Dal Zotto Wines tourism accommodation nearing completion, while housing gaps in sight

Wangaratta Council is encouraging farm owners to use a new amendment to Victorian planning provisions to its full extent.

The "rural worker accommodation" amendment was gazetted at the end of last year following consultation and exempts farm businesses from requiring a planning permit for accommodation for up to 10 people.

The planning permit exemption, available only to accommodate workers engaged in agriculture on at least 40 hectares of land in a farming zone, is intended for seasonal workers.

Wangaratta mayor Dean Rees hoped the amendment would enable farmers and producers to secure workers.

"The farm zone has been a hassle - no other accommodation was really allowed before, it was basically one house per 100 acres," he said.

"Easing up rules and regulations helps."

Commercial property market gaps remain firmly in council's view, with up to 176 new dwellings needed every year according to a 2020 strategy.

Cr Rees said a new subdivision at Moyhu was close.

"As we speak, there's shovels in the ground and roadworks being done," he said. "The second stage will hopefully be developed over the next 12, 18 months."

New tourism accommodation will also soon be available in the King Valley.

The project at Dal Zotto Wines, accommodating up to 20 people, should be complete before June.

Planning and renovations have been underway at the winery since November 2020, when Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews visited to announce $4.3 million for the "Prosecco Road" activation project.

Dal Zotto's accommodation idea received $300,000 of that funding and is now close to completion.

Chief executive and winemaker Michael Dal Zotto said between a renovated homestead and six container-style accommodation pods, 20 guests would be able to stay.

"We've been wanting to have on-site accommodation for about three or four years now," he said.

"The homestead was one of the first two government properties in Whitfield - it was built in 1904 and was the police station property.

"Now it's got a verandah, Murray pine floorboards and ceilings - we're trying to work in with the history of the place.

"We're hoping it will be complete between April and June.

"We've already got people registering their interest."

Two of the six container pods were used for a month-long activation with Visit Victoria in 2019 and they were fully booked out.

Dal Zotto's offering will add to other accommodation available in the Whitfield area, including Mountain View Hotel and two caravan parks.

A "significant opportunity" to grow overnight visitation was identified by the the Prosecco Road activation report done for Tourism North East and Development Victoria.

The King Valley region currently attracts 590,000 annual visitors, but 59 per cent of them are day trippers only.

Wangaratta mayor Dean Rees said early works for Prosecco Road were taking place, such as cycle linkages.

"The whole area will benefit from more tourism accommodation," he said.

"It enables people to stay and spend longer - otherwise people come out here and spend a couple hours but often have to drive back."

The activation plan for Prosecco Road, a concept that came from Dal Zotto along with Brown Brothers, Chrismont and Pizzini, was the catalyst for Victorian government funding.

It highlighted the need to upgrade Wangaratta-Whitfield Road, which Wangaratta chief executive Brendan McGrath said remained an ideal goal.

"That (Prosecco Road) project will allow Wangaratta Council to undertake township improvements and linkages, particularly in Whitfield," he said.

"This is obviously only one stage of what will be a number of stages; there's $25 or $30 million worth of work proposed in the overall plan, of which $4 million has been started.

"A lot of the elements of it have been talked about and acknowledged as being needed for many years, like accommodation."

IN OTHER NEWS:

Mr Dal Zotto is excited to host guests in the new accommodation this year and said the winery had been lucky to avoid major COVID-19 closures.

"We've been okay in the winery and the vineyard" he said.

"Outside of that, our major issue is staff, and I think that's every industry.

"We've managed to get an Italian here for the harvest, so the overseas workforce are starting to come back in."