Woolies plan for golf site opposed

Kim Waters
Geelong councillors have opposed plans for a Woolworths hardware concept store at North Geelong.
They voted to tell an advisory committee to state Planning Minister Justin Madden that they did not support a rezoning and permit application for the store on the former site of Geelong Golf Club.
The Woolworths plan would leave inadequate space for site owner Links Living to deliver its promise of a nine-hole golf course on the land.
Council said Mr Madden appointed the committee in response to a Woolworths request for “a coordinated and timely process” for various building projects around Victoria.
Mr Madden will have the final say on approval of all Woolworths’ permit applications.
Cr Barbara Abley blasted Woolworths’ request to Mr Madden as “devious”.
She called for a crackdown on big companies bypassing councils in planning processes.
“Their whole notion of consultation needs to be exposed,” Cr Abley said.
“I’m really angry. I have grave concerns about this.”
Woolworths wants the 12.6ha site rezoned so it can develop approximately 5.1ha for the hardware store, a medical centre, an office and two food and drink premises.
The rest of the land would be reserved for “future development applications”.
In 2006 council adopted a proposal from site owner Links Living to rezone the western part of the golf club land for a nine-hole course with 200 residential lots, 120 retirement units, wetlands, parklands, bike and pedestrian tracks.
The new application included a revised plan for a four-hole course but council feared Links Living would never go ahead with the golf redevelopment.
A report to council said “the ongoing presence of a golf course on the site was an integral part of the approval package and the Geelong community may now feel aggrieved that this part of the package is being removed”.
Councillor Andrew Katos said the proposal was “nonsense”.
“We’ve been asked to rezone five hectares of land and then told ‘Just trust us with the rest’,” Cr Katos said.
“We’ve been asked to make this decision but the…agreement says it was to remain a golf course.
“We shouldn’t be happy with this.”
LinksLiving and Safeway did not return the Independent’s call for comment before the paper went to press.