The Australian | 12 March 2014
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Swinburne University may consider selling its mothballed Lilydale campus for non-educational purposes. …………………………………………………………………………………………………
Swinburne has officially stated its preference is to sell the site under the current educational zoning. But the information memorandum from real estate agents Knight Frank makes much of the potential for the site to be rezoned, which could increase the value of the site and is stoking local community fears that the prospect of restoring higher education provision at the campus could be lost.
Swinburne’s head of government affairs Andrew Dempster says that, while the university’s clear preference is to enter into an unconditional contract of sale with the successful proponent, “it may consider offers conditional upon the rezoning of the site.”:
Should any purchaser wish to seek a changed zoning, this will be a matter for them to progress with relevant authorities.
But Victoria’s higher education and skills minister Peter Hall last month told state parliament the university had been told the sale could only go through on condition the site remain for educational purposes.
A spokeswoman for Hall says:
The purpose of Swinburne’s expression of interest process is to identify once and for all educational providers that are genuinely interested in operating from the Lilydale site. We would be surprised if there was no interest expressed by any educational providers.