Feedback sought: What do you think about the potential future redevelopment of part of the High and Rowe Sts car park?
Photo by
Rechelle Zammit
Greater Shepparton City Council wants to hear the community’s thoughts on the potential future sale, lease or gift of part of a car park it owns in Shepparton’s CBD for redevelopment purposes, including affordable housing.
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In question is the south-east corner block of the High and Rowe Sts car park at 84-90 High St, Shepparton.
While there are currently no requests or plans to sell, lease or gift the car park, council is getting on the front foot to gather feedback from residents and business owners in the area.
If the block were to be identified for redevelopment, it would see part of the car park retained and possibly provide a mix of uses such as commercial, residential — including affordable housing — and retail.
It follows a 2022 audit of council-owned land in Shepparton, Mooroopna and Kialla, which emphasised the importance of CBD car parks having dual functions, with public parking at ground level and residential apartments above.
The audit report recommended council consult the community on four car parks it owns in the CBD; however, council resolved to only move ahead with part of the High and Rowe Sts car park.
Feedback sought: An aerial view of the High and Rowe Sts car park in Shepparton; the red shaded area is the subject of community consultation. Image supplied by Greater Shepparton City Council.
The need for social housing and increased residential development in the CBD is supported by a number of council’s planning documents and strategies.
This includes the housing strategy, which suggests higher density living, such as apartment buildings in urban centres could be one way of addressing worsening housing affordability.
The affordable housing strategy also identifies a long waiting list of 1674 households for social housing as of June 2022 — a 60 per cent increase from December 2018.
There has also been a 17 per cent increase in presentations to local homeless services during a 12-month period, to 1488 households in 2020-21, with 66 per cent of these clients new to the service.
City of Greater Shepparton Mayor Shane Sali said the consultation was purely a feedback exercise to better understand what the community thought.
“Council currently does not have any request or plan to sell, lease or gift this land,” he said.
“No doubt there will be feedback for and against; however, we look forward to better understanding the community’s thoughts.
“Following the consultation, council will consider the submissions at a future council meeting and will determine whether or not to support the potential sale of the land or part of the land in the future.”
If in the future council did intend to do something with the land, further community consultation would be required.
Have a say by March 17 by visiting shaping.greatershepparton.com.auor for further information contact council’s building, planning and compliance department on 5832 9700.
