Mountain Bike trails and new home for Sturt Lions Football Club to form part of Belair Golf Course redevelopment

Three years after Belair’s golf course closed, a new master plan has finally been revealed. See what’s in store for the 51ha site.

A mountain bike hub and home base for a local soccer club will form part of a revamped Belair Golf Course.

A first-look draft masterplan was released for community consultation today, almost three years after the 51-hectare golf course and country club was placed into administration.

About $300,000 will be spent on initial site upgrades, including new mountain bike and shared-user trails.

The removal of the country club building, on the southern boundary of the site, to create a home base for the Sturt Lions Football Club will also be considered.

South Australian-based cycling company Escapegoat has been granted a temporary licence to operate bike hire, skills courses and tours from Belair’s defunct golf course.

The draft plan also includes a proposal to rezone the site to potentially offer tourist accommodation in the future.

Ian and Deborah Fehler from Escapegoat have launched a new bike hub in the old Belair Golf Club pro shop. Picture: Brenton Edwards

Environment Minister David Speirs said that the release of the draft masterplan provided an opportunity for people to help shape the site’s future as part of neighbouring Belair National Park.

“Belair is South Australia’s oldest and also one of our most popular national parks and this is an exciting opportunity to reinvigorate the area and provide further amenities and experiences for visitors,” Mr Speirs said.

“The Belair precinct is an important site for the local community, who have made it clear they want to see the site revitalised. This redevelopment will reinvigorate and reunite the precinct back into the broader Belair National Park, while offering new experiences to benefit all visitors.”

Sturt Lions Football Club president John Vander Veeken said the new home ground, if approved, would include seven pitches and a clubroom to help meet the growing demand for the sport.

Sturt Lions Football Club are hoping to create a new homebase at the former Belair Golf Club.

He said the club had about 600 players, many of whom lived in the Adelaide Hills.

“We have 38 teams in the club, so we’re ‘speckled’ in various locations all over the district for training and games,” Mr Vander Veeken said.

“As a result, our homes games are in at least four different locations.

“So if Belair takes off, it will give us a chance to link a lot more people together from the area.”

A community drop-in session will be held at Belair Golf Course on Sunday, from 9.30am-12.30pm, giving people a chance to view the plans and provide feedback on key features.