About 100 Diggers Rest residents made their objections to a proposed caravan park heard at a community meeting last week.
Residents packed out the community planning meeting last Tuesday (June 26), hosted by Diggers Rest Residents Association and Melton council, which was to inform residents about current planning applications before the council.
Despite a number of applications on the agenda, the proposed 50 site camping and caravan park at 1376-1432 Old Calder Highway dominated discussions.
Some residents declared that a tourist park was not appropriate for the entry of the township.
Some residents said they instead supported a proposal, tabled at the council earlier this year, for a $30 million redevelopment of the nearby derelict Diggers Rest Hotel, including a boutique hotel, public bar and restaurant, distillery and function space.
Melton council confirmed that more than 100 submissions had been received regarding the proposed caravan park and the application would be considered at a meeting in coming months.
The applicant, Dean Slaviero, last month told
Star Weekly that his vision was to attract tourism to the town.
“My dad’s owned the property for over 30 years,” Mr Slaviero said.
“We’re looking to improve the town and provide better services to this growing town.”
He said that his idea for the site would eventually include refurbishing a W-Class tram and converting it into a burger cafe, a community garden and a boardwalk lined with machinery as a tourist attraction.
