By Laura Michell
The former Shire of Broadmeadows building in Ardlie Street, Westmeadows, won’t be purchased by Hume council despite the community calling for the site to be kept in the city’s hands.
The site at 11-17 Ardlie Street included a bluestone building, which councillor Chris Hollow described as a “meaningful” and “historical” part of the municipality.
At council’s July 11 meeting, he asked council officers to investigate buying the site to keep it in public hands and preserve it for the future, after residents raised concerns about the site’s future.
In December 2021, the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) approved a planning permit for a residential hotel on the site, after the application was rejected by council in April 2021.
The application attracted over 250 objections from the community, with many residents concerned about the development’s impact on the heritage values of the bluestone building.
In late December 2021, the building caught fire and was damaged.
The property was put up for sale via an expression of interest process in June 2022.
But a report to council’s August 22 meeting recommended not buying the site, which has an estimated price tag of $3.5 million to $4 million.
The report said that while some in the community wanted council to buy the property for its heritage values, council’s June 2019 application to have the building added to the Victorian Heritage Register had failed, with the Heritage Council finding the building was “not rare or uncommon”.
Cr Joseph Haweil said council’s budget did not make provisions for the purchase of the site or the cost of works to make the property suitable for use.
“Unfortunately this business case … does not come close to adding up for the purchase of the site by Hume City Council,” he said.
“The historic and heritage vale of the building, by the assessment of [Heritage Council] experts, is very limited.
“We don’t know the impact of the fire, we don’t know if the building is salvageable, we don’t know what council’s … liability would be, and we don’t know what the building would be used for.
“It’s timely that we draw a line under this issue … and we work to ensure the current permit holders deliver on the specifications and conditions of their permit.”
Cr Hollow urged council to consider buying the site, saying some “creative thinking” was required to determine a future use for the site.
He said council was looking to revitalise Westmeadows and the site could be used for a global learning centre.
“We as a council group need to consider this,” he said.
