Residents claim the organisers sold thousands more tickets than allowed under the venue’s permit before an amendment was submitted with Mount Alexander Shire Council to increase the venue’s capacity from 6000 to 15,000.

They say that volume of people at Sutton Grange Winery could create issues for emergency services as people travel to and from the site on the night of the concert, March 31.

If approved, the permit would allow the venue to hold up to six events per year with maximum attendances of 15,000.

Mark Collison owns the property to the immediate north and east of the winery.

He said it was great for the area to attract a big name like Neil Diamond, but the location of the concert within the winery’s grounds and the sheer volume of people travelling to the rural property could create a safety risk.

Above: Entrance to the concert will be from Carnochans Road and Carnochans Back Road, rather than Bendigo-Sutton Grange Road

“It’s just not suited to this scale of event,” Mr Collison said.

“A compromise could be made if they moved the concert to the huge section of land at the front of the property, which has underground irrigation.

“But they’re having it at the back of the property, where attendees will have to use rural roads to gain access.

“If any of us did anything without a permit, we’d have to pull it down.”

The winery has held a number of concerts in recent years including Jimmy Barnes in December, which attracted an attendance of about 4000.

The Jimmy Barnes concert was also held on a different part of Sutton Grange Winery, with concertgoers entering from Bendigo-Sutton Grange Road. For the Neil Diamond concert, the venue will be at the back of the winery with access from Carnochans and Back Carnochans roads.

The group of residents say the event goes against the protections for the farming zone, the works on Carnochans and Carnochans Back Road were inappropriate, falling branches could be a safety risk to visitors, the area is bushfire prone, and phone and internet connections will be disrupted.

Residents claim there was a large amount of litter in the area, cars were doing burnouts and people were sleeping in areas near the venue for the Jimmy Barnes concert.

Carla Muers said the council’s removal of roadside vegetation was also a concern.

“Carnochans… and Back Carnochans are back country roads that play an important role in connecting habitat for birds and smaller mammals including the endangered brush tailed phascogale,” she said.

The Neil Diamond concert was first announced in early November, and the amendment application to increase the venue’s capacity was submitted in December.

A spokesperson for Mount Alexander Shire Council said selling tickets before the amendment was approved did not constitute a breach of the permit.

“The selling of tickets for an event does not constitute a breach of the current planning permit at the site,” she said.

“The proposed amendment is being advertised and referred to the appropriate authorities as part of the standard planning permit application process. A decision will be made in due course.”

About 50 people attended a community meeting in December to express their concern about the concert and the amendment application.

The council’s spokesperson said it was “independent of the planning permit application process”.

Following the meeting, grading works on the nearby Carnochans Road and Carnochans Back Road were brought forward several months in response to residents’ concerns.

A statement from Sutton Grange Winery said they were working through issues raised by a group of neighbours.

“Over the last seven years we have operated concerts under a duly authorized council permit. Given the increased audience for the Neil Diamond Concert we have applied for a variation to that permit and are following due process in the application,” the statement reads.

“We are thrilled that literally thousands of local and regional residents have bought tickets to the event demonstrating there is good support locally for the concert.

“Notwithstanding we are conscious that there have been some concerns raised - particularly around traffic flow - and we are working to mitigate these concerns having resourced leading experts and responsible authorities to advise on these issues.”

A number of other nearby residents were fully supportive of the concert.

But objectors say they will seriously consider taking the matter to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal if the council approves the amendment.