Portarlington’s $30M hotel rejected by City of Greater Geelong

THE City of Greater Geelong has rejected plans for the Drooping Sheoak hotel and wellness centre, a five-story, $30 million development initially planned for 30-34 Geelong Road in Portarlington.

Positioned to overlook the Portarlington Recreation Reserve and Port Phillip Bay, the project sparked a mix of opinions among the community and local authorities.

Acting executive director planning and design Joanne Van Slageren said the project did not meet the guidelines.

“The proposal was found to be contrary to the purpose and guidelines of the planning controls for the Greater Geelong Planning Scheme, the Local Planning Policy Framework and the Commercial 2 Zone,” she said.

“It was also considered that the application did not respect the unique coastal landscape and was not consistent with the low scale character in this area of the township.

“These concerns were also highlighted in the 25 objections received to the application.”

The objections highlighted concerns about the development’s impact on the local landscape and character, reflecting the broader debate on balancing development and preservation in the coastal community.

There was also notable support for the project, with 19 letters advocating for its approval.

Speaking at the Portarlington Business and Development Association (PBDA) meeting in September 2022 Batman Management Group CEO Bill Votsaris said if the proposal didn’t get up, they wouldn’t go to VCAT.

Mr Votsaris said his company “had not gone to VCAT for any of our developments to date” and said his business would not try to overturn the decision at VCAT if the city refused a planning permit for Drooping Sheoak.

“The project that we develop has to be viable here because in a typical sort of [residential] development, where you get a permit and sell off the plan, that means the developer’s only interested in the permit. We don’t sell our projects.”

“We have a view that if the community is not behind it and not supporting it, it’s not going to be viable.”