Stirling Golf Club luxury hotel plans hit Adelaide Hills Council roadblock

Plans to convert an Adelaide Hills golf club into a luxury resort will not be going ahead in their current form.

Artists renders of the planned developments at Stirling Golf Club. Picture: Supplied.

A proposal for a $87m redevelopment of the Stirling Golf Club to include a new hotel and luxury retreat pods will not be supported by the local council in its current form.

Plans for the upgrades to Stirling Golf Club – set to be known post-redevelopment as the Mount Lofty Golf Estate – include a tourist accommodation building with 56 units, 30 serviced apartments, two penthouses, a function room, restaurant and external terrace, sports bar, gallery, cafe and wellness centre.

The proposal includes 17 new private retreat “pods” and improvements to the 18-hole course, and it was hoped construction would begin by the end of 2024.

However, Adelaide Hills acting mayor Nathan Daniel said the council had “significant concerns regarding the current proposal” and did not support the application in its current form.

Artists renders of the planned developments at Stirling Golf Club. Picture: Supplied.

“We are seeking a sensible development outcome which enhances the character and amenity of the Adelaide Hills,” he said.

“Both residents and visitors value the character of the Hills and we are passionate about protecting this for current and future generations,” he said.

He said key concerns related to safety risks with the road leading to proposed development, stormwater management, wastewater disposal, subdivision of the land and the impact of visual amenity for residents.

“Our engineers have assessed that Golflinks Road is not considered suitable as the main traffic entrance due to the anticipated increase in traffic along with current slight lines and current road widths,” he said.

He also said the scale of proposed native vegetation clearance was “unacceptable”.

“The removal of native vegetation will negatively impact on local biodiversity and diminish existing habitat for threatened species in proximity to the Mount George Conservation Park,” he said.

“Ecological concerns can be partially addressed by redesigning the pod placements to reduce native clearance, reducing the number of pods, or removing this element of the proposal altogether.

Artists renders of the planned developments at Stirling Golf Club. Picture: Supplied.

Mr Daniel said the council also had concerns regarding additional waterflows into Cox Creek, which is already at capacity and concerns about wastewater.

“Significant upgrades may be required for wastewater disposal, a burden which should not be borne by ratepayers,” he said.

He said the council had provided a formal submission to Planning Minister Nick Champion.

“As this application is classified as a major development, it will be assessed by the State Planning Commission against the development guidelines who then make a recommendation to the Minister who is the final decision authority for this application,” he said.

“While we have no further formal say in the process we will continue engage with the developer to achieve an outcome which results in a development that is complementary to the character and amenity of the Adelaide Hills.

“We are also advocating for infrastructure agreements to be negotiated with council to ensure that any upgrade costs for Golflinks Road and/or wastewater disposal be borne by the developer.”