Why has this 981-square-metre block in Bayswater been such a hot potato for Knox Council?

Knox councillors are set to make a decision on the site on Monday evening.

Author

Matthew Sims
August 07, 2025

Surrounded by apartment blocks, and located near Bayswater’s main shopping strip, the land at 58-60 Station Street is empty, save for the grass and 15 trees around the border.

After close to four years of flip flopping on what should be done with its land, Knox Council is set to decide on Monday night whether to sell it to the highest bidder for housing.

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The history of the site

About 981 square metres in size, the site formerly housed the Bayswater Youth Hall, which was demolished in 2019 as it was deemed unsafe for community use.

Despite Knox Council going ahead with a tender and identifying an appropriate Community Housing Organisation to sell the land to (at a subsidised rate of 62 percent below market value, on the proviso it was for social housing), councillors voted down the motion to sell during the September 2024 meeting.

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Knox Council received 246 objections from locals to the 24-townhouse development, unanimously refusing the application.

Council staff have recommended councillors approve selling the land on the open market, but with a condition that requires a developer to replace at a nearby site the trees that would be lost.

Knox councillor Chris Duncan revealed to the Eastern Melburnian he would be putting forward an alternative motion about the site, but was not prepared to speak publicly until he had decided on the final wording.

The Eastern Melburnian contacted all nine councillors. At the time of publication two had responded, but were not prepared to comment.

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Split opinions

Knox Council sent out 242 letters to neighbouring property owners and residents within a 200-metre radius of the site in question and opened an online survey to the Knox public.

Out of the 68 submissions received, 35 (51.5 percent) opposed the proposed sale of the land, with 22 (32.5 percent) supportive, 10 (14.5 percent) supportive with conditions, and one submission (1.5 percent) neutral.

Reasons respondents supported the sale included the potential for additional council revenue and economic development, while opposing submissions focused on the loss of trees and open space.

“Mature trees provide shade, cool the environment and lock away carbon,” one submission read.

Photo Credit: Greening Knox