Barwon Heads fighting fund gets cashed up

Jessica Benton
PLEDGES have started flowing in to a fighting fund to oppose a controversial plan to extend Barwon Heads’ town boundary for more houses.
The Save Barwon Heads Alliance created the fund to contest the controversial Macafee development at 1920 Geelong Road, which City of Greater Geelong last month sent to an independent panel for consideration.
The development would expand the town’s western boundary for a 240-home residential estate.
City of Greater Geelong councillors voted in December in favour of recommendations against changing the town boundaries.
Alliance spokesperson Steve Wickham said community members had made “significant contributions” to the fighting fund.
“We’ve had some generous community members already,” he said.
“One resident in particular has offered significant financial support to help with the preservation of the town as a coastal village.
“These people are relatively new residents but they’ve known the local area for a long time.
“They came to us before we started any sort of formal fundraising campaign.”
Mr Wickham said the group had a target in the tens of thousands for the campaign.
“We intend to go to the panel with serious financial backing that allows us to get legal representation at a serious level,” he said.
“We need to get more than $35,000 to $45,000 together.
“We’ve got a fair way to go but we’re going to get there and we’ll be representing the interests of the entire community.”
Mr Wickham said that Save Barwon Heads Alliance’s executive committee would begin the next stage of the campaign.
“We’ll meet up with ward councillor Peter McMullin and seek to have meetings with the council’s planning and environment departments,” he said.
“This issue affects everybody so we’re really looking for support from financial and professional aspects.”