07 Jun 2017 Seymour Telegraph, Seymour VIC (General News) by Alison OConnor The former Seymour East Primary School site will be demolished, rezoned and the land put up for public sale. After the school merged with other Seymour-based government schools in 2010 to form Seymour College, the site was offered to state and government departments, as well as local government. However, no interest was expressed in the site, and subsequently it has been left abandoned for the past seven years. With no other option, demolition works and environmental remediation has begun on the site so it can be rezoned and the then-vacant land prepared for sale. The works are expected to be completed within the next few months. Member for Northern Victoria Jaclyn Symes said she was relieved to see movement on the site. I think there was probably a collective sigh of relief from people around the town, she said. Its a fresh start for the community, and Im sure different people will have different opinions on what should go there. Ms Symes said housing or an aged care facility had been touted for the site, but the opportunities were endless. Council will rezone it, so they will remove the education overlay, and that will free it up for any form of development, subject to Council approval obviously, Ms Symes said. Member for Euroa Steph Ryan has raised the issue of the vacant and damaged school site a number of times in parliament in recent years, and said the demolition and eventual sale of the land was fantastic news for neighbouring residents. Weve achieved a great step forward with the clean up of the site, Ms Ryan said. Residents from the surrounding neighbourhood contacted me two years ago after they became concerned the site had become a haven for drug use and antisocial behaviour. Removing the buildings that have fallen into disrepair and remediating the site will hopefully put a stop to such behaviour and remove what sadly became an eyesore in the neighbourhood. Caption Text: Going again: Member for Euroa Steph Ryan outside the derelict former Seymour East Primary School. Licensed by Copyright Agency. You may only copy or communicate this work with a licence.