By CASEY NEILL
MORE than 60 people braved bitter weather conditions to battle for Springvale parkland.
The Save Glendale Reserve group held a barbecue at the site on Sunday 26 July.
City of Greater Dandenong has proposed selling neighbouring 75a Whitworth Avenue to Minaret College for $1.15 million to build a new kindergarten.
The school leases a dilapidated kinder on the land but plans to end its tenure this year and leave the building vacant.
Save Glendale Reserve wants the council to keep the land and demolish the kinder to create more open space.
Brendan Nicholl said councillor Roz Blades and mayor Sean O’Reilly attended the barbecue and that the council would vote on whether to sell the land on 10 August.
“Time is crucial, therefore, to have some influence on the councillors’ decision,” he said.
“I hope they will stand for community as opposed to private interest.
“So far, well over half of our park has been sold to Minaret College.
“The college can see themselves as winners already whereas the residents to date have been the losers.”
Mr Nicholl said the council should retain the land “to stabilise this small remnant of park”.
“It is not fair that we should lose this valuable asset so needed by the local community,” he said.
“Families need parks close to home. Here it is already.”
