The Sale of Kirra: Supporting Generational Change

A letter from the President

The Committee has recently spent time reflecting on how the VRI can best support both our current members and those who will follow. As part of this process, we have reviewed our assets to ensure they remain appropriate, sustainable, and aligned with our long‑term direction.

A Legacy of Connection
Kirra has been an important part of the VRI’s history and has served our members well over many years. However, as the world around us changes, so do expectations, usage patterns, and the responsibilities associated with property ownership.

To remain responsible stewards, we have had to consider the practical realities of holding such assets today—including rising land taxes, utilities, and the increasing costs of maintenance. The Committee believes it is now the right time to reassess whether holding this asset remains the most effective way to support the VRI into the future.

Balancing Respect for the Past with Responsibility for the Future
Advising the sale of Kirra is intended to support a gradual generational change. This decision was not made lightly; it is about improving our financial flexibility and providing future members with the capacity to make decisions that reflect their own needs and circumstances.

As I have shared with the Committee, this approach is about careful stewardship rather than rapid change. It is about ensuring our core values can be sustained in a world that is fundamentally different from the one in which many of our assets were originally acquired.

Generational change is not about abandoning VRI’s traditions. It is about making sure those traditions have a sustainable home for decades to come.

I would like to thank all our members for your continued support, your engagement, and your thoughtful consideration of the matters that affect the future of our Institute.

 

David Matthews
President, Victorian Railways Institute