13/08/2024
UPDATE ON OUR COUNCIL WOES.
Yes we have Council approval to keep operating while going through the VCAT process.
We have had so many people asking how our change of use permit it going with Council and until now we have not said much because it's in the hands of lawyers. However our loyal customers do deserve to know what is happening and after our first VCAT hearing we feel it is the time to let people know what's going on.
After 4.5yrs of a journey that has been life altering for myself and Tan we are currently going through VCAT with lawyers from Melbourne.
Unfortunately the amazing people at Golden Plains Shire that promoted and helped us support local and Australian producers through Covid have left and we are now dealing with people who have no interest in us being here.
We have spent around $100,000 doing all things that were ever asked of us to be allowed to operate for the last 4.5yrs. We were told a change of use permit for the mushroom farm was just a formality that would need to be followed once covid was over. Yes covid ended a couple of years ago now and yes, this has been going on ever since.
We have already spent so much trying to keep this little AMAZING COMMUNITY FARMGATE going, slowly but surely we are being drained of everything we have and with Golden Plains Shire now employing solicitors we believe they will fight until we just can't afford to fight anymore.😔
We love what we have created here and the whole business model is about helping everybody afford good quality food but at the same time keeping our farmers viable by giving them what they deserve for their stock.
Our cheap feed Thursdays have become a massive hit, especially for single people and the elderly who love a home cooked meals but struggle to do it them selves.
This is going to affect so much more than just us and our family. It is going to impact all those small producers that we give tens of thousands to every year to help keep afloat in such difficult times.
It will impact all the amazing people we see and provide for every week. We are one of only a few businesses locally that actually still have a very personnel connection with all our regular customers. We love what we do and we think it shines through in what we have been allowed to create over the last 4.5yrs.
So we are,working with lawyers to work out what we do moving forward.
Regardless we either spend $60000-$100000 fighting it, we shut our doors and lose everything including our house because we have to pay the debt on the business (due to money spent keeping Council happy over covid and after covid ended), or we look at trying to afford to move but once again we lose everything we have spent here over the last 4.5yrs and then we have to fund the move to set ourselves up all over again.
We are guttered, devastated and have been emotionally and mentally drained by this process.
We will get our 2nd hearing date in coming weeks but we face the real possibility that our change of use permit will be denied and we lose the $60000-$100000 by trying to fight it.
Well that is where we are at and we all want this awesome community farmgate to remain supporting everything Australian and most IMPORTANTLY supporting YOU our amazing followers.
We will keep you updated on our progress and yes we will reach out if we do end up needing help.
Thankyou all for your unwavering support and I hope this support is what will get this over the line. How that looks in the end is yet to determined.
Hope you all have a great weekend and we look forward to seeing alot of you tomorrow.
Open
Mon-Wed 9am-5pm
Thurs 9am-7pm
Fri 9am-5pm
Sat 10am-4pm
Sun Closed
26 Kirks Rd Smythes Creek.
It's not the house driveway but the next driveway along with the double farm gates.
Only 4km from DTC
Tanya 0451463341
