Background: Between October 2009 and 2010, Permaculture Out West petitioned Maribyrnong Council not to sell the old Maidstone Hall at 16 Thomson St, Maidstone and won! Subsequently, Council voted to seek Expressions of Interest to lease the site. POW submitted an Expression of Interest to turn the site into a community market garden and “village well”. Our Expression of Interest can be found at this link: Permaculture Out West EOI 2.
Update: Council met on 15 February this year to consider the proposed lease of Maidstone Hall and resolved as follows:
- “Endorse the suspension of the Expressions of Interest process to lease Maidstone Hall, 16 Thomson Street, Maidstone, until a suitable site for the relocation for the Footscray Senior Citizens Centre is found”
This means our Expression of Interest is on hold until further notice. Presumably, it also means that Council might decide to relocate the Footscray Senior Citizens Centre to the Maidstone Hall site. If this happens, there should be appropriate processes and opportunity to express your views. However, if you do feel strongly about the possibility of the Senior Citizens Centre being moved to the site, we urge you to express your views to your local Councillor in writing.
POW will keep you updated, but it is unlikely we will hear much until much later this year.