The City sells properties:

• that are no longer being used for a City service and have been identified as surplus to City requirements and;
• where there are no future uses
• where these sites have annual ongoing costs of maintenance
• where there are no buildings on these sites.

If the Council votes that the properties are surplus to the City's needs, the properties will be sold.

The City assesses properties with consideration to the current, and future demand of community, social, and recreation infrastructure. This is identified in City strategies and plans.

7-9 St Andrews Avenue, Bendigo was a strategic purchase in 2017 during the development of Galkangu (Bendigo Gov Hub). While the City will retain Lot 2 which contains EV chargers, it has been determined that Lot 1 is not needed to meet the strategic and operational needs of the City

The disposal of this property would allow for an active use along St Andrew’s Avenue better utilising the building.

In accordance with the Local Government Act 2020, the City will obtain a valuation from a certified practicing valuer. They will assess the current market value of the individual property, which will also consider the highest and best use of the property.

Funds from any sale will be deposited into the Land and Buildings reserve for future strategic property transactions and/or improvements to existing property.

When surplus property is sold by the City, transactions are planned, conducted and concluded in accordance with legislative requirements and achieve the objectives of the City including Sections 114 and 116 of the Local Government Act 2020.

The City must comply with a number of legislative requirements when disposing of property, these include (but not limited to):

• Local Government Act 2020
• Local Government Best Practice Guideline for the Sale, Exchange and Transfer of Land 2009
• as well as internal policies including the Assets and Surplus Land Disposal Policy 2017 and the Community Engagement Policy

Under the Local Government Act 2020, the City is required to undertake a community engagement process on a proposed sale of City owned land. This is in accordance with the City's Community Engagement Policy 2020.

All feedback received during this consultation will be reviewed and presented at a Council meeting for Councillors to consider in their decision of whether or not to sell the property.

Before a property can be put up for sale, it needs to be appropriately zoned. This will ensure that the ultimate use of the land is determined by that zone and the highest and best use is achieved.

In this instance the property is already zoned Commercial 1 Zone with a Heritage Overlay applied. It does not need to be rezoned.

We assess properties on whether they are suitable for services delivered by the City, this includes services like:

• libraries
• community hubs with bookable rooms
• recreation facilities
• family, and children services etc.

This does not include provision of community or recreational services or programs that are not directly delivered by City of Greater Bendigo.

Yes, this property is covered by a Heritage Overlay (HO929).