This is the report of Part 1 of the Standing Golf Course Redevelopment Advisory Committee (Committee). Depending on the circumstances of the golf course land and the proposal, other factors may also be important.
Overview
About golf – the Planning for Golf in Victoria Discussion paper
Golf clubs must balance the provision of rights that (a declining number of) club members pay with the demands of social players. As a result, many Victorian public and private second-tier golf clubs are struggling financially.
About the exhibited Guidelines
Golf clubs must address declining membership or find new ways to attract participants to increase their long-term sustainability.
Summary of issues raised in submissions
Firstly, the threshold question of whether golf course land should be retained as open space. Whether proposals to develop golf course land should produce net community benefit and how the net community benefit will be assessed.
Workshops
The Committee’s approach
Golf course redevelopment
Glen Waverley Golf Club operated in Glen Waverley from its formation in 1926 before play moved to the current course in Rowville in 1962. The relocation of Eastern Golf Club and Chirnside Park Golf Club to Gardiners Run Golf Club are recent moves that required planning scheme changes to allow conversion of the lanes to urban use.
Victoria’s Golf Tourism Strategy 2018-23
The reports of the commissions and advisory board that considered these changes provide useful background for understanding the processes and issues that arose in relation to the redevelopment of the vacated land. Planning policy supports the relocation of the golf course outside the city's growth boundary and the development of existing golf course land. Also of interest is the change to the planning scheme which rezoned the land formerly occupied by the Kingston Links golf course to residential use.
The redevelopment of golf courses has happened many times in Melbourne's history and the changing demands of golf clubs will put pressure on future redevelopments.
A golf statewide facilities plan
Because of the potential importance of the plan in the future, the Committee feels that it would be wise to include reference to it in the Guidelines. Once the plan is in place, its proposals to address the future needs of golf should supersede any specific analysis of demand at the local level.
What makes golf course land special?
The committee also agrees that the redevelopment of golf course land represents significant opportunities and risks and therefore warrants a planning process to deal with these properly.
The tensions inherent in large expanses of private open space
The Committee agrees with the submissions that Golf Clubs as freeholders of land have no obligation to maintain a golf course in perpetuity. The Committee notes that Cardinia Shire Council is making inquiries from a golf course into this situation. Broader planning policy supports efficient land use and this weighs towards the redevelopment of golf course land in urban areas.
If the entire golf course were to become public open space, it would appear that it would require purchase by a government agency or council.
Net community benefit
The critical role of the guidelines is to set out for all parties interested in the future conversion of golf course land the issues that need to be addressed when considering the potential conversion of sites. It is therefore important that the guidelines have status in the planning system, which puts them at the center when a proposal is first considered. The committee has considered the structure of the guidelines required as a result of the proposed ministerial guidance.
Where a planning scheme amendment is proposed, the guidelines should recommend that a development plan overlay be applied to guide the redevelopment of the land.
Specifying the purpose
The Committee believes that the guidelines would be better called 'Planning Guidelines for the Conversion of Golf Course Land to Other Purposes' to avoid the implication that conversion is an inevitable outcome. The committee agrees that the guidelines should only apply to areas that are built on and currently or previously used for a golf course. Golf course land means areas that have been developed and used for the purpose of a golf course and include the golf course and associated maintenance and clubhouse facilities.
It does not include other land owned by a golf course operator for non-golf purposes.
Tenure, location and type of development
Inside and outside settlement boundaries
The Green Wedges Coalition (S50) opposed any proposed golf course redevelopment involving the relocation of the UGB. The Committee approaches the Guidelines on the basis that they should apply to all golf course redevelopment, but is silent on the question of what makes a move of a settlement boundary, including the UGB, appropriate. The values and limitations of the golf course (and any receiving site in the case of a relocation proposal) must be clearly documented.
When developing a proposal for the conversion of golf course land, there are up to seven steps in the planning process, depending on the controls applicable to the land.
Why include this step?
This step would provide a mechanism to address some of the concerns that golf courses should remain as "open space." Most, if not all, of the courses identified for redevelopment will not currently be public open space. This does not mean that they should not be hidden for public open space (or other public use) if suitable arrangements can be negotiated.
Excess golf course land, particularly in metropolitan areas, presents a rare opportunity for governments to purchase a significant parcel of land for community or public use.
Does the land tenure allow for conversion?
We struggle to accept the idea that there should be a third fundamental consideration of 'moral' rights alongside property rights and planning controls. Having said this, the planning system is not silent on issues of character and amenity, and we believe that the decision about what is acceptable on a site should be tempered by the legitimate expectations and amenity concerns of neighboring residents. This committee agrees that it is not appropriate to look beyond any legal restriction on land title or on the owner to attempt to determine whether a 'moral' or 'historical' restriction exists.
