THE planning minister has been asked to move the former Kingswood golf site in Dingley Village outside of the state’s Urban Growth Boundary.
At their 21 September meeting, councillors voted to write to the minister requesting the change. They also agreed to lobby local MPs to support the change.
A report will be presented to the November council meeting, the first after the local government elections, on “the preparation of strategic support for this proposal and for that to be integrated with the review of the Kingston Green Wedge Management Plan”.
The Victorian Planning Authority website reads that the purpose of the boundary is to “direct urban growth to areas best able to be supplied with appropriate infrastructure and services and protect other valuable peri-urban land, and environmental features, from urban development pressures.”
Australian Super purchased the Dingley Village land in 2014 for $125 million. The original proposal to subdivide the site and build nearly 800 residential dwellings did not proceed after Kingston Council voted to abandon the planning scheme amendment for rezoning in late 2018.
In August, councillors expressed an interest in leasing the site and opening it up for use as a golf course once again.
At their August meeting, Cr Rosemary West said that leasing the land would be “the best possible outcome to what’s been an unfortunate, badly handled, absolutely distressing, and heartbreaking process. Dingley Village residents are losing what they call the green heart of Dingley. (“Council interested in leasing golf course site”, The News, 2/9/20)”
In response, the site owners released a statement saying they are “preparing a response” and “looking forward to engaging with council on this matter”.
The approved motion also read that “given some councillors in the past sought to move the Green Wedge Urban Growth Boundary to facilitate residential and commercial development, Council reiterate that no work will be done by officers to support any form of increased development in the Green Wedge in parallel.”
First published in the Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News – 30 September 2020
