A CHEWTON church that looked destined to be sold has had a reprieve as Mount Alexander Shire councillors voted to hold onto the property consider restoring it.
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Councillors voted 5-2 in favour of overturning a 2017 decision to sell the church and land and develop a staged plan to repair and restore the church
The council previously voted in 2017 to sub-divide the land at 205 Main Road, Chewton, where the disused Wesleyean Church and weatherboard Sunday school stand.
In 2020, the Chewton Domain Society and residents voiced their opposition to the sale when council re-opened the matter to public submissions.
Almost 50 submissions came from the Chewton community calling for the church to be kept, restored and developed into a place that can hold large gatherings.
Councillor Christine Henderson, who made the original motion to sell the land in 2017, raised a motion at the shire's council meeting on Tuesday night to overturn the 2017 decision and develop a staged plan for repair and restoration of the building.
Council officers recommended in the agenda that the 2017 decision be upheld, the now sub-divided land be disposed of.
"We know there is quite a lot of community interest in this building," Cr Henderson said. "There is interest from one organisation in the town, the Chewton Domain Society, in taking on the management and ownership of building only if can also have Sunday school too. They have requested council enter into discussions to develop a business plan for ownership and management."
Cr Henderson said she worried that a community business plan could take time with the church already sitting vacant for 12 years.
"It is coming up to 12 years of not been used. We know that's not good for a building," she said. "The outside has been compromised by unfortunate treatments done to bricks, there's termites in the floor, the roof needs fixing, its basically a building in decline.
"If the promises from the community of it being flooded with people doesn't come to fruition, a future council could stay with the Sunday school building (currently used by senior citizens) and sell off the church in a good state of repair."
Councillor Tony Cordy seconded the motion, noting the support from the community had swayed his view on the matter.
"I strongly believe council is best placed to carry out necessary repairs," he said. "We may attract a mix of council funds, some grant funds. There are all sorts funding opportunities.
"It is an important building. I would like to see it brought up to a standard to where it could be used by the community. Nothing would prevent us revisiting (a potential) sale down the track if it doesn't eventuate as the community thinks it will."
Councillor Rosie Annear said the building was being consider for the National Heritage Register.
"It would attract funding if it was listed," she said. "If we can get it as an asset that attracts funding to restore the building, it would be a thing to keep for community. It's a really beautiful building, it would be lovely if it was restored and available for the community."
Councillors Stephen Gardner and Matthew Driscoll both opposed the motion in support of the council officer's recommendations.
"For 11 years, anyone had the opportunity to do something with it and nothing's happened," Cr Garden said. "We haven't got any concrete situation (for its future) in front of us."
Cr Driscoll said the building had been vacant for a long time and that it would be another heritage building that council couldn't do much with.
"Will more people come into the town maybe, but it's been on cards for years," he said. "For me, I am against it because I prefer officer's recommendation.
"If we go down that track that the community groups are keen to put in a proposal - there is nothing concrete on our table at the moment. I don't have a lot of confidence it will occur unless we do it."
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