As a Tyabb club member, there couple of clarifications with regards to the aerodrome/school/club.
There are Cherokee and Sierra, both low wing aircrafts available for training in Tyabb.
There is a Foxbat in Tyabb available for RAAus training, although if you are thinking about "saving $" through RAAus path, in reality that rarely happens.
Location of school and distance for Nav flights is irrelevant. The flying hours count. Actually, only location and travel time from your home to the aerodrome counts.
For you as a builder, you'd probably want to join SAAA. There is a "Tyabb chapter", but I can't find Lilydale chapter which doesn't mean you won't get support from local members in Lilydale area.
...and finally you won't find awesome views of both Port Phillip and Westernport bays after taking off from Tyabb.. priceless
and yeah, Tyabb has its own flaws, but again nobody's perfect..
Welcome, wherever you decide to learn!