Maffra: Vacant Macalister Hotel “trashed” by vandals

Vandals have smashed windows and “trashed” the interior of a Gippsland pub that had big reno plans including a tractor showroom.

A company wanting to resurrect a Maffra pub with an adjoining tractor showroom has conceded its bold plans are “dead in the water” after the dormant hotel was trashed by vandals.

Warragul-based Ag Farm Machinery bought the Macalister Hotel in 2021 with plans later presented to Wellington Shire for a tractor showroom in a back section of the pub in conjunction with reopening a front bar area.

The pub’s exterior was a target for graffiti earlier this year, prompting Ag Farm Machinery director Andrew Moore to publicly air frustration with delays in processing its planning application.

Maffra's Macalister Hotel was graffitied earlier this year. Picture: Supplied

Mr Moore said negative sentiment had escalated with the pub’s windows broken and interior “trashed” at the weekend.

“All we’ve hit is brick walls,” he said.

“In the meantime the pub is just sitting there and becoming the target of vandals.

“I think it is dead in the water because the delays are stopping us going out with a positive story to tell the town about what we’re doing to reinstate their pub.

“Why would you risk $4 million to then have a business that was going to be boycotted either by tractor sales or beer sales.

“It’s just going to have to sit there and rot.”

The pub’s historic facade was going to be retained, but an extensive interior renovation was planned to incorporate the bar, lounge, beer garden and tractor display area.

Maffra's Macalister Hotel before it closed and later sold at auction in 2021. Picture: Supplied

Wellington Shire has defended its handling of the “quite complex” Maffra venture with council staff continuing “to work in support of the applicant to encourage a positive planning outcome”.

“Expectations are that a planning outcome will be known this week,” a council spokeswoman said.

“More broadly, council prides itself on being proactive with planning applications and completes over 90 per cent of its applications within statutory time frames.

“Wellington Shire is one of the best performing local government areas in Victoria, with permit applications involving heritage sites, applications over two or more planning zones and where objections are received taking more time to process and consider.

“This application is quite complex and requires all the above considerations for a decision to be made that benefits the local community.”