Rezoning push in battle for golf site

John Van Klaveren
THREE councillors will seek an investigation into rezoning 22 hectares at North Geelong north for a nine-hole golf course, a public meeting has heard.
The rezoning would retain a proposed course now under doubt after the owner of the former Geelong Golf Club site, Links Investco, changed its plans to redevelop the land.
Monday’s joint ward public meeting voted to request council investigate rezoning the land for public use.
A second successful motion requested Links Investco to stick with a 2006 planning scheme amendment and associated Section 173 agreement requiring retention of the golf course.
The meeting also requested council write to Premier John Brumby and Planning Minister Justin Madden asking them to reject a Woolworths application for a bulk retail development on part of the golf club site.
Mr Madden called in the Woolworths application and appointed an advisory committee to hear submissions on the plan. The Committee is currently preparing its report.
Councillors Eddy Kontelj, Stretch Kontelj and Barbara Abley called Monday’s meeting.
Councillors fear approval of the Woolworths application could jeopardise an earlier agreement between council and Links to develop the nine-hole course and turn it over to council if it was unviable.
Cr Stretch Kontelj said councillors were frustrated that council had lost planning control over the site.
“We’re left to clean up the mess afterward,” he said.
“The developer wants to revisit the proposal and walk away from the section 173 legal agreement. There is no reason for the minister to grant the developer its current application.
“If that happens, it will bring to an end the section 173 agreement because there will not be enough land left for the nine-hole course.”
Member for Geelong Ian Trezise, who attended the meeting, said the section 173 was “made in good faith”, so all parties should honour the agreement.
Geelong Environment Council president Joan Lindros told the meeting she was outraged Mr Madden had seized planning control.
“It’s a major issue and we will remember what he has done.”