Great Ocean Road land earmarked for $2.6M tiny home tourism venture

Tiny Away Australia, a subsidiary of Singapore's Big Tiny, is seeking approval to build caravan park-style group accommodation at a six hectare site on Timboon-Peterborough Road, Peterborough.

The proposal currently open for public comment includes a double-storey reception building containing offices, check-in facilities, a laundry and viewing area, a shared activity building, 30 movable tiny homes, and internal roads and 37 parking spaces.

Business Development Director Adrian Chia told The Standard the company started planning the Tiny Away Great Ocean Road project in early 2019 and would be funded internally.

"Staying true to our vision of enabling the modern city dweller to enjoy Mother Nature, whilst staying in our comfortable tiny houses, Tiny Away Great Ocean Road is not your run of the mill group accommodation," he said.

"Other than being eco-conscious down to the minute details for our project, we also pay much attention to how we are able to give back to society and contribute to community building on the property where we sit.

"We build around Nature, minimising the impact on the environment and wildlife on the property. We utilise solar panels to harness energy from the sun as well as employ the use of rainwater collection and filtration systems."

Each tiny home is worth upwards of $160,000 and has a lifespan of 20 years.

There are a number of homes near the earmarked site, the furthest being 120 metres away.

It is one kilometre east of Peterborough, 600 metres away from the Port Campbell National Park and located on the upper slopes of the Curdies Inlet.

The tiny homes would be up to 3.35 metres high, 6.6 metres long, 2.2 metres wide and contain a kitchen, bath or shower, toilet and wash basin.

The site is more than a kilometre from the nearest sewer, meaning a pipe would have to extend along the Great Ocean Road and divert along a nearby private property.

Stormwater would be treated and discharged towards the Curdies Inlet environs.

Mr Chia said the Peterborough Airport just 250 metres away from the site would not affect the tranquil, nature-based experience marketed for the development and welcomed plans for increased activity at the airport.

"An increase in flight activity will be beneficial to the entire Timboon-Peterborough community as this will bring in more visitors to the region," he said.

"For the good of everyone in the region, we will accept and work with the operator positively. Potential disamenity like noise could be mitigated with more landscaping in the development.

"We build around nature, minimising the impact on the environment and wildlife on the property. We also plan to work closely with our landscaping consultant to enhance the tranquil and nature-based experience of our guests."

Tiny Away opened its first tiny home in Picton, New South Wales in 2018, and has since grown to host more than 40 locations across New South Wales and Victoria.

Mr Chia said his development would address a critical tourism accommodation gap within one of the nation's largest and most visited tourism regions.

"Tiny homes in Tiny Away Great Ocean Road can help to fulfil the increasing demand for tiny home dreams while disconnecting from your phone and reconnecting with nature," he said.

"At macro level, the Great Ocean Road Destination Master Plan identifies that an additional 3400 guest rooms will be required to meet the projected visitor demand for the Great Ocean Road Region by 2030 and sustainable tiny homes will be a good option to fill this gap."

It's estimated to generate daily traffic of 153 vehicles per day along Timboon-Peterborough Road.

The site is also deemed an area of cultural sensitivity.

The planning permit is expected to come before Corangamite Shire Council in the coming months.

Have your say on the development here.

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