Candyman claims Gold Coast City Council bullying him with multiple fines

Travers “Candyman” Beynon has threatened to relocate his famous mansion party, accusing the council of waging an “ongoing campaign of harassment” against him.

TRAVERS “Candyman” Beynon has threatened to relocate his famous mansion party, accusing the council of waging an “ongoing campaign of harassment” against him.

The colourful Helensvale local claims the council has been targeting him for the past 12 months.

He said he had engaged solicitors to deal with the council on several issues, including a cubbyhouse, a pontoon, development applications and a $13,000 fine for a topless female statue ahead of his Candyman mansion Christmas party on Saturday.

Travers Beynon, AKA The Candyman, on his pontoon at his home that council won’t let him put back after repairs. Picture Glenn Hampson

The FreeChoice Tobacco czar said the fine had him considering moving his event to a “friendlier location”. In classic Candyman style, the 46-year-old filmed himself cutting the nose off the offending statue with a chainsaw while warning the council, “don’t cut off your nose to spite your face”.

CANDYMAN SEARCHING FOR WOMEN TO PARTY WITH HIM

Mr Beynon said he asked council officers to leave when they arrived to inspect the statue and a stage ahead of the December 1 party.

“They then tried to access my back yard like CIA operatives, even asking neighbours if they could come through their yards,” he said.

Travers Beynon (centre) has achieved notoriety for his lavish parties.

“My pontoon was damaged in a storm over a year ago and I engaged a professional pontoon company to look at replacing it.

“Council came to inspect it and said I didn’t have approval to have one, which is not correct as I already had approval for the original that was damaged.

“When they came to inspect my apparently non-approved pontoon, they saw my kids’ cubbyhouse and said it was not compliant, and if I didn’t pull it down I’d be fined $9000.

CANDY SHOP MANSION LIVE STREAMS PARTY EVENT

“The structure was there when I bought the house and had been a real hit with my two youngest. The look on their faces when I had it removed almost broke my heart … I’m sure there are thousands of cubbyhouses around the Gold Coast, so residents should be careful and get town planning approval, otherwise they’ll be threatened with fines.”

Travers Beynon. Picture Glenn Hampson

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Mr Beynon said he wanted to improve the Gold Coast and questioned whether suggestions he might run for mayor could be behind the “harassment”.

“We had over 12,000 registrations for the weekend’s party, with more than half from overseas, and half of local applicants were from interstate so it’s certainly on the map as far as an event is concerned,” he said.

“I want to grow the event to attract more people back to the glitz and glamour of the Coast, but council seems to have other ideas and I’m wondering if it has anything to do with the suggestion I might run for mayor.”

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Mr Beynon said he had also experienced issues with development applications for an adjacent block of land.

“I’m amalgamating two adjacent blocks of land but they’re doing everything in their power to make the process more difficult,” he said.

“I know I’m a larger than life character and an easy target, but I’m beginning to think there’s something more to this.”

Mayor Tom Tate did not comment on Mr Beynon’s claims, but his office issued a statement from a “city spokesman”.

“The city acts on complaints. Once a complaint is made, officers investigate that complaint in an impartial manner,” the statement read.

“It is incorrect to suggest otherwise, as a courtesy to all parties, we do not publicly comment on where an investigation is at, addresses, names, or the outcomes.’’

Originally published as Candyman claims Gold Coast City Council bullying him with multiple fines