Resort delay appeal

By Kath Gannaway
ECO-RESORTS Australia has applied to the Shire of Yarra Ranges for more time to start work on the $60 million Ythan Springs Resort and Spa in Warburton.
The company battled through several VCAT hearings to secure planning permission after the Yarra Ranges council rejected the its original application in 2003.
The permit, however, came with a swag of conditions including a requirement that construction work on the project start by 8 November, 2006.
Allan Craig, spokesman for Eco-Resorts told the Mail last week an application for a 12 month extension had been lodged after company directors met with the shire’s planning officers on 26 October.
Mr Craig said a lot of work had been done over the past year to complying with all 41 conditions laid down but that it had taken longer than expected.
“Most of the work has been done but it has proved a very lengthy process,” he said.
He said the delay was mostly due to dealing with the provision of utilities including power and water which required a lot of reports to be re-done.
“I would say that for this level of project, VCAT has underestimated the amount of work that had to be done in laying down those conditions,” he said.
Mr Craig said there is no doubt Eco-Resorts directors John Stanley and Paul Zaviska would have liked to have seen work begin on time and added they are hopeful of starting construction before the year’s end.
“They are a lot more optimistic now that most of the work has been done than when they were facing the mountain of work at the start,” he said.