Mystery benefactor still keen to buy Anglican churches
An interstate property mogul remains interested in buying Tasmania’s Anglican churches as the countdown to the sale approaches.
The diocese will decide in December which of the 108 properties slated for sale — including more than 70 churches — will go on the market.
In the interim, the church is being asked, through public submissions, to reconsider its stance in regard to 34 of the properties it has voted to sell to fund its commitments for redress to victims of child abuse.
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In May, real estate agent Andrew Hills, from PDR Nationwide at New Norfolk, revealed a wealthy interstate benefactor was interested in buying any Anglican churches that go on sale in order to retain them as places of worship.
Hills says the benefactor is still keen to do so.
“I am still in conversation with the potential buyer and have asked the Anglican Church for a meeting to establish a process around that,” Hills says.
“My guy is still there and he is interested in buying as many churches as he can.”
The church on Thursday confirmed its office had been in communication with Hills.
St Stephen’s on Sandy Bay Rd is one of the Anglican Church’s properties that’s been earmarked for sale. Picture: Luke Bowden.
“He was aware that we were waiting for our redress project manager to be appointed and that we would be in touch,” a spokeswoman says.
The deadline for parishes and individuals to lodge a submission to the diocese to ask that a certain church, hall or block of land be taken off the for sale list was October 1.
The diocese says it has received submissions from parishes for 34 properties and they are being worked through.
In the North-West, five of the 10 parishes with churches on the redress list have lodged alternative submissions.
Hills has sold many churches, of various faiths, during his career including ones at Kempton, Parratah and Tunnack, for $75,000 to just under $300,000.
This article from The Mercury originally appeared as “Interstate benefactor still keen to purchase Anglican churches”.
