Bid to take golf site

John Van Klaveren
THREE councillors have called a public meeting to fight plans for redevelopment of Geelong Golf Club.
Eddy Kontelj, Stretch Kontelj and Barbara Abley, whose wards border the former club course, called the meeting following an advisory committee hearing on the land yesterday.
Cr Stretch Kontelj urged fellow councillors to stand firm on a section 173 agreement between City Hall and course site owner Links Living.
He said the agreement stipulated that Links must return either the land or its proposed nine-hole golf course to council if the redevelopment was unviable.
But Links’s submission to the advisory hearing said the “commercially unviable” nine-hole course would lose $245,000.
Cr Kontelj said the viability of the course was not Links’ concern.
“Council has underwritten the nine-hole course,” he said.
“Council runs many facilities not commercially viable but does so for the social aspect.
“Here we have fantastic open space that we’d like to retain into perpetuity and we’d seriously look at taking it on despite its non-viability.”
Cr Kontelj said Links should either hand council the undeveloped land or the course after it was developed under the agreement.
Planning Minister Justin Madden has called in a Woolworths application to build a retail development on part of the golf course site.
Cr Kontelj said Links was using plans the Woolworths application in attempt to escape the section 173 agreement.
“This is an attempt by Links to wriggle out of its obligations in order to maximise a return from this land,” he said.
“If the minister deals with the Woolworths site, Links believes council would have to revisit the 173 agreement at the bargaining table to vary it.”
Cr Eddy Kontelj said the public meeting would be an opportunity for community consultation on the course’s future.
“Since 2006 there has been a lot of speculation, rumour and innuendo as to what will happen on this site,” he said.
“There have been lots of project proposals and residents are confused as a result. They should know what and when something will happen.
“Residents haven’t had an opportunity for consultation or to give feedback during this time.”
Cr Kontelj said councillors could use feedback from residents in future deliberations with the developer to try reaching an amicable resolution.
“The developer has the opportunity to take community views on board and try to develop the area in a manner that will receive acceptance and buy-in from the community, which will be favourable to them going forward.”
Cr Kontelj was adamant the meeting was not a waste of time because of other ongoing planning processes affecting the site.
“The community has no other recourse in the current planning processes, so this is all they have.”
The public meeting will start 6pm July 12 at Geelong West Town Hall.
Links spokesperson Ron Smith said the developer had no comment.