A KINGSTON councillor is calling for a parliamentary inquiry investigating the approval of the Dingley Village Kingswood Golf Course redevelopment.
The state government approved the controversial plan to convert the golf course into 941 residential lots last year. Kingston Council later confirmed that it would lodge an appeal with the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal, but missed the deadline for submission. (“Council misses crucial Kingswood deadline” The News, 14/1/2026)
Cr Caroline White, who is currently on council leave and not expected to return until May, issued a personal statement not speaking on behalf of council last week confirming she had submitted information about the Kingswood redevelopment to IBAC. Cr White is asking for the state government to “put on hold the redevelopment of Kingswood golf course pending a full independent state level inquiry”.
“On 6 August 2025 Kingston Council wrote to Sonya Kilkenny expressing serious concerns regarding Kingswood and would likely appeal any decision made by the planning minister. Two weeks later monitors were appointed by [local government minister] Nick Staikos to Kingston Council,” Cr White said.
Cr White said her IBAC submission last week was her second since last December. She has called for the “Kingston mayor and CEO to uphold their responsibilities and report any and all corruption they’ve been exposed to with regards to Kingswood Golf Course development and the appointment of Labor government appointed monitors at Kingston” and for “minister Staikos to resign and his monitors to be removed from Kingston immediately.”
In a statement, a Kingston Council spokesperson said “council has no knowledge of any corruption regarding the Kingswood development, and was not involved in the appointment of monitors.”
“We have requested a copy of the monitor’s interim report, however the Victorian Government has advised it will not be provided to council or the community,” council’s statement read.
Nick Staikos was contacted for comment.
First published in the Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News – 25 March 2026