BENDIGO TAFE could soon expand its Castlemaine lease after years on a month-by-month tenancy arrangement.
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Councillors will decide on Tuesday whether to advertise an offer to expand the TAFE's Templeston Street lease to the end of 2021.
The previous lease expired in the end of 2016 and the TAFE is currently running classes there on a month-by-month basis.
Shire officers have been trying to persuade the TAFE to take a longer deal since early 2016 because of the risks it poses to the council.
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Bendigo TAFE has approached the council with hopes of a longer lease because it was ramping up the number of classes there.
The TAFE also wants to sub-lease part of the building.
Shire staff warned councillors it could prove difficult to find another tenant, should Bendigo TAFE leave.
It could also be hard for the TAFE to find another commercial space in or near Castlemaine, they noted.
"Since Castlemaine Continuing Education closed, only Bendigo TAFE and Castlemaine Community House are significant providers of tertiary education in Castlemaine," the shire officers said.
"Many of the people made recently redundant by the impacts of COVID-19 may not have a job to resume and could require upskilling or reskilling to increase their opportunities for employment.
"If training and support is not readily available in the shire, these people could be particularly disadvantaged."
Bendigo TAFE has indicated it is open to extending the lease past 2021 at a later date, shire staff say.
Councillors would need to make a final decision on the proposal once after the plan was advertised, to allow time for the public to have its say.
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