Proposers must confirm ownership of the land and that it is available for conversion, and document any title or legal restrictions on its future development.
Is the golf course surplus to golfing?
Churchill-Waverley Golf and Bowls Club (S41) has put forward a proposal similar to the Peninsula Kingswood amalgamation, where the consolidation of the two clubs into one site and the development of Waverley would allow for a significant upgrade of Churchill Park Golf Course. The [disclosed] guidelines do not provide adequate guidance on the determining factors as to whether an area is currently under- or over-provisioned with golf courses. The need for the rationalization of some golf courses was supported by the participants of the workshops Golf clubs and consultants as well as councils and institutions.
The Discussion paper, Plan Melbourne and its submitters make it clear that there is a need to rationalize golf courses in some parts of Victoria.
Are there economic alternatives to conversion?
The Committee explored this issue in the workshops with Mr Ross Perrett, a golf course architect with international experience. The Committee does not think a Golf Club needs to demonstrate that the golf course is unviable for redevelopment to be considered. However, the fact that the track is not viable must be considered as part of the wider consideration of whether the land should be redeveloped.
11 The Committee notes that for most (if not all) clubs their constitutions will specify that any funds raised from the sale of the land must be reinvested in the club or a similar purpose.
Should the golf course be converted to public open space?
Whether the proposed conversion is consistent with relevant policies and strategies, including: any relevant regional growth plan. any metropolitan open space strategy or regional open space strategy. the Yarra Strategic Plan, if adjacent to the Yarra River. Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 Determining the approvals required:. who are the relevant decision makers. the level of effort and rigor required to document the site's values and limitations. the documentation and engagement program. The committee has identified several environmental and social considerations that are likely to be relevant to proposals given the special characteristics of golf courses. see section 2.4) Golf course land values and limitations should be documented as part of the assessment process.
A number of submitters suggested that explicit community involvement should be part of the planning process for golf course redevelopment.
Should all benefits be traded?
The Committee considers the contribution of golf courses to open space, common facilities and environmental values to be the most important of these features compared to other features. In relation to open space and environmental values, the Committee agrees that it would open the door to poor outcomes if these attributes could be traded for other benefits in any conversion proposal. The committee believes that any proposal should demonstrate a 'net positive' result for those values that cannot be balanced against other values - guidelines could require that any golf course redevelopment demonstrate a net positive result in providing open space and environmental values . above the normal requirements in the planning scheme.
The committee recognizes that there may be an unequal distribution of community benefits and that some members of the community may see no benefit (or suffer disadvantage) as a consequence of a proposal.
What should be included
For other elements of the proposal, such as stormwater, transport, economy or heritage, the normal expectations of the planning scheme will apply. The Committee is generally supportive of the proposed additions – these appear to be specific factors that should be considered when evaluating proposals for golf course land. The attitude of the board should be considered as part of the process, and submissions by the board may highlight the relative importance of certain benefits, but support from the board is not a benefit in itself.
The Committee agrees that an assessment must be made on a case-by-case basis, but this does not mean that guidance cannot be given.
Is a definitive list possible?
Benchmarks
In the context of master plans that must balance the many conflicting site conditions typical of golf course land, it is our opinion that the term "or" should be used. The Committee considers that a benchmark for addressing character would be for the redevelopment to provide a tree canopy cover (excluding active sports areas) consistent with any local tree canopy objectives. In many areas there have recently been steep declines in tree cover on private land and providing an equivalent tree canopy to the surrounding area may reinforce this trend; such a canopy would not recognize the role that golf course land currently plays in the existing character.
The guidelines should expressly recognize this and state that these links must be provided, even if this means using a number of existing plots adjacent to the golf course land.
What control might be appropriate?
The Committee agrees that golf courses contribute to the wider character and sense of green open space in an area. The Committee agrees that creating active transport links is an important consideration in any redevelopment. Achieving these links may necessitate the purchase of one or more adjacent lots where long runs of residential back fences border a golf course.
This land may be encumbered by easements, reserves, heritage, vegetation or other conditions and provision may be made for land to be used for passive or active recreation.
Delivering infrastructure
Protecting amenity
Delivering Environmentally Sustainable Design (ESD)
The Advisory Committee shall be known as the 'Golf Course Redevelopment Standing Advisory Committee'. 17 The Advisory Board is to advise on draft planning guidelines for the redevelopment of the golf course. DELWP will provide at least 20 working days' notice of the draft planning guidelines for the golf course redevelopment.
The location of the golf course is an important consideration in the assessment of the proposal.
