Sellout warning

By Jim Mynard
BERWICK Village Chamber of Commerce will fight ‘to the death’ plans to sell Berwick campus of Monash University land for residential housing.
Chamber president Michael Hall told the chamber’s November meeting that the Monash Urban Plan would go ahead only over his dead body.
Mr Hall responded to a speech by the Berwick campus head Professor Phillip Steele about challenges the university faced.
Mr Hall said the university wanted to sell land that this community fought hard to get for education and tertiary-related use.
“They want to develop that land for housing and retail and by doing that they would also diminish the value of Berwick Village,” he said.
Mr Hall said the university management was planning to use the land as a cash resource for short-term gain.
He said the Berwick Village activity centre was Berwick’s lifeblood and it was a business centre.
“There is much to be gained by the university if it works with the community, much to be lost by it if it doesn’t.
“Students can easily be transported into the village.
“This university urban plan has to be stopped.
“If we allow them to sell this land it will be gone forever.
“We will never get it back.
“What a wonderful opportunity to use the land for such things as sport facilities that all can share.”
Concern about the ‘Monash Urban Plan’ has been simmering for several years, but mollified when university spokespeople insisted that it did not plan to sell land.
However, it was revealed in June this year that efforts were being made to slip the application through the council.
The overall plan involves a major housing development and retail-shopping precinct.
Some councillors believed the plan was for student housing only and agreed during an in camera meeting to support an application before the Minister for Education Lynne Kosky to approve the urban plan.
Mr Hall then called on the council and the university to be frank about the plans.
Professor Steele, Monash University pro vice-chancellor and academic head of Berwick campus, was to address a business and economics faculty breakfast on Friday 11 November about the urban plan.
He chose, however, to discuss challenges facing the university.
His speech indicated a difficulty in drawing students and lecturers to the campus despite its obvious success in the short time it has been at Berwick.
Despite veering away from discussion on the plan he did have the plan document with him.
A 16 November Gazette article ‘Uni in no man’s land’ said Professor Steele had lightly foreshadowed the possibility that Monash may look for alternative solutions to the sale of land.
Mr Hall, however, told the chamber that there was a risk that the plan would eventually be slipped through government.
He said the chamber would vigorously oppose this happening.
Professor Steele was not available for comment before the Gazette went to press.