Cr Tim O'Brien By Catherine Watson
LIKE a round of Chinese whispers, the rumours grew wilder with every retelling until the village was in uproar.
A drug and alcohol rehab centre was about to open in a quiet Ventnor street. Soon criminals and drug addicts would be wandering the neighbourhood, lurking in the dunes and disrupting the peace.
By the time it reached Bass Coast councillors, 150 people had objected.
Except … it wasn’t true.
The actual proposal? To use a five-bedroom house, previously used as an Airbnb, at 109 Lyall Street for a health and wellness retreat. Think yoga mats, meditation cushions and green smoothies – not clients in withdrawal and mayhem.
LIKE a round of Chinese whispers, the rumours grew wilder with every retelling until the village was in uproar.
A drug and alcohol rehab centre was about to open in a quiet Ventnor street. Soon criminals and drug addicts would be wandering the neighbourhood, lurking in the dunes and disrupting the peace.
By the time it reached Bass Coast councillors, 150 people had objected.
Except … it wasn’t true.
The actual proposal? To use a five-bedroom house, previously used as an Airbnb, at 109 Lyall Street for a health and wellness retreat. Think yoga mats, meditation cushions and green smoothies – not clients in withdrawal and mayhem.
The house, formerly an Airbnb, sits in a low-density residential zone. The plan is to host a maximum of five guests at a time for yoga, meditation and general calming-down activities.
Council officers noted that confusion may have stemmed from the applicant’s reference to the Banyans Wellness Centre in Queensland, which runs a number of programs, including rehab. And so the whispers began.
Once the facts were clear, councillors wasted little time approving the proposal.
Cr Tim O’Brien, who lives nearby, said he’d fielded plenty of anxious questions from neighbours.
“I've heard all sorts of stories about what this might be,” he said. “But this is just a wellness centre. It’s only got five patrons at a time — far better than another damned Airbnb next door.”
Council officers noted that confusion may have stemmed from the applicant’s reference to the Banyans Wellness Centre in Queensland, which runs a number of programs, including rehab. And so the whispers began.
Once the facts were clear, councillors wasted little time approving the proposal.
Cr Tim O’Brien, who lives nearby, said he’d fielded plenty of anxious questions from neighbours.
“I've heard all sorts of stories about what this might be,” he said. “But this is just a wellness centre. It’s only got five patrons at a time — far better than another damned Airbnb next door.”
“I think people standing on one leg and humming, or sitting quietly beside a pond, aren’t going to disturb the neighbourhood much.”
Cr Tim O'Brien
Cr Jon Temby said a wellness retreat would be an asset for the community.
“Yoga, meditation, and lifestyle education are hardly disruptive. Most Airbnbs are far more likely to cause problems than this.”
Cr Tracey Bell said the retreat aligned with Phillip Island’s ecotourism identity.
“It’s a great example of low-impact, experience-based tourism that’s sustainable and beneficial to the local economy.”
And Cr Ron Bauer reminded everyone to focus on facts, not fears.
“We need to vote on what's in front of us, not the conjecture and whispers that have been swirling around,” he said.
“I’ve visited the site. It’s modern, quiet, secluded and serene — and it’s not an Airbnb. I see no reason to refuse this application.”
The motion to approve the retreat passed unanimously.
“Yoga, meditation, and lifestyle education are hardly disruptive. Most Airbnbs are far more likely to cause problems than this.”
Cr Tracey Bell said the retreat aligned with Phillip Island’s ecotourism identity.
“It’s a great example of low-impact, experience-based tourism that’s sustainable and beneficial to the local economy.”
And Cr Ron Bauer reminded everyone to focus on facts, not fears.
“We need to vote on what's in front of us, not the conjecture and whispers that have been swirling around,” he said.
“I’ve visited the site. It’s modern, quiet, secluded and serene — and it’s not an Airbnb. I see no reason to refuse this application.”
The motion to approve the retreat passed unanimously.