NUCHEV SELLS FARMLAND
A PARCEL of farmland at the centre of a controversial goat factory proposal in the Geelong region has sold to a Sydney buyer.
Goat formula producer Nuchev listed its 39ha site at 715 Ballan Rd after a decision by VCAT to overturn an Environment Protection Authority works approval and Geelong council planning permit for a 14,000-goat facility in January.
Landmark Harcourts Bannock- burn director Rene Pompe said the land attracted plenty of interest before selling for about $1.2 million.
“We were dealing with multiple buyers,” Mr Pompe said.
“It was a quick turnaround . . . we were mainly engaged with Melbourne developers or business people and a Sydney person ended up buying it. I don’t know what their plans are.
“It created a lot of interest and sold in a week. It exceeded all expectations with regards to price.”
Resident Gerald Knol, who led a grassroots campaign against the goat factory development, recently said the sale would mark the end of a difficult chapter.
“It shows you if you persist sometimes the little guy can win, even if you haven’t got millions of dollars behind you,” Mr Knol said.
“We might even get out and celebrate the sold sticker going on it.”
Nuchev is yet to comment on whether it has plans to establish operations at another location or if it is considering a withdrawal from the region, including its planned 4500-goat development at Lara.
Further VCAT proceedings about the Lara site will start next Friday after Geelong councillors decided in a split vote to proceed with a bid to cancel the permit, approved by council administrators in mid-2016.
A City of Greater Geelong website post encourages people who wish to participate in the proceedings to join the No Nuchev Inc group, which intends on filing a statement of grounds on behalf of its members in the proceedings, or by filing a statement of grounds personally. CoGG last night hosted a two-hour drop-in session at the Lara Hall to distribute VCAT guides and forms to interested residents.
The council’s decision to go to VCAT went against internal advice warning that it was unlikely to succeed and cautioning that if the council lost, its legal bill could exceed $60,000.
In the event it won, the council would still be liable for any costs incurred by Nuchev.