KINGSTON Council has received legal advice that a Supreme Court challenge of the state government’s approval of the Dingley Village Kingswood Golf Course redevelopment is unlikely to succeed.
Developer Satterley plans to convert the former Dingley Village golf course into 941 residential lots. Planning minister Sonya Kilkenny approved the proposal in October last year.
After confirming it would lodge an appeal at the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal in November last year, Kingston Council was later informed that VCAT would not hear its objections because it had filed its application after the required deadline.
Kingston Council acknowledged the blunder, with CEO Peter Bean saying “confusion over the legal timeline was caused by multiple different dates from the Victorian Government including a delegate’s approval, minister signing, and notification to council. Despite VCAT regularly allowing time extensions, the Victorian Government opposed an extension and the tribunal refused to hear the case.” (“Council misses crucial Kingswood deadline” The News 14/1/2026).
Last week, Kingston Council issued a new statement calling on the state government to hear its concerns. It said “we’re calling on local MPs and the Victorian Minister for Planning to step in and address serious concerns about the former Kingswood Golf Course development, including flood management, traffic and community infrastructure.”
“The Victorian Government has rezoned the site and approved a 900-home Development Plan. Council sought to challenge aspects of this at VCAT, but due to an internal administrative error our appeal was denied. We sincerely apologise to the community for this disappointment,” council said. “While advice confirms a Supreme Court challenge is unlikely to succeed, council and the community are not giving up. We won’t accept poor planning or inadequate infrastructure, and your voice matters.”
Kingston Council has repeatedly butted heads with the state government throughout this council term; two state government-appointed monitors are currently overseeing council at ratepayers’ expense. The matter escalated last week when councillor Caroline White was quoted in The Australian discussing the monitors’ appointment, saying “it’s my understanding that this is a political hit job; the motivation is nobbling the council, which is now influenced by independent councillors.”
Kingston Council is calling for residents to write to their local MPs about the Kingswood redevelopment.
First published in the Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News – 3 February 2026