These four properties are no longer being used for a Council service and have been identified as surplus to Council’s requirements. The buildings have declined with age, the maintenance costs are increasing and they no longer meet our current building standards or the functional requirements of contemporary community facilities.

To ensure transparency and best value, Council proposes to sell the properties on the open market by a competitive public process (auction or Expression of Interest).

Council will obtain a valuation from a certified practicing valuer to assess the current market value of the individual properties, taking into account the highest and best use of the property.

It is proposed that the proceeds of the potential sales will be reinvested into Council’s city-shaping infrastructure projects and the capital works program to provide vital community services and a fairer and better-connected city.

Read more about Council’s draft Budget 2022-23

Should Council resolve to sell the properties, we intend to put them on the market in stages. Officers will appoint a real estate agent(s) to commence the marketing campaign.

Under the Local Government Act 2020, Council is required to undertake a community engagement process on a proposed sale of Council owned land in accordance with its Community Engagement Policy 2021. All feedback received during this consultation will be presented at a Council meeting for Councilors to consider in their decision of whether or not to sell these properties.

The property at Gatehouse Drive is zone PUZ6 – Public Use Zone 6 (Local Government). Land use for public utility and community services and facilities.

Prior to being offered for sale, the property needs to be appropriately zoned. This will ensure that the ultimate use of the land is determined by that zone and the highest and best use is achieved. A Strategic Land Use Assessment will be undertaken prior to Council pursuing a rezoning of the land to determine the most suitable rezoning option.

The rezoning will need to go through a planning scheme amendment process, including community consultation. The timeframe for the rezoning would be roughly 1 to 2 years.

City of Melbourne’s Affordable Housing Strategy 2020-2030 outlines our commitment to deliver, plan, advocate for and deliver more affordable housing. As part of the strategy, we undertook a review of all council-owned land and have determined other sites are more suitable for affordable housing given their size and location.

We are currently exploring the change of use of a council-owned car park on Curzon Street, North Melbourne as a potential site for an affordable housing development project. We’re also working on plans for 40 affordable housing units at Boyd in Southbank and have collaborated with PDG Corporation to deliver 48 affordable housing units alongside the Queen Victoria Market. These projects will be exemplar and seek to inspire others to deliver more affordable housing across the municipality.

A three-stage assessment process is undertaken for any sale of Council owned land. Each stage is completed independently before moving onto the next stage if appropriate. The first stage involves a neighbourhood wide analysis assessment. Stage two involves assessment against a retention of land filter. Stage three involves assessment against a variety of criteria to determine whether it is appropriate for sale. You can read more about these stages in the fact sheet.

The properties have been assessed taking into consideration the current and future demand of community, social and recreation infrastructure as identified in a range of City of Melbourne strategies and plans including our Open Space Strategy, Affordable Housing Strategy. The future growth of the neighbourhoods, as well as social and recreation infrastructure needs are considered when determining what infrastructure is required locally. At the time of the assessment, the four properties did not meet the needs or deemed suitable for identified current or future Council delivered community, social or recreational infrastructure and services.

We assess properties on whether they are suitable for a council delivered service such as a library, community hub with bookable rooms, recreation facility, family and children service etc. This does not include provision of community or recreational services or progams that are not directly delivered by City of Melbourne.

100-104 A'Beckett Street, Melbourne is protected by the heritage controls and any redevelopment would undergo a development specific assessment against the heritage overlay. Council is currently undertaking a process to implement permanent planning scheme controls to protect the heritage value of various buildings in the CBD. You can find out what properties are being proposed to be protected using the interactive map.

Learn more about the heritage review and what properties are protected.