Campaign against Hotel Indigo crowdfunds for legal support

A COMMUNITY campaign against the Hotel Indigo proposal in Torquay is seeking to crowdfund $30,000 for lawyers to represent them at a Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) hearing next month.
The campaign is being organised by the 3228 Residents Association, Greater Torquay Alliance and several people who live near the proposed site at 2-4 Geelong Road and 48 Bell Street.
Local activist Damien Cole – who organised a protest at the site the day after the planning application documents went on exhibition in 2018 – has set up a GoFundMe page titled “Stop the 5 Storey Hotel in Torquay”.
The page includes a crossed-out render of the 128-room hotel and the words “Surf Coast not Gold Coast” – a phrase also used by South Barwon Labor MP Darren Cheeseman, who similarly opposes the hotel and was one of the attendees at Mr Cole’s protest.
As of yesterday (Wednesday, October 7) morning, the campaign had raised $4,415 of its $30,000 target, with the single largest donation $2,000 from Geoff Collins.
A video filmed at the hotel site and posted on the GoFundMe page shows Mr Cole explaining the rationale behind the campaign.
“This is a callout to all of our Torquay community residents to stand with us as we stand up for our coastal town,” he said.
“This thing could be disastrous for Torquay – setting a precedent, five storeys high, over 20 metres tall.
“Now the shire’s already knocked it back, but unfortunately Barnes Capital, the developers, have decided to take it to VCAT.
“But it’s up to us, the Torquay residents, those who call this beautiful coastline home, to stand up to these developers, to say no more, we draw a line in the sand today.
“We’ve decided to take it to these developers by going to VCAT with them and fighting this all the way to the end.
“But we need your help and support by donating to the GoFundMe page to get the legal team required to make sure we send these developers packing and take back control of this beautiful town we call home.
“A couple of minutes and a few dollars could just well change the course of history for this incredible town of ours.”
The VCAT hearing is scheduled to start on November 10.