VCAT Hall of Fame: Rhyll
Rhyll locals fought a 13-year battle against a proposed development at the old Swan Bay caravan park on Lock Road.
Planning: our future
In this second last week of our planning series we look at planning from both an objector and developers’ perspective, battles, failures and controversies.
VCAT hall of fame
The Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) is the state body that makes rulings on planning disputes, aiming to find common ground between objectors, developers and the shire.
There are numerous examples over the past decade of VCAT battles, showing developers often but don’t always win, and ultimately – and critically – VCAT is guided by our local policies.
RHYLL’S 13 YEAR FIGHT
Rhyll locals fought a 13-year battle against a proposed development at the old Swan Bay caravan park on Lock Road.
Since 2007, five various planning applications were proposed, including a restaurant, childcare facilities, café and bar, gym and swimming pool, conference centre, serviced apartments, and retail shops, variously rejected by the shire, appealed and rejected by VCAT.
Objectors included the group Rhyll RAID (Rhyll Residents Against Inappropriate Development) who argued plans were too dense, too high, out of character with Rhyll, and with many submissions objecting to the removal of trees.
But in 2020, the long-running battle came to an end when VCAT snubbed councillors and gave a green light to a $4.6 million proposal for 15 townhouses.
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