‘Deal’ fear on golf club land

Andrew Mathieson
COMMUNITY lobbyists fear State Government and Wool-worths have done a “backroom deal” to develop a former North Geelong golf club site.
Greening Geelong West believes that Woolworths executives’ visit to Geelong last week to promise to shift a lone pine memorial on the site indicated the retail giant believed its plan had guaranteed approval.
Greening Geelong West president Guenter Sahr said Planning Minister Justin Madden signed off on a 2006 planning scheme amendment requiring any development to meet “community’s expectations”.
Mr Madden has since called in Woolworths’ application for a retail complex on part of the former Geelong Golf Club land.
“The actions of the Woolworths appear to pre-empt the Minister’s decision on the matter unless of course the Minister, (site owner) Links Living and Woolies have already decided on an outcome,” Mr Sahr said.
Geelong Labor MP Ian Trezise rejected the deal allegation.
“I find that personally insulting because as a member of the Government it reflects on me as well,” he said
Meanwhile a new community group wants governments to turn it into a “carbon sink”.
Geelong Urban Forest Alliance’s Neil Tolliday said state and federal governments could pay $5 million each to buy the land for replanting.
“At a time when our Prime Minister is offering farmers a new way of earning income by awarding credits for storing carbon in trees, the former golf club site represents a terrific local investment in our sustainable future.”