MARCH 7, 2017 \ STARWEEKLY.COM.AU
NEWS + SPORT + THE WEST’S BEST PROPERTY GUIDE
Rally round sick mum Almost $75,000 has been given in just a week to help a terminally ill single mother pay for her cancer treatment. Jenny Wu put her Deer Park house on the market in January to pay for her $96,000 a year cancer medication. But her Huddersfield Road property was vandalised just days before the sale was due to settle last week. The 42-year-old mother of two was diagnosed with stage-four lung cancer just eight days before Christmas. She has been struggling to pay her mortgage and expensive life-prolonging medication, which is not subsidised. Caroline Springs based agency WESTFAD last week kicked off a campaign to help pay for her medication, and has raised $74,600 so far. “It is our goal to raise $500,000,” Ms Wu’s close friend Jeff O’Donnell said, saying the medication could keep Ms Wu alive for many years to come. Donate at Rare Cancers Australia’s website: treat.rarecancers.org.au/ campaign/2046/helping-jenny-wu WESTFAD will also hold a fundraising dinner. To donate items, call Jeff on 0491 141 242. Jenny Wu with son Nathan. Jenny’s house was vandalised just days before settlement of its sale. (Pictures: supplied)
Alexandra Laskie
Council lands $4.6m sale By Alexandra Laskie Land once home to Sunshine’s library and a maternal child and health centre has been sold for $4.6 million at auction. Brimbank council enlisted local real estate agents Douglas Kay to auction the site, at 20 Alexandra Avenue, Sunshine, last Wednesday. Agent Peter Kay said the purchaser was a property developer from the western suburbs who planned to build a medium density development of about 20 townhouses on the land. He said bidding began at $3 million, which was followed by 15 bids of $100,000 increments in quick succession. “After 10 minutes we were at $4.5 million,” Mr Kay said.
The agency was quoting $820 to $900 a square metre – or between $3.2 million and $3.4 million – for the property. Brimbank mayor John Hedditch said the council was delighted with the result. “The sale price highlights the buoyancy and appeal of the real estate market in Sunshine and surrounding areas,” he said. “Council looks forward to innovative design and development of the site that reflects a good balance of built form with the natural environment.” Before the bulldozers arrived late last year, the 3800-square-metre block had been home to the library and the maternal and child health centre, which have both been relocated. The council deemed the land surplus to its requirements during planning for the new Brimbank Community and Civic Centre.
20 Alexandra Avenue, Sunshine. (Supplied)
The land was rezoned from public use to general residential in 2015, with the aim of developing medium density housing. It is part of a larger parcel of land which was formerly the Sunshine municipal offices.
A council report last year deemed the land was no longer of strategic significance. The sale comes off the back of positive news in Brimbank council’s quarterly financial report, which forecasts a surplus of $25.28 million for the 2016-17 – $10.77 million more than expected. Brimbank corporate and community relations director Helen Morrissey said the result was largely due to an increase in developer contributions and the sale of land in Withers Street, Sunshine, for VicRoads’ new facility. “The surplus will be channelled directly back into the future development of Brimbank as one of the funding sources for the council’s future capital works program, which includes works on roads, buildings and parks across the municipality,” she said.