The fate of Box Hill Brickworks, a former quarry and landfill site, hangs in the balance as a community grapples with the prospect of losing a green space amidst a wave of development. This site, equivalent in size to about 3.5 MCGs, has been off-limits to the public for three decades, but the race to create more housing near the Suburban Rail Loop (SRL) train stations has sparked a heated debate. Planning Panels Victoria has recommended that 95% of the site be zoned for development, while reserving the rest as open space, a proposal that has met with resistance from residents and the Whitehorse Council. The council is committed to buying the land and carrying out safety works if it ever goes up for sale, with its Public Open Space Reserve sitting at $72 million. The Brickworks is one of the last significant undeveloped spaces in the municipality, and the Whitehorse Mayor Kirstin Langford sees it as an opportunity to create a Central Park or a Hyde Park. However, the proposal has raised concerns about the loss of community spaces, with the Box Hill Brickworks Parkland Association arguing that the area is in desperate need of more green spaces as the suburb's population booms. The association's secretary, Greg Buchanan, points out that Surrey Park, which neighbours the Brickworks, is already crowded, and more passive space is needed. The economics of developing former quarries and landfills have shifted in recent years, with it becoming more lucrative to remediate the land for development due to the demand for housing. However, the process of remediating contaminated soil for housing sites is expensive, and the exact cost of the site and remediation works is unknown. The proposal has also sparked a debate about the balance between development and open space, with some arguing that greater development on the Brickworks site would provide social benefits in the form of more housing, while others fear the loss of a green space that is vital for the community. The Suburban Rail Loop Authority has acknowledged the importance of parkland and open space, but has also emphasized the need for development to accommodate the growing population. The future of the Box Hill Brickworks site remains uncertain, with the Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny yet to make a decision. The community's struggle to preserve a green space in the face of development is a reflection of the broader debate about the balance between urban growth and environmental preservation, and it remains to be seen how this issue will be resolved.
