Star

Housing plan opposed

By Belinda Nolan

3rd November 2009 11:05:05 AM

Four-year-old Quinton rides his bike through the concrete paths and derelict buildings of the Sunvale school grounds. 38287_02. Picture: KRISTIAN SCOTT

HANDS off Sunvale was the message Sunshine residents hurled at the State Government on Sunday.

Around 50 people attended a public rally at the former school site in Sunshine to protest Brimbank Council’s push to install social housing at the site.

While their parents demonstrated outside the gates, a handful of children played among the derelict school buildings.

Residents hope they will one day be able to legitimately claim the site as their own.

They are lobbying for the site to be turned into a park, in a bid to combat Brimbank’s chronic shortage of open space.

Sunshine resident Christine Oosthuizen said local children had to make do with residential areas to play because there was no where else to go.

“I grew up in Sunshine and we never had anywhere to play back then,” she said.

“Now I’ve got two kids and nothing has changed.

“There’s still no where for them to go.

“As a family we go for walks to the shops because there’s just no where else.”

Although not opposed to social housing, residents say Brimbank already has a disproportionate amount, a view echoed by youth worker Les Twentyman.

Speaking at the rally Mr Twentyman said putting more public housing in Brimbank would be a social disaster.

“I’d be the first to say we need more social housing but to set (Sunshine) up as a ghetto is just going to rip the guts out of this community,” Mr Twentyman said.

Sunshine resident Speroulla Christodoulou said she was furious over the council plan.

“Are we getting more social housing because we need it or are we attracting (the disadvantaged) here,” she asked.

“We are not a dumping ground.”

Respect the West member Sean Spencer said the State Government was still deciding what to do with the site and would offer it to its own departments before selling it to the council.

“We need to send a message to them loud and clear that we don’t want any government offices here,” Mr Spencer said.

“They can put their offices somewhere else and keep their hands off Sunvale.”

The residents are writing to the state government to urge it to donate the land for community use.

Anyone wishing to have their say on Sunvale or any other Sunshine issue is urged to attend a council consultation this Thursday.

The Sunshine Community Conversation will be held at the Glengala Community Centre in Glengala Road in Sunshine.

For more information call 9249 4383.