Published on Friday, 18 March 2022 at 9:00:00 AM

The City of Vincent will use any funds from a possible land sale in Leederville to improve local parks and increase the amount of public open space in areas of the City that are lacking in parkland.

The sale of the City-owned land at 26 Brentham Street has been proposed with conditions.

The funds would go towards upgrading the nearby Brentham Street Reserve and creating more public open space within the City where a need for parkland has been identified.

The decision is in line with the City’s Public Open Space Strategy that outlines a need to identify areas with a deficit of parks and reserves and take action to deliver more public open space in Vincent.

An example of an area with an open space deficit is the portion of Mount Hawthorn to the western side of Brady Street.

The decision to consider the sale of 26 Brentham Street is linked to a land swap between the City and Sisters of Mercy/Aranmore Catholic Primary School in 2018.

An historic anomaly had meant that primary school facilities, including a car park and playground areas, were located on City land.

The land swap, based on the principle of equal land exchange, delivered a better outcome for both the school and the Vincent community.

However, Lot 26 Brentham Street became dislocated from Brentham Reserve resulting in a ‘pocket park’ with low community use in an area of Leederville with a high amount of Public Open Space due to Brentham and Britannia Reserves being in close proximity. 

At the March 8 Ordinary Council meeting, Council approved the disposal of 26 Brentham Street, subject to strict conditions.

The City will invite private treaty land sale offers from the adjoining landowners Aranmore Catholic Primary School and Rosewood Care Group, which will be presented to Council.

Rosewood Care Group has flagged their interest in purchasing the land to provide Rosewood residents with a dementia garden, with planned access for Aranmore school students to encourage intergenerational connection, as well as NDIS accommodation.

Part-proceeds from any sale have also been earmarked for the adjacent Brentham Street Reserve, to provide a new playground accessible to both community and Aranmore Catholic Primary School and the extension of the footpath and lighting through to Bourke Street, creating a continuous footpath through the shady greenway from Mount Hawthorn to Leederville.

The community and school would also be consulted about using $299,000 of the possible sale proceeds towards these enhancements to Brentham Street Reserve.

The City will assess the options for creating public open space in locations identified in the Public Open Space Strategy as having a deficit of parks and reserves, with a particular focus on the western most area of Mount Hawthorn, which currently has no public open space.

Mayor Emma Cole said Council had listened to the community feedback from last year and the school community and students’ concerns over the potential loss of green space and the play equipment used by students as part of their daily play.

“While we can show where more parkland in different areas in Vincent, we also need to demonstrate to the community where any proceeds of sale will go,” she said.

“Council’s decision makes it clear that, when accepting any land sale offers for 26 Brentham Street, we will be able to show where the money will be spent on creating new parkland in Vincent.

“$299,000 of any sale proceeds would be invested right back into Brentham Reserve, the greenspace adjoining the school to the east, providing a new playground for students and the community to enjoy in recognition of the potential loss of the 17-year-old play equipment on 26 Brentham Street.

“We have also made sure the first step is to engage the Aranmore Catholic Primary School and Rosewood Care Group to see if they are keen to purchase the land as a first preference.

“We’re keen to explore options that would provide best use of space and with consideration of community benefit.”

Ms Cole said on top of a landscape plan and a new playground at the reserve, more lighting was being proposed to be added to a “green corridor” on Bourke Street that connected Mount Hawthorn and Leederville.

Should Council approve of a private treaty offer of sale, administration will give a local public notice of the proposed disposition and present public submissions to Council before it determines the sale of the land.

If no private treaty offer of sale was accepted by Council, the decision to proceed with a public tender would be brought back to Council for further consideration.

Councillors also agreed to prepare an amendment to Local Planning Scheme No. 2 to change the public open space zoning at a portion of 26 Brentham Street to Residential R60 to ensure uniform zoning across the lot.

This process can take six to 12 months and is a separate decision to approving sale of the land.

A notice will be sent to relevant public authorities, including the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA).

Subject to the approval of the EPA, the amendment would then undergo 42 days of public advertising.

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