Course battle backed

John Van Klaveren
TWO key business associations have backed councillors’ fight against plans to redevelop a former golf course in North Geelong.
Geelong Traders Association and the city’s chamber of commerce said Woolworths’ application to establish a bulky goods outlet on part of the course was outside the region’s structure plan for retailing.
The Independent last week revealed fears the Woolworths bid could allow site owner Links Living to escape an agreement to develop a nine-hole course on the former Geelong Golf Club land. Links Living had claimed retaining the proposed course was “commercially unrealistic”.
However, a 2006 Section 173 agreement with the City of Greater Geelong binds Links to either develop the course or hand over the land to council.
Geelong Cr Stretch Kontelj told the Independent last week that Woolworths’ application, including plans for a par-three course, could help Links “wriggle out of its obligations”.
Cr Kontelj said Links could use ministerial planning approval for the bulky goods outlet on the south-east parcel of the site to pressure council into renegotiating the Section 173.
The application last week went before an advisory committee to make a recommendation to Planning Minister Justin Madden on whether to approve the plan.
Traders association spokesman Hayden Spurling said it was difficult to find anyone in Geelong who supported the Woolworths plan.
“You have to wonder what the minister is doing,” Mr Spurling said.
“Is Mr Madden getting pressure to even consider this? Will he be tempted to approve the application?
“The agreement was made when the site was sold to Links and those requirements are now being thrown out the window. This is clearly aimed at negating the Section 173.”
Chamber of commerce president Jim Walsh said the organisation had written to Mr Madden indicating its opposition to his intervention in the usual planning process.
Mr Walsh said issues of concern included: the compatibility of the Woolworths’ proposal to the previously approved rezoning of the course land and the accompanying section 173 agreement; consistency with council’s retail strategy; stormwater management; and a package of zoning and planning scheme provisions already approved.