Macedon Ranges council is keen to keep the soon-to-be vacated Kyneton Primary School in community hands.
Councillors this month agreed to look at setting aside $10,000 in the upcoming 2017-18 draft budget to fund a master plan for the school’s revamp.
Mayor Jennifer Anderson told
Star Weekly the council itself has no plans to tender for the site “at this point”, but wants to ensure the buildings are retained for community use.
She raised concerns about maintenance costs if the council was to acquire it.
“I think the idea of the school site going back to the community is great, but I don’t think we’ve explored other possibilities of the cost,” she said.
“There may be a philanthropic path, where someone can buy the site from the state government and still achieve for us a community outcome, which means it’s not a council ongoing liability.”
A group of artisans and tradespeople has put forward a proposal for a specialist school for rare and forgotten trades within the historic Baynton Street buildings – but it can only go ahead if the state government and the council don’t want the site.
Education department spokesman Alex Munro told
Star Weekly discussions about the site are ongoing with the council.
“We support local councils acquiring former school sites,” Mr Munro said.
