Wedding venue wins

ANDREW MATHIESON
AN HISTORIC Queenscliff church will be converted into a wedding reception centre and restaurant after a state planning tribunal green light.
Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal member Mary-Anne Taranto ruled against objections from NFTM Properties, owner of the neighbouring Ozone Hotel, giving the go-ahead to develop the former Wesleyan Church.
The property firm purchased the Ozone Hotel in September 2003 and two years later received VCAT approval to transform the private hotel into eight residential apartments.
Richard Sykes, from NTFM Properties, believed the proposal for the reception centre at 79 Hesse Street provided limited detail on its future operations and it would detrimental to the surrounding area.
VCAT granted a permit for commercial use allowing the sale of alcohol for consumption on the premises but not for sound amplification equipment to be used for announcements, broadcasts or playing music jukeboxes.
A noise and amenity action plan must also be submitted before the venue opens, the tribunal ordered.
Under the permit, the reception centre and restaurant is allowed to open until 11pm between Sunday and Thursday and midnight on Friday and Saturday.
It must, however, display signage requesting patrons and staff to leave premises in a quiet and orderly manner.
No more than 100 patrons are permitted in the restaurant at any given time, including up to 50 outside the premises.
The permit also waives car parking and loading bay requirements under the Borough of Queenscliffe’s planning scheme.
Borough chief executive Gary Price said the council was happy the tribunal upheld its decision.
Mr Price said the borough was not concerned developers could jeopardise the church’s 138-year-old heritage.
Developers told the tribunal that no external buildings or works are planned.
“I think the issue that council was left to deal with was one of maintaining the building,” Mr Price said.
“It’s been an emotional point for some time and we wanted to make sure the building was going to be used and it wasn’t going to be left vacant.
“That way you have more hope of retaining the heritage.”