THE Sanctuary Lakes Golf Course was an absolute boon for Melbourne’s west when it was built by Greg Norman and funded by an Asian developer who loved golf. It was opened in 2000 and since then has been part of the landscape out west.
There was plenty of cash to splash and much fanfare as Norman arrived at the site by helicopter with this right-hand man, Bob Harrison.
The whole project was built around upmarket real estate and many cashed up sons of the west loved the idea of living on a resort style golf housing estate.
The blocks sold thick and fast. Golf membership cost $20,000 except for celebrities and sportsmen who were offered them for nothing.
It was boom times.
There was plenty of money to look after the links style course which was a superb well-manicured test of any golfer’s mettle. It even hosted a few professional events, most notably pre-qualifying for the Victorian Open.
The Sanctuary Lakes course is fighting for survival.
Alas, all good things come to an end. The owner fell victim to the financial crash and was forced to sell. The new owner did not share the passion for golf of his predecessor. The golf operation suffered.
The second owner eventually sold it to the members in 2013. That was only made possible by the sale of a few lots owned by the golf club at the time.
But for the past nine years the golf club has operated at a loss and the model, which has annual budget of $4 million a year, is no longer sustainable.
Declining membership numbers and rising maintenance costs have hurt the club financially.
Now it looks as though the superb Norman creation will become at best a white elephant and at worst, be subdivided for hundreds of houses to be built.
Enter golf chairman, David Hunter, who saw a way out. Sell off a small parcel of the club’s land – 2.9 hectares of a total of 78 – and set up a perpetual fund to ensure the survival of the golf course.
Annual budgets would be met by interest on the capital raised, ensuring the fund retained its revenue base.
But what seems like a workable solution from those with a vested interest in golf has hit a significant hurdle.
Wyndham Shire Council voted 6-3 at a public council meeting to knock back the survival plan forcefully and eloquently put to them by Hunter.
The opposition came well prepared, too, with many speakers against the motion and a good dose of support in the public gallery.
Now the club finds itself stymied by the council vote.
The matter looks set to head to VCAT and may eventually be decided by Victoria’s planning minister, Sonia Kilkenny.
The golf club wants to build 30 units in two lots near the sixth hole then 28 homes near the 15th hole — to act as a perpetual fund for the club that has operated at a loss for most of the past nine years.
While Wyndham City council officers initially recommended that councilors reject the hole sixth hole development and approve the application the 15th, councilors voted to reject both proposals.
The decision came despite a desperate plea by chair Hunter, who said the development would provide much-needed financial support for the club.
“We respect the right of the community to be heard and that’s why we have openly engaged with community members throughout this process,” Hunter said.
“If we can’t get funds we would need to close or move somewhere else,” he said.
Hunter also said the “most probable outcome” should the club fold would be that the course would be taken over by residential development.
Residents strongly opposed the applications, citing the loss of open space and that the application contradicted the estate’s master plan, which originally attracted them to buy there in the first place.
Resident Darren Webb said approving the applications would “undermine confidence and reliability in planning frameworks”.
“Residents make long-term lifestyle decisions based on these plans and they should be respected,” he said.
Sanctuary Lakes Resorts Services general manager Sally McKenna, said the proposed development would “change the balance that this community was carefully planned around”.
“Open space is not surplus land waiting to be developed. It is a vital part about what makes a community livable. Once lost, it is rarely replaced.”
The post Sanctuary Lakes survival plan hits a hurdle first appeared on Inside Golf. Australia's Most-Read Golf Magazine as named by Australian Golfers - FREE.
Article Link: https://www.insidegolf.com.au/golf_industry/sanctuary-lakes-survival-plan-hits-a-hurdle/