Peter Dickson’s dream of developing Australia’s first residential village for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex community at Ballan could be over before it’s even properly begun.
Moorabool council has rejected a fifth extension of time on Linton Estate’s building permit, which expired in January.
Councillors voted at their May meeting to refuse the extension of the permit, which has been extended four times in the past eight years, on the grounds that no reasonable commencement of works had been undertaken.
A representative of DomaCom, a crowd- funding finance company Mr Dickson approached last year to get the project off the ground, spoke on behalf of Mr Dickson, telling councillors a team of developers and financiers was now backing the project.
“Funding is the key criteria and we have solved this problem,” the representative said.
“We have a team to deliver the project; it is real, it is measurable and we are ready.
“Mr Dickson is ready to push forward. The team is here to help him do this.
“We want to push forward the development and give council the assurances it will happen.”
Eyesore
Cr Pat Toohey was unconvinced that any real construction had occurred and said the site was an “eyesore and a fire hazard”.
“The site is full of noxious weeds – they are fence height – and [it] remains an eyesore and a fire hazard,” he said.
Cr Paul Tatchell suggested that Mr Dickson appeared to be “warehousing” the land so it could be sold later.
He said excavation works, “a handful of pegs” and “a couple of meters of screenings” did not constitute evidence of work having begun.
“I’ve followed this application for a number of years since serving on this council and I’ve seen numerous presentations in relation to this development, no two the same,” Cr Tatchell said. “There is no doubt in my mind that a new application should be presented that accurately demonstrates the applicant’s intent.”
Mr Dickson can challenge Moorabool council’s decision to refuse the permit extension at the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal.
