By Bonny Burrows
The controversial Officer hotel and 80-gaming machine complex is headed to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal.
Applicant Tim Rice has launched an appeal with the tribunal, following Cardinia Shire Council’s rejection of his 2 Station Street, Officer, application in September.
The VCAT hearing is scheduled to begin on 14 May 2018 and comes as no surprise to the council and local protestors.
When declining the application for a planning permit in September, councillors stressed there was every possibility the tribunal would green-light the development.
“Every time VCAT has overturned our decision and it will probably happen again,” Cr Ray Brown said at the 18 September meeting.
Bad Bets Australia strategist Rohan Wenn drove a local graphic anti-pokies campaign aimed at shutting down the development by bringing to light the potential dangers of gaming machines.
Mr Wenn said that while it was expected, he was disappointed the applicant was appealing the council’s decision.
“Council wants to protect the people of Officer from more poker machines, and as representatives of the people, they should be allowed to do this,” Mr Wenn said.
“Unless Tim has been living under a rock, he must now surely be aware of the community harm his venue is about to unleash onto the people of Cardinia Shire.”
Officer resident Andrew McNabb, who has been working closely with Mr Wenn on the campaign, said there was “no way” locals would sit back and allow the development to go ahead quietly.
“We’re not going in blind, we’re doing our homework,” Mr McNabb said.
“We’re in for a fight … these next six months will be very interesting.”
Despite a past track record of approving VCAT approving such gaming venues, the campaigners are hopeful the tribunal will vote in the community’s favour.
“Whittlesea and Mansfield have all presented these cases and won,” Mr McNabb said.
The applicant has been unable to be reached by the Gazette.
