State Member for Euroa Steph Ryan recently brought the issue to the Victorian Parliament calling on action to prevent it deteriorating further.
A Victorian Government spokesperson said the government was working closely with Benalla Rural City Council regarding the site’s future use — including the potential for it to be used as a community space
Ms Ryan, however, is keen to progress the issue and get a definitive plan in place.
The site, which housed Benalla’s first high school, remained in continuous use since opening as the school evolved.
Ms Ryan expressed frustration that the community has been left out of the consultation process, with a lack of transparent communication.
In its time it has been known as the Benalla College Dunlop Campus, named for former student and World War II hero Edward ‘Weary’ Dunlop, and more recently the Barkly St Campus of Benalla P-12 College.
While it is still an educational site, being connected to Benalla’s Flexible Learning centre, the former P-12 areas have not been utilised since the end of 2018, with graffiti and vandalism creating an eyesore in the community.
Speaking in Parliament, Ms Ryan renewed her calls for the Treasurer to take action and sell the site for the benefit of the Benalla community.
“When Benalla College moved out of the Barkly St site, the campus was in good repair. It had been well maintained by the school, and the buildings were structurally quite good,” Ms Ryan said.
“At the time I urged the government to move swiftly to find a new purpose for the site to make sure that it did not fall into disrepair.
“Instead of heeding that advice, the government has sat on its hands, erected temporary fencing and left the school and the campus to completely deteriorate.”
Ms Ryan expressed frustration that the community had been left out of the consultation process, with a lack of transparent communication.
“The constructive thing to do would have been to sit down with the community and actually have a conversation with them about appropriate use for the site,” she said.
“Instead, the government has just walked away, making the site a target for vandals and graffiti.”
The government, however, maintains that plans are presently being developed and that the site is being monitored for vandalism.
“We have boarded up the ground floor windows to prevent breakage,” the government spokesperson said.
“(And we) carry out regular maintenance at the site, including graffiti removal.”
Ms Ryan promised to continue advocating for the community until the site is sold.
“The community has been pushing for action on the site for a number of years,” she said.
“I will continue to raise the concerns of the community until the government does the right thing and action is taken.”
A group of local volunteers has set up a committee to advocate for the site’s future use.
They currently have a petition, which they are requesting local people sign. You can find it in the Benalla Ensign office at 70 Bridge St, Benalla.
If you would like to get involved with the Benalla High School Action group committee, you can contact chair Bill Willett on 0429 947 696.
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