South Australian Planning Minister Vickie Chapman kicks off rezoning process for Mount Compass Golf Course

The state government has kicked off a process that would change the zoning of the Mount Compass Golf Course  and dictate where development could happen.

The state government has kicked off a contentious rezoning plan for the Mount Compass Golf Course, allowing some residential, retail and tourist development.

Planning Minister Vickie Chapman has initiated the Code Amendment process that would see the golf course estate rezoned from “rural, recreation and neighbourhood” to “golf course estate”. During a statewide planning shake-up this year, the golf course’s zoning was changed from “residential”, with limitations on where development could happen.

That prompted concerns from owner Capitoline Property managing director Stephen Connor that it would strip the land of its value and development potential. He raised worries with the Environment, Resources and Development Committee, which recommended the land be rezoned “golf course estate”.

In the meantime, residents have raised worries about the potential for large-scale development at the property, after Capitoline Property lodged plans for about 680 homes earlier this year.

Alexandrina Council knocked them back.Ms Chapman said the new zoning would protect the existing golf course while also supporting “complementary development”.

“The goal here is to ensure the long-term viability of the golf course, by allowing greater opportunities for complementary land uses and activities, such as modest residential development, tourist accommodation and small-scale retail development,” she said.

“It will ensure the local community are consulted, giving residents a chance to have their say on the future of the area.”

Preliminary information about the process is available online, with further details to be made available once consultation kicks off.That will begin on September 6.

From July 14: ‘Another Mt Barker’: Locals tee off on golf course estate plan

The State Government will soon kick off the process to rezone the site to “golf course estate”, which it says would retain a golf course but provide “greater flexibility for tourism, residential or commercial initiatives”.

Residents say they will oppose moves to further develop the site, after property owner Stephen Connor earlier this year lodged an application with Alexandrina Council to carve up the whole golf course and make way for about 680 allotments.

The council rejected the application. But Mr Connor, of Capitoline Property, said he had no plans for a large carve up the course and his application was a “defensive reaction” in response to a zoning change that was about to devalue his land.

Resident Steve Hayes was dismayed when he heard of the plans for 680 allotments.

Steve Hayes, Steve Kappler and Bill Coomans at Mount Compass Golf Course Estate. Picture: Tricia Watkinson

Mr Hayes said he did not want the community’s lifestyle destroyed by a carve-up of the site, which would create traffic, infrastructure and environmental problems.

“It’s turning into another Mount Barker,” he said.

“The lifestyle is what we moved here for and that lifestyle will be totally gone.”

As reported, under the state’s new planning code, the land’s zoning was earlier this year changed from “residential”, with a “concept plan” setting out where residential development was allowed, and where the golf course should be, to “rural and recreation”.

Mr Connor claimed it would drastically devalue the property and financially ruin his business. Steve Kappler was among the first residents to move into the estate in 1999. “To all of a sudden be lumped with 600 blocks and no golf course, those people’s homes right next to the golf course won’t be worth half of what they are now,” he said.

“You’re going from a little small town, to doubling it in size.”

Alexandrina councillor Bill Coomans, who lives in the estate, said the requirement of the proposed “golf course estate” zoning that a course remain, was of limited comfort.

“To us, it means it could be a standard golf course, it could be a three-par golf course, a nine-hole golf course or putt-putt,” Mr Coomans said.

Mount Compass locals say they don’t want their golf course carved up to make way for housing. Picture: Tricia Watkinson

Mr Connor took over the site from a previous developer in 2016. Since then, Alexandrina Council has approved 65 new allotments on the land.

Mr Connor said the government should rezone the area immediately, rather than delaying it through a “protracted” planning code amendment process. He said this year’s zoning change was forcing the business to sell off 16 allotments to reduce debt.

Mr Connor said that would mean a large stand of pine trees would be felled and residents would lose their views. The business would also reconfigure part of the course.

“Mount Compass Golf Course will not survive in its current form waiting for the rezoning to be corrected,” he said.

It said its application earlier this year to develop the whole golf course into allotments was “purely a defensive reaction attempting to protect our investment” while the land was still zoned “residential”.

The business had invested heavily in the course, he said, and did not want to carve up any more land apart from a further 40 previously approved allotments on George Francis Drive “provided the golf course operations remain viable”.

An Attorney-General’s Department spokesperson said the community would be consulted about any zoning changes.

A government spokeswoman said Planning Minister Vickie Chapman believed it was important the community was involved in the rezoning, and that would happen through the code amendment process.

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