KINGSWOOD Golf Gourse owners AustralianSuper has confirmed it still plans to sell the site despite the planning minister’s recent rezoning approval.
Planning minister Sonya Kilkenny confirmed that the site would be rezoned for development last month, although didn’t approve AustralianSuper’s submitted plans. The plan was sent to her 18 months ago.
AustralianSuper announced it intended to sell the site weeks before Kilkenny’s announcement. It confirmed to The News that the sale process was proceeding.
“AustralianSuper is looking to sell the former Kingswood Golf Course site,” AustraliaSuper development senior investment director Fiona Dunster said. “The fund has reviewed its property portfolio and identified several assets globally that are no longer aligned with the new strategy and should be considered for divestment, this includes the former Kingswood Golf Course site.”
The golf course at 179-217 Centre Dandenong Road was bought by AustralianSuper for $125 million in 2014. The super fund had planned to build around 800 dwellings on the land, but failed to get the project approved for years.
Last week, a statement from Kingston Council read that it was disappointed in the rezoning. “Kingston Council joins with the Dingley Village community in its disappointment that valuable green open space at the Kingswood Golf Course site has been rezoned for housing by the Victorian Minister for Planning,” it read.
“Kingston’s Housing Strategy is a positive plan that identifies more suitable sites for new housing growth to meet the forecast demand, and we call on the minister to approve this plan as soon as possible. “
Council sent its draft housing strategy and neighbourhood character study to the planning minister for approval in August. In the 2021 draft of the strategy, 77.24 per cent of land in the Kingston municipality was zoned “neighbourhood residential” to limit development to two storeys.
First published in the Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News – 4 October 2023