Apollo Bay resort row

Hundreds rally to oppose plans

HUNDREDS of people have attended a public meeting discussing a controversial $70million resort planned for Apollo Bay.

Warrick Ballinger, president of Objectors Inc, a group opposing the proposal, said about 300 residents were at Friday’s public meeting, which had been organised by Otway Forum.

“It gave the community a chance to get their message through to the councillors and the politicians,” Mr Ballinger said.

“The tone of the meeting was overwhelmingly, I would say unanimously, against this development.

“All of the questions related to ‘how can we stop it’ and the reasons why it was inappropriate.

“At the end of the meeting, the chairman put the motion to the public, to the meeting attendees, that the Colac Otway council opposes this development (to) the ministerial panel.”

The motion was passed, Mr Ballinger said, with not one vote opposing the motion.

The resort development plan features a 180-room, 4.5 star hotel; 82 luxury villas; two restaurants and a bar.

It would be located on Barham River Rd, 3.6km southwest of the town, on land owned by former mayor Frank Buchanan and his wife Beryl.

The council has not declared its stance on the proposal, after it was announced last week that the State Planning Minister would rule on the development.

Mr Ballinger said the meet- ing was held to give the public information on the process moving forward and the opportunity to ask questions.

Corangamite MP Sarah Henderson, Labor Corangamite candidate Libby Coker and Polwarth MP Richard Riordan, as well as some ColacOtway Shire councillors, attended, and the shire’s acting CEO Robert Dobrzynski and council officers were present to answer questions.

The council last week welcomed the decision of the Minister to call-in the resort development application.

“Under a call-in scenario, the Minister establishes an independent expert panel of planners,” Colac- Otway Mayor Joe McCracken said last week.

“This will mean that all community members, associations, clubs and interested parties can make a submission and speak to that submission at the planning panel.”

Mr Dobrzynski said the council would invite interested parties to make representations to councillors and the council will “deliberate and form their position, probably in February”.