Mr Ramsay headed a steering committee which met for the first time last Wednesday with the aim of keeping communication lines open between the government and the community.

He said the community was “very interested” in seeing the former agricultural education campus kept operational in some capacity.

“The meeting was in response to a public meeting held by Corangamite Shire,” Mr Ramsay said, adding that the aim was “to get a feel for possible uses”. 

“A lot of ideas are being thrown around — some of them probable and some highly improbable.

“It was felt that a more formalised group should be formed (to be) a sounding board for ideas and as a conduit for information.”

Updates provided at last week’s meeting included the news that Department of Education enquiries had found “there was no interest from agricultural educational providers to use the campus”, Mr Ramsay said. 

“However a marketing campaign might attract interest within Australia or overseas, to have the campus become an education and training base for institutions who wish to utilise the region’s natural assets in the fields of primary production and the environment.”

He said public concerns about the ongoing maintenance and security of the campus were also eased by Department of Education assurances that there were “steps in place to secure the campus and for the maintenance of the campus”. 

Mr Ramsay, a former student at the college, encouraged local people by using their “eyes and ears” in regards to potentially interested parties. 

He said people could email him at simon.ramsay@parliament.vic.gov.au and join the email list of the steering committee.

Another meeting of the steering committee — which featured representatives from the Department of Education, user groups, interested parties and the Corangamite Shire mayor Chris O’Connor and chief executive Andrew Mason — is expected to take place in May. 

The lease of Glenormiston College reverted to the Department of Education after TAFE ended its association with the facility last year.