A BOTANICAL garden, a farmers’ market and a skate park were among a flurry of suggestions for the future use of Sunshine’s Sunvale School site.

Around 40 Sunshine residents attended a community meeting with Brimbank Council’s CEO, managers and officers last week to bend their ears on residents’ vision for their suburb.

Open space topped the wish list, with residents renewing calls for more parks and playgrounds to address the suburb’s chronic shortage.

Sunshine resident Mike St Clair Miller said parks and bike tracks were desperately needed to curb the municipality’s growing obesity epidemic.

“The Sunvale School site is the perfect opportunity to address these problems and develop a facility that will cater for the physical and mental health of residents,” Mr St Clair Miller said.

Respect the West member Sean Spencer said the suburb needed more community facilities for local artists and musicians.

“We’ve got lots of talented people but they all go to other areas because there’s no where for them in Brimbank.”

Residents remain vehemently opposed to the council’s push to build social housing on Sunvale.

Sunshine resident Margaret Stanford said Sunshine did not need any more public housing.

“We’re not a dumping ground,” Ms Stanford said.

Residents also raised concerns about safety and a lack of trees in the suburb.

The consultation was the first of four forums planned to give Brimbank residents the opportunity to discuss their priorities and concerns with the council.

Kelly Grigsby, the council’s General Manager of Community Wellbeing said administrator Bill Scales would be briefed on the proceedings.

She said the council would also conduct surveys to ensure all residents were able to have their say.

Although the State Government has yet to decide the future of Sunvale, CEO Nick Foa promised to write to its departments to convey the community’s interest in the site.