Tuesday, 17 March 2026

 Gaelle BROAD (Northern Victoria) (21:52): (2413) My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Development Victoria and Precincts regarding the old Sandhurst Centre site in Bendigo. The action I seek is that the minister urgently provide a clear plan and a timeline for what is happening with the site, which has now sat idle for 10 years. Ongoing antisocial behaviour has now escalated to the stage of repeated fires being lit at the site. Local residents are seriously concerned about what has been happening. Originally the Sandhurst Boys’ Home, the centre was established in 1956 to cater for adolescent boys with intellectual disabilities. It was managed by the then Department of Health and closed in 2016, when 29 residents were moved to purpose-built residential homes. The property has sat idle and deteriorating for 10 years since then. The buildings are now dilapidated, vandalised and covered in graffiti. Police have been called to investigate drug deals at the site, and I understand squatters have been in the buildings. Locals are increasingly concerned as fires are repeatedly being lit in the abandoned structures, which is a safety risk and is also wasting the resources of our emergency services. I first raised this issue in the house two years ago. In August last year I received a letter from the minister, which said:

I acknowledge the concerns about the Site. I am advised that the Department of Transport and Planning (DTP) is working with stakeholders towards selling or developing this Site as soon as practical, so that it can make a positive contribution to the community of Bendigo and White Hill.

In the meantime, DTP will consult with the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing on the current condition of the Site, the community’s concerns and whether removal of the building is a feasible solution to address the concerns.

I urge the minister to provide further clarity on these commitments and to see to the removal of the dilapidated buildings, which would help reduce antisocial behaviour at the site and help address the concerns raised by local residents. The Finn Street site is a sizeable piece of land that is centrally located. It could be sold to help reduce the state’s massive debt and developed for much-needed housing close to Bendigo. Local residents have been left in limbo for a decade, and I urge the minister to provide a clear action plan as a matter of urgency.