Chris Minns stands by polarising decision to halve Moore Park Golf Club
Chris Minns has doubled down on chopping the Moore Park Golf Course in half and converting it into another park, despite the City of Sydney already having more open space than neighbouring councils like the Inner West and North Sydney.
NSW
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Chris Minns has doubled down on chopping the Moore Park Golf Course in half and converting it into another park, despite the City of Sydney already having more open space than neighbouring councils like the Inner West and North Sydney.
The latest statistics from the Office of Local Government shows that, as a proportion of the overall council size, City of Sydney is roughly 15 per cent open space – including parks and natural areas – more than the neighbouring council areas of North Sydney (12 per cent) and the Inner West (seven per cent).
The Premier on Monday defended the move to carve out up to 20 hectares of the golf course for a park, saying the high number of users of the sizeable Centennial Park directly adjacent necessitated the need for more space.
“There’s 35 million people that use that land (Centennial Park) every year. It’s one of the most used public spaces in the entire city,” he said.
The Premier also claimed he didn’t forget meeting with Lord Mayor Clover Moore ahead of endorsing her preferred option for the golf course, instead saying it “slipped his mind” but he had attempted to correct the record as soon as possible after.
It came after Mr Minns on Monday morning told 2GB’s Ben Fordham “I don’t think I’ve spoken to her directly about it at all”, referring to Lord Mayor Clover Moore and the golf club decision.
Mr Fordham later revealed the Premier had issued a retraction.
“He’s had a rethink and [the Premier] now says he did have a conversation with Clover Moore about it,” Fordham said on 2GB.
“Apparently she raised it with Mr Minns a number of months ago,” he said.
The Daily Telegraph can also reveal the City of Sydney previously spent $49,402 in 2020 to survey residents on repurposing the Crown Land, with almost half of online respondents saying they wanted the course kept as it is.
Of the residents of 400 households surveyed within five kilometres of the site, 23 per cent wanted the 18-hole course retained.
Another online survey however found that 49 per cent of respondents wanted to retain the 18-hole course, compared to 50 per vent who supported changing it.
A City of Sydney spokesman said: “The City of Sydney has long seen the site of the current Moore Park golf course as an opportunity to create accessible parkland to serve our growing communities in Zetland, Redfern and Waterloo”.
Earlier, The Daily Telegraph revealed a former independent MP who fought for the golf club to be saved from development, accused the Minns Labor government of abandoning the sporting facility in favour of Clover Moore’s “pet project”.
Plans to cut Moore Park Golf Club in half were abandoned back in 2017 by the former Coalition government after it was agreed that a public park could be created by reconfiguring the 18 holes instead of cutting the course in half.
The Telegraph spoke to multiple sources who were familiar with those plans and said the golf course was surrounded by “badly used land” which could be reconfigured to keep both golfers and families happy.
One of the people familiar with the plans was former independent MP for Wentworth Dr Kerryn Phelps.
“When I was on the council, this was a pet project of Clover Moore’s,” she said.
“There are other parklands around that vicinity. I spent some time walking and cycling around that area. I even met with the Minister at the time, Rob Stokes, who felt it would be possible to improve access to surrounding parklands without losing the championship course. Something has changed between then and now.
“Nine holes is not going to provide the kind of publicly accessible facility that is necessary for the future development of the sport.”
A second source verified the suggestion that the use of the surrounding parkland was discussed as a “win-win” solution with the former Coalition government.
“Why pick the fight when there is a win-win? Moore Park is subsidised by the golf course, who is going to use a nine hole course?”
Moore Park club president John Janik said club membership had grown by 60 per cent after Covid.
He added that Moore Park is one of the most affordable 18 hole championship courses in Sydney with a joining fee of $2000 compared to $30,000-$40,000 at some private golf clubs in the region.
“It is surprising that a Labor Government, that was been created for the working class
people of this country, are taking away the only championship golfing course specifically
created for the working class,” Mr Janik said.
“No engagement at all, no explanation, no looking at alternatives like sharing the land. There are a lot more other options than this place.
“No one goes to nine hole golf courses. That’s a practice course, not a golf course.”
Sporting giant and former Venues NSW chair Tony Shepherd is supportive of the government’s plans but would like to see community sport thrive on the newly developed parklands.
“That part of Sydney is being more and more intentionally settled and there is a lack of community sporting facilities, parks and playing fields and things like that. I can understand why the government is doing it,” he said.
Premier Chris Minns defended his decision saying his government is not declaring a “war on golf”.
“Minister Scully met with Moore Park Golf Club and Golf NSW in a face-to-face meeting in August where the club put their view to the NSW Government that it should remain as a golf course.
“Golf NSW were informed ahead of today’s announcement being made.”
Pagewood man Matt Eve said he was “disappointed” to hear the announcement.
“We have Centennial Park which I go to all the time, and it’s such a good area for walks, bike rides, or whatever you need to do - so it feels so unnecessary to take those nine holes away”
“To have an 18 hole course in the center of Sydney at this level is key, because a lot of the other courses around here are either private or non-accessible, some of the clubs demand north of $20,000 to join which is ridiculous”
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