BATHURST Regional Council has responded angrily to a proposal from Property NSW for it to buy the old ambulance station on William Street for “market value”.
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The 90-year-old building will be vacated early next year when NSW Ambulance staff move to their new home currently under construction on Commonwealth Street.
Property NSW, a state government body within the Department of Finance, Services and Innovation, first offered the prime CBD site to other government departments before contacting council to gauge its interest in taking it over.
But two of the conditions in the proposal – that council pay full market value for the property and that it be classified for community use only – have drawn an angry response.
Council says the station was built with community money in 1928 so it should be gifted back to the community – free of charge – when it becomes vacant next year.
General manager David Sherley has written to Bathurst MP Paul Toole seeking his support on the issue, and Mr Toole said on Tuesday that he had some sympathy for the council’s position.
He said he would like to see a mix of community and commercial use in any redevelopment of the old ambulance station, similar to long-term plans for the old TAFE building at the other end of William Street.
“If it was to be gifted to council at part would have to be kept for community use,” Mr Toole said.
“I think council wants to have a good look at the building itself to determine what works have to be done before they can consider taking it on.”
Deputy mayor Bobby Bourke is leading the call for council to be gifted the site and says the gift should come with no strings attached.
He accused the government of trying to sell back to Bathurst an asset its residents had funded in the first place.
“The Bathurst community built this station back in 1928 when a lot of fundraising went on and now the government wants us to purchase it at market value with these conditions,” he said.
“I think it should be gifted back to council and then it should be left up to us to determine what to do with it.”
Cr Bourke said the building looked attractive from the street but council would have to pay to have the interior gutted and completely refurbished to make it viable.
He said council would also need a revenue flow from the building and a community use classification would not allow that.
“We want the building because it’s in the CBD but we need to get a bit of revenue out of it for the upkeep.”
Council had been given a November 19 deadline to express an interest in the old ambulance station building but Mr Toole said he would this week meet Finance, Services and Property Minister Victor Dominello to push for an extension.
“Council needs time to have the conversation about what it could be used for and to consider its position on this proposal,” he said.