The $500 million project became unviable when residential plans within the resort were rejected by both the City of Greater Bendigo and the state government.

Initial plans for the Big Hill Investments project, backed by Mr Williams, were to include 450 homes, a conference centre, other resort-style developments as well as a golf course.

City officials confirmed last week plans had been “unofficially” withdrawn.

Mr Williams said that in the end it became “too hard”. “It’s pretty much over. With the amount of work and money that went into it we decided that it just got too hard.” He said in the end it came down to the rejection of residential plans.

“The council and the government wouldn’t allow residential [property] outside the planning zone.

“But in the residential strategic plan it says there’s room for a resort-style development and that’s what we had, a resort-style development.

“But you need to have the residential behind it to build the resort. You can’t build the resort without the residential.”

Mr Williams said it was unlikely plans would be set aside and re-examined in future.

“It’s disappointing for Bendigo with all the work we’ve done, the hours and time we’ve put into it, that we couldn’t get it over the line.” Big Hill Action Group spokesman Bruce Carpenter said that after fighting the plan for almost seven years, the group was relieved, but it was still waiting for official confirmation from the council that plans were being withdrawn.

“If it was just a resort, well, you could live with that, but they wanted to put a suburb of Bendigo out here.

“We’re very pleased, but we’re waiting for official confirmation from the council – we don’t want to get ahead of ourselves.”