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By Cimara Pearce and Belinda Nolan

4th August 2009 11:05:09 AM

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BRIMBANK Council has started a Save Sunvale campaign and is lobbying the State Government to put soon-to-be-vacant land to community use.

The council has stepped up its campaign to put affordable public housing and parkland on the Sunvale Primary School site and is encouraging the community to get behind a new postcard and petition campaign.

But Brimbank residents have accused the council of attempting to pull the wool over the community’s eyes, claiming the postcards campaign is misleading.

Sunshine Residents and Ratepayers Association President Darlene Reilly said, while the council claimed to be pushing for more open space, in reality the proposed design of the site would include only 0.8 hectares of parkland.

“This is complete spin,” Ms Reilly said.

“They’re trying to sell this to the community that they’re going to lobby for this to be open space, but it’s all a scam.”

Respect the West member Sean Spencer said the defunct school site should be completely converted to community use.

“We don’t need more public housing; we need more open spaces and parks,” Mr Spencer said.

Brimbank Council CEO Nick Foa said lack of affordable housing was a significant issue for the municipality.

“The council believes that advocacy to the State Government is required to ensure that open space is provided to Council as a component of any use of the site,” he said.

“The focus of the advocacy is for the State Government to help build a better Brimbank by using the Sunvale Primary School site for purposes that benefit the community, that is, for the State Government to build a park on at least .08 hectares of the site.

The council has produced copies of a postage-paid postcard that residents can mail to show their support of the council’s campaign to restore the site to council control. The postcards are addressed to the Minister for Education.

Residents can also sign a council petition to send to the State Government.

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