Geelong’s Winery and Accommodation Application APPROVED

We were recently successful in securing a planning permit for a winery and cabin accommodation development on the Bellarine Peninsula, just outside Leopold, east of Geelong, through the City of Greater Geelong.
The site already had some established grape cultivation, and the proposal sought to expand the existing agricultural use into a more integrated wine tourism operation. This included on-site wine processing, cellar door sales, a café and food service area, and a small cluster of cabin accommodation to support visitors staying on the property.
Our role involved both town planning and architectural design, as well as coordinating supporting consultants and managing the planning application from lodgement through to decision. The sloping site, with views across Lake Connewarre, offered a strong landscape setting but also required careful consideration of building siting, bulk, and visual impact to ensure the development sat appropriately within its rural context.
From a planning perspective, the key challenges related to balancing rural production with tourism use, managing access and infrastructure requirements, and ensuring the built form responded sensitively to the landscape.
Through detailed design refinement and ongoing engagement with Council, all concerns were addressed during assessment. The City of Greater Geelong ultimately issued a planning permit for the full proposal as sought.
The approval reflects a well-resolved outcome for rural tourism development in a sensitive landscape setting.