29/06/2025
They did it! 🙌🏻
After four and a half years of setbacks, hurdles and bureaucratic hair-pulling, Porcupine Village in Maldon has finally scored its official planning permit.
The dream is alive, folks – and this time it’s not just talk.
Doug and Deb Baird, the passionate (and clearly persistent) owners of the much-loved village, couldn’t hold back their excitement.
“We’ve always said we’d shout it from the rafters when we finally got our permit – and here we are!” they wrote in their announcement.
The planning permit – PA2403444 if you’re into the red tape details – was officially issued last Friday by the Minister for Planning.
That means the full-blown revival of Porcupine Village is no longer just a dream scribbled on a café napkin. It's happening.
Now, before you go dusting off your boots and getting your wedding reception or bush do booked in, there's still a bit of work to do.
The permit came with more than 90 conditions – yep, you read that right – and some of them are apparently a bit of a pain in the backside.
But the Bairds aren’t fazed. After the hell they've already slogged through, what’s a few more hoops?
Their goal? A fully reawakened village, with top-notch accommodation, cracking dining options, and a function space that’ll knock the socks off anything else in the region.
“Thanks to everyone who stood by us,” the Bairds expressed. “Your support got us through the rough patches.”
Doug and Deb say there are still a few months of grunt work ahead, but the focus has officially shifted from if to when.
And by the sounds of it, when those gates swing open, it’s going to be bloody magic.
So here’s to the underdogs who stuck it out. Maldon’s about to get a whole lot livelier – and it’s about time!
