residents have been sounding the alarm on the upcoming vote, with a considerable campaign underway to get the land designated as parkland.
It is believed a bus has been organised and corflute signs and a banner readied to send a strong message to councillors.
Ex-councillor Debra Mar has entered the campaign, joining the long-running campaign by the Capel Sound Community Group. Also expressing support is Sam Groth, MP for Nepean, who said he will “continue to urge the Mornington Peninsula Shire Council to do everything they can to try and ensure that this land is preserved as green space”.
But it appears the issue has already been settled, with councillors understood to be in favour of setting aside the entirety of the land as public open space.
A source within the shire told The News that there was a councillor briefing held, and at that briefing councillors requested the option to retain the entirety of the land as parkland be included as an option in the proposed motion.
The other option that had previously been tabled is to keep half the land as public open space, opening the possibility of the development of the other half.
“It seems highly likely that councillors will be voting to zone the entire area as open public space, in line with their longstanding view on this patch of land”, the source told The News.
