Published on 05 August 2025
At the July Council Meeting, Councillors agreed to declare an intent to dispose of seven properties around the Shire, with three suitable for affordable housing. These properties have been deemed surplus to Council needs and can be sold in line with both the Local Government Act 2020 and Council’s Disposal and Acquisition of Land Policy (Council Policy No. 93(C)).
Council is required to carry out community engagement prior to deciding whether to proceed with the sale of the properties.
Mayor, Cr Don Henderson, said that Council is seeking feedback on the proposal to declare seven Council-owned properties as surplus and sell these properties.
“There is a rigorous assessment and legislative process that needs to occur before any property can be sold. We want to consider the needs of our community throughout this process,” said Cr Don Henderson.
The seven properties are:
“Community consultation will take place in August and we encourage the community to have their say on the disposal of these properties,” said Cr Don Henderson.
It is proposed that the proceeds of the potential sales, less the costs of disposal, will be invested in the establishment of a financial reserve to support grant co-contributions as proposed in Council’s Financial Vision, designed to assist Council in meeting co-contribution requirements associated with external funding opportunities.
Investigating potential surplus land supports objectives outlined in the Council Plan 2025–2029, particularly the objectives of responsibly managing infrastructure and the environment and upholding strong corporate governance to ensure sound decision-making and long-term financial sustainability.
Community feedback can be provided until Friday 29 August 2025 on Participate Hepburn.
The decision whether to proceed with the disposal of the properties will be considered at the October Council meeting.