Qld’s richest golf club lodges plan for multimillion-dollar overhaul of greens

The most cashed-up golf club in the state has applied to overhaul its greens in a huge project that will see 252 trees felled. But council has concerns.

Indooroopilly Golf Club has applied to enlarge its dam and fell 252 trees as part of a huge upgrade of its lavish greens in Brisbane’s inner-west.

The development application, lodged four days before Christmas, comes as work proceeds rapidly on the Somerset Indooroopilly retirement village on a portion of the IGC riverfront site.

The final stage of the Aura Holdings over-60s village is now on sale, with apartments going for up to $1.3 million.

IGC stands to earn an estimated $76 million over 40 years in a leasing deal with Aura.

The Meiers Rd club, which also earns about $9 million a year and charges more than $6000 in joining fees, lodged the DA with Council on December 21.

Aura Somerset Retirement Village in January. The project is now well advanced. Picture: Richard Walker

It comes after IGC engaged golf course architects Perrett Webb in 2019 to come up with a masterplan, with proposed works including redesigning the 36-hole course and practice facilities, extra car parking, expansion of the carts store building and moving a maintenance building.

The works will be staged, with stage 1 to include an overhaul of the driving range “green’’ course (holes one to nine), enlarging an irrigation dam in the north of the property and improving two dams in the southern section.

Council officers warned IGC at a prelodgement meeting in August that a bat colony should not be disturbed and flood risk should not be worsened.

“Given the large scale of earthworks proposed, opportunities should be taken to improve flooding if it worked for the proposed golf course modifications — not impact it,’’ Council officers said.

“But in all cases no impact is the benchmark.’’

IGC’s lush fairways will be revamped.

Council officers also said low-impact uses were necessary in a buffer adjacent to Indooroopilly Island to minimise disturbance to flying fox roosts.

Field surveys were undertaken on behalf of the club in August and September which found 321 plants species, 225 of which were natives, and 66 animal species.

“Although black flying fox were observed on site during nocturnal surveys, no evidence of the flying fox roost mapped on Indooroopilly Island to the site’s southwest was observed,’’ a report by consultants Burchills said.

“This area was observed on foot and, where access was constrained, via binoculars from Graceville Riverside Park on the opposite bank of the Brisbane River.

The IGC's sprawling riverfront property.

“This corresponds with survey data produced by the Department of Environment and Science (earlier this year) which indicates that this roost has been disused since 2013.’’

Burchills wrote that riverfront vegetation would be retianed and protected. The masterplan design avoided High Ecological Significance and High Ecological Significance Strategic areas.

“Some vegetation clearing will however be required to facilitate the earthworks and alterations to existing waterbodies,’’ it said.

“The impacts will be assessed and revised accordingly at the detailed design stage for each stage of the masterplan.’’

The DA documents said 252 trees would need to be cleared, but 104 were “weed’’ species and 11 others were in poor health.

None of the natives were of state or national conservation significance.

More than 700 native canopy trees would be replanted.

The IGC clubhouse. a masterplan includes provision for upgraded cart storage, maintenance areas and extra parking.

IGC has made multiple attempts to sell off parts of its land over the years, including leasehold given to it for 5000 pounds in 1947 by Henry Thomas, for use as a park.

A previous plan for a Mirvac condominium development attracted numerous complaints, while plans to evacuate elderly residents (in times of flood) across the top of a dam wall in golf carts came under fire.

More details on Council’s online DA portal developmenti. Search for application A005911612