Former shire offices and pound sites up for sale

The former shire offices at Trafalgar and former Warragul pound site are up for sale.

Baw Baw Shire is selling six council owned properties that have the potential to net $1.7 million.

Councillors last week supported the move to sell the six properties, but stressed the sales were not a done deal.

The properties to be offered for sale include:

Former shire animal pound in Galloway St, Warragul;

Former council offices, 107 Princes Hwy, Trafalgar – currently leased to multiple tenants;

1 Saleyards Rd, Trafalgar – currently leased to adjoining business owner;

Depot Lane, Trafalgar – former depot site, vacant land;

65 Old Fumina Rd, Neerim North – former tip site, previous sale fell through; and,

2905 Main Neerim Rd, Neerim Junction – single residential lot in a paddock.

Council officers also will investigate the feasibility of selling five other properties and reserves in Landsborough St, Sutton St and Lovell Drv in Warragul; Montague Ave, Drouin; and the former Logan Park caretaker house in Galloway St, Warragul.

Council also requested officers to investigate the potential for any underutilised reserves that could be subdivided into separate lots and sold for residential development.

Cr Joe Gauci said the properties had been identified as either not being used or surplus to council needs.

“We can sell these to gain funds to enhance other assets,” he said.

But, Cr Gauci assured people there was nothing underhand about the process – “it’s simply money in and money out.”

“It’s our responsibility to see whether we can get benefits for our community from assets that we don’t need and then use those benefits of sale to put back into where it’s appropriate,” he said.

He said in some cases on vacant land, council’s parks and garden staff were allocating their time to mow land that wasn’t necessarily being used.

Cr Gauci said the sale process was very tightly regulated and legislated.

Read the full story in today's Gazette.