Rabbit rousers

By Russell Bennett
AN OLINDA bunny haven will be forced to close its doors unless its owners can win a last-ditch VCAT appeal.
Yarra Ranges Council last week gave animal lovers Judi and Bryce Inglis permission to build a new home on their Olinda property.
But the catch – the pair have to close their Rabbit Run-Away orphanage – opened on the site in July last year.
“It’s just in the wrong spot,” Streeton Ward councillor Noel Cliff said.
“The current situation isn’t good for neighbourly relations.”
The Inglis’ Stanley Street neighbours described the property as noisy, disruptive and a nuisance at the council’s 14 December meeting.
The Inglis family presently rent a nearby property and wanted to build the house to be closer to the animals.
“The orphanage is really just a four car garage,” Ms Inglis said.
But Stanley Street resident Barbara Setchell said adjoining property owners were concerned the Inglis’ were living “in a premises not registered for occupancy”. “We don’t have any evidence of the occupants leaving the property at night as they were previously instructed to do by council,” she said.
“We’re not opposed to the intended dwelling.”
She and other neighbours opposed to the orphanage were concerned about “the continual obstruction of the road, which is narrow enough to begin with”.
“Customers to the occupants’ property have nowhere to park,” Ms Setchell said.
“So they’re forced to block the road.”
She asked the council why it should support the facility when “rabbits are pests”. But Ms Inglis could not understand her neighbours’ complaints.
“Our so called customers are actually family and friends,” she said.
“They’ve come to visit after my husband’s heart attack.
“Our neighbours clearly don’t know what’s going on and they’re not interested.”
Ms Inglis said they’d take their plight further but would buy another property for their rabbits if their hand was forced.
“If we don’t, the animals will be euthanised,” she said.