A Sydney council has accused the state government of attempting to hand control of a publicly owned north shore golf course to the sport’s peak body in NSW to appease golfers amid plans to seize fairways in other parts of the city.
As debate simmers over the future of urban golf courses, North Sydney Council says it was blindsided when Lands and Property Minister Steve Kamper signalled his intent to transfer management of Cammeray Golf Course to Golf NSW to “secure the future of golf” on the site, citing a council push to open it to other recreational uses.
Mayor Zoe Baker said councillors last year voted to extend the club’s lease for its nine-hole course, which covers 12.7 hectares of Crown land within Cammeray Park, to 2029, and there were no long-term plans to banish golf from the site.
“A cynic might think awarding the land to Golf NSW is just a gift in return for Moore Park and Lidcombe,” Baker said.
Sydney’s fairways have increasingly become fair game under the Minns government, which has angered golfers by pursuing plans to halve Moore Park golf course to create a civic park in the eastern suburbs, and by considering a proposal to turn Carnarvon Golf Club in Lidcombe into a cemetery, to cater to the city’s surging population.
But the debate in Cammeray has assumed the opposite dynamic – the government wants to lock in the course for golfers, much to the chagrin of the council and community groups, who fear other users will be shut out.
“They’re trying to set in aspic the current use without considering any other way of doing things,” Baker said.
“In a hugely dense city that is getting more dense, the reality is every piece of public land is going to have to work harder to provide for existing and future residents.”
The park has included golf facilities since 1906 and also accommodates tennis courts, croquet lawns, a skate park, soccer and rugby matches, and community events.
The council’s open space and recreation strategy, which councillors adopted last year, committed to developing a masterplan for the entire park that increased opportunities for multiuse recreation.
However, the Department of Housing, Planning and Infrastructure wrote to the council in early February informing staff the government was proposing to revoke its appointment as manager of the Crown land leased for the course, and to instead transfer care and control of the site to Golf NSW.
The letter said Kamper’s “preliminary view is that the Cammeray Golf Course should continue to be used for golf purposes”, and he was considering the most appropriate entity to manage the site.
It said the council “does not intend to allow Cammeray Golf Course to be used for golf purposes in future”.
Kamper, who is also sports minister, issued a press release soon after stating the government was in discussions with the council about future use of the site, and emphasising that the “Minns Labor government continues to support golf at all levels”.
Baker said the council had not been “in discussions” about the matter, and was angry staff had only been given 14 days to provide a submission without community consultation. She said the council had sought legal advice.
She said the council’s long-term strategy “does not state that golf will cease at the site. Rather, it seeks to ensure that the land is used as effectively and inclusively as possible for the broader community”.
Bay Precinct committee member John Berry said Golf NSW would act in the interests of golfers, rather than the wider community, and the proposal amounted to a “de facto privatisation”.
“Residents are really irked because the future of our park is being ripped out of the hands of the council and put into the hands of Golf NSW. It undermines the council’s role to plan strategically, and we won’t get a say.”
Kamper’s office referred questions to the NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure. A Crown Lands spokesman said the government would assess the council’s submission, and no decision had been made.
“The government is considering future management arrangements for the golf course only, not the rest of Cammeray Park, which would remain under council’s management and includes a public sports field, tennis courts, croquet lawns, a skate plaza, walking and cycling paths, benches, lighting, and picnic seating.”
Cammeray Golf Club declined to comment.
A Golf NSW spokeswoman said many courses operated on Crown and council-owned land in NSW, and the organisation had the expertise required to help the club and deliver benefits for the sport and the community.
“Golf NSW prides itself on working constructively with councils, local clubs, and community groups to ensure golf remains affordable and accessible.”
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