MOORABOOL Council will collect $10,000 from the sale of two unused portable rooms, despite receiving community bids from Bacchus Marsh RSL and the SES.
RSL secretary Kaye Godkin said the sale of the portables, which had been kept behind the demolished Bacchus Marsh library, to the demolition contractor was a lost opportunity for community groups.
The council said it had sought expressions of interest from all community groups listed on its database. It deemed the RSL’s application would restrict access to existing car parks on the west side of the Bacchus Marsh Bowling Club.
A council officer’s report recommended the council consider using one of the portables as a training facility for the local SES unit. But last week all councillors backed the sale of the portables to the contractor.
The report stated that if the portables remained on site, the council would have to construct a firewall between the portables and an existing building.
In a letter to the council, Ms Godkin said the portables would have provided valuable storage and meeting spaces. She said the sub-branch had not been advised the portables were up for sale.
“We have the ability to move the portables to the rear of the RSL ourselves,” she wrote.
“The proposed placement of the portables will be in car places previously allocated to the RSL and its members. We would not be blocking access to the bowling club.”
Space for community groups has been a hot topic in Bacchus Marsh, before and after the library was demolished last month.
