A father says he will appeal the Mount Alexander Shire Council's decision to refuse a planning permit for his private water slide.
Brent Clayton spent the past year building the 35-metre slide in the front yard of his property in Castlemaine, Victoria.
Mr Clayton said before starting the process, he checked the Mount Alexander Shire planning scheme and determined he did not need a planning permit.
But Mr Clayton said he went to the shire after he received objections from some neighbours.
"They decided to ring the council every four minutes about this slide I was putting in," Mr Clayton said.
"I approached them to try and ease their concerns. I said I would plant trees on the fence so they wouldn't see the slide.
"I couldn't get them to come to the party so I applied for a planning permit to keep them happy."
The Mount Alexander Shire planning department recommended the permit should be granted as it was in accord with the shire's planning scheme.
The Mount Alexander Shire Council received one objection to the application. The objector said they were concerned the siting, design, height, and bulk of the water slide was out of character with the area.
The water side application was voted on at the council's June meeting. Four councillors voted against the application, citing that the water slide and associated works did not protect or enhance the landscape and heritage value of the area.
They also noted the proposal did not sufficiently demonstrate how the area would be protected from noise.
"That is laughable," Mr Clayton said. "I didn't want it to be noisy so I put in a quite expensive pump.
"If you can't have a slide on your own property because there will be the noise of kids having fun, then it's a sad place to get to."
Mr Clayton said he would take the council's decision to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal.
"I now need to spend money to argue with council even though their own planning department department said it was all good," Mr Clayton said.
"They are spending their own rate payers' money to argue with themselves."
Mr Clayton said he had already spent about $50,000 on the slide, including its construction and the planning application.
He believed he may have to spend another $10,000 in his legal challenge.
"It's just bloody disappointing, especially at this time," Mr Clayton said. "I thought council would have better fights to pick."
Tara Cosoleto
Journalist covering courts and general news at the Bendigo Advertiser.
Journalist covering courts and general news at the Bendigo Advertiser.
