The Guidelines set out the matters that should be addressed to establish whether public or private golf course land should be converted to another use. The Club has undertaken the necessary investigations to address each matter, including an independent economic assessment undertaken at the commencement of the project.

A summary response to each of these matters is provided below.

1. Does the land tenure allow for conversion?

The Site is privately owned land with no restriction in its tenure which would prevent its conversion to alternate uses.

2. Is the golf course surplus to golfing?

The City of Kingston has the highest number of golf clubs of any other municipality within Metropolitan Melbourne. This supply of golf courses within the City of Kingston and the south-east region more generally has led to an effective oversupply despite forecasted population growth. The economic analysis concluded that the Site is considered to be surplus to the region’s golfing requirements. For the course to remain competitive in this context, significant upgrades are required and thorough economic analysis has not found any options for the Club to remain on the site to be feasible.

3. Are there economic alternatives to conversion?

The Club has considered a range of potential alternatives to enable the Club to become financially viable. The Club has extensively explored alternatives including options put forward by members, Council and the community.

While a number of options have been pursued over the last decade, thorough analysis of these options has not proven them to be feasible. Options to sell off portions of the existing Site to fund upgrade projects have proven to be insufficient to fund the substantial investment required.

4. Should the land remain as open space?

The Site is privately owned and is not currently a publicly accessible open space. Notwithstanding, in accordance with the Guidelines, the Club has sought feedback from Federal, State and Local Government and agencies to gauge whether there is a need for land for public open space or other public uses. To date, no government department or agency, including the City of Kingston, has expressed any interest. It is likely that some open space would be provided as part of any concept plan for the redevelopment of the site noting that the Guidelines require at least 20% of the site to be set aside for open space.

As required by the Guidelines, the project team has determined the relevant required and likely approvals.

Depending on the final proposition, the key approvals for the project are likely to include:

• The proposed rezoning and redevelopment of the Site for an alternate use will require the approval of a planning scheme amendment, Development Plan, and planning permit under the Planning and Environment Act 1987.
• A Cultural Heritage Management Plan will be required to be prepared under the provisions of the Aboriginal Heritage Act 2006.
• Dependent on the impacts of a development proposition on the nearby Edithvale Wetlands, a referral under the Environmental Effects Act 1978 may be required. This cannot be confirmed until a development proposition is prepared (Step 6) and will be dependent on aspects such as proposed bioretention systems/water treatment facilities proposed as part of a future development.
• A referral under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 will be required.

Other approvals, permits and licences may include those under the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988, Wildlife Act 1975, Road Management Act 2004, Water Act 1989, and Crown Land Reserves Act.

The Club and its project team are aware of the likely relevant approvals that may be required, the relevant decision makers for each approval, the necessary technical analysis to inform them, and the associated programming and engagement implications of each approval. These can only be confirmed once a proposal has been formulated.

Based on the extensive experience of the Club’s project team, and initial site analysis, the Club and its project team have satisfactorily identified the necessary suite of technical assessments required to inform the project and associated approvals. These assessments include:

• Golf demand and economic analysis
• Planning and strategic assessment
• Ecology and biodiversity assessment
• Arboriculture assessment
• Landscape and Visual assessment
• Traffic assessment
• Community infrastructure assessment
• Cultural Heritage Management Plan
• Environmental (contamination, hydrogeology and ASS) Assessment
• Drainage and flooding assessment
• Servicing strategy
• Sustainability management plan

The Club and its project team are currently undertaking detailed investigations to understand the Site’s values, constraints and opportunities. As required by the guidelines, site analysis is to be informed in part by community feedback. Accordingly, the purpose of the first consultation stage was to collect information about the community’s visions, values, and interests for the Site and the surrounding area.

As noted above, site investigations being undertaken include the assessment of the following site values, opportunities and constraints:

• Golf demand and economic
• Planning
• Ecology and biodiversity
• Arboriculture
• Landscape
• Traffic
• Community infrastructure
• Cultural heritage
• Environmental (contamination, hydrogeology and ASS)
• Drainage and flooding
• Servicing
• Sustainability

The findings of these investigations (in addition to the findings of the first phase of community consultation) will confirm whether the site is suitable for conversion, and highlight the matters that are to be considered in the preparation of a masterplan for the Site in accordance with Step 6 of the Guidelines.

It is highlighted that potential impacts to social and environmental values (including on the RAMSAR Wetland) cannot be determined until a proposal is prepared (Step 6 of the Guidelines).

In accordance with the Guidelines, the Club has prepared a comprehensive community consultation program. The comprehensive community consultation program includes two principal phases of consultation.

The consultation that has occurred to date is a part of the first phase of community consultation, whereby Step 4 of the Guidelines require site analysis to be informed in part by community feedback. Accordingly, the purpose of the first consultation stage was to collect information about the community’s visions, values, and interests for the Site and the surrounding area. The findings of the Phase 1 community consultation (April to May 2023) have been provided to the project team to ensure that matters raised by community members and stakeholders are considered in site analysis, and will later inform the formulation of a masterplan for the Site.

A further consultation phase will occur as part of the masterplanning phase (Step 6) whereby the initial findings are intended to be incorporated into the masterplan that will then be consulted on and further refined. (Stay tuned. Sign up for updates)

Concept planning and tasks associated with Step 6 will be undertaken following the completion of detailed investigations (Step 4) and the consideration of the findings of the first phase of community consultation. The second phase of community consultation (Step 5 and 6) will occur following the preparation of a preliminary land use concept/masterplan. A proposal to convert golf course land must provide a net community benefit and a high level of sustainability.

This stage has not yet commenced.

Any proposal to convert golf course land must deliver a high-quality outcome. Tasks associated with Step 7 will be completed through:

• the preparation of a planning scheme amendment and planning permit application,
• and the submission of documentation that details the proposal, project rationale, detailed site analysis, strategic response to the technical analysis of values and potential impacts to the environment, ecology, arboriculture, landscape, archaeology, history and culture, and transport.

The documentation will detail the redevelopment proposition and address as relevant, matters of housing, built form, open space, traffic, environmental management, flooding and groundwater, community infrastructure and heritage.