SOUTHERN Grampians Shire councillors have voted to sell a vacant block of shire-owned land, despite community support for the land to be turned into a community space.

Councillors voted at Wednesday’s council meeting in Wannon to allow the land on Moodie Avenue to be sold despite receiving a petition signed by 60 residents and seven written submissions calling for the land to be retained.

Resident, Doug Ward led the calls for the land to be retained and said it was disappointing the council had chosen to sell.

He said the land was used as a thoroughfare to access the Hamilton Golf Club and as a “neighbourhood gathering area for more than 30 years”.

“It’s very disappointing they’ve decided to sell it,” he said.

“We valued the area and it was often used by walkers and by kids to kick the football or play cricket – it was basically a bit of an informal park.

“There was no signage there and I think it would have gotten a lot more use if there had been signs there so people knew that it actually was a public space.

“It’s a missed opportunity. Particularly in this little area just off Ballarat Road there’s no other park space like this to use, except for the golf club which is privately owned.

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