Plans submitted to Council earlier this year for the historic old Skinners Shoot piggery at 103 Yagers Lane have raised concerns with residents.
The $22.2m proposal for exclusive high-end restaurant and an artisan food and drink business includes significant building works, car parking, earthworks, retaining walls, landscaping, waste water disposal, public art, solar panels, and vegetation management works.
Skinners Shoot Residents Group told The Echo they fear that the project will turn into a monster, with serious impacts on the inadequate roads and local amenity.
President of the group, Anthony Pangallo, said, ‘The proposed cellar and restaurant’s footprint of 945 square metres will make it the largest in the Shire, far exceeding the scale of any existing eatery establishments in our area’.
He said, ‘This size of this development does not align with the small-scale, rural character that our community cherishes and strives to maintain.’
Residents argue that the proposal’s economic viability appears predicated on increasing patron numbers.
Proponent Maggie Schreiber told The Echo, ‘The proposed 45-seat restaurant and 15-seat lounge have a total capacity of 60 seats. The lounge is for guests of the restaurant only to relax before or after their meal. The artisan area has a capacity of only 15 seats.
‘The restaurant and artisan food industry area would both be accessible via booking only.
‘This site formerly contained what was the largest piggery in the southern hemisphere… We encourage neighbours to visit yagerspiggery.com.au’, Ms Schreiber added.
Pangallo added, ‘It’s a model that stands in direct contradiction to the principles of sustainable rural tourism.’
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