Coast engineer Geoff Burchill says community-based model would save Helensvale Golf Club

A RENOWNED Gold Coast engineer who has built some of the city’s top golf courses says he knows what’s needed to be done to save a popular local club.

Geoff Burchill, who master planned the Royal Pines Resort, says the struggling Helensvale Golf Club needs to adopt a community based model.

THE visionary who helped establish Helensvale Golf Club almost 50 years ago says a community-based model would save the financially stricken club.

Renowned engineer Geoff Burchill, who helped create the 16ha club as part of the Helensvale master plan in the early 1970s, has called on the surrounding community to step up and offer to run the council-owned golf course.

His comments come after the club closed late last month when leaseholder Jigsaw Community Services went into liquidation, with members and nearby residents now fearful of the course being turned into housing.

The cash strapped Helensvale Golf Club.

“It’s important the land be retained for the purpose it was always intended,” said Mr Burchill, who was instrumental in launching planned communities such as Hope Island Resort, Sovereign Islands, Royal Pines and Palm Meadows.

“I see golf courses as a community asset and the answer is the community have to get their act together. Somebody has got to come out of the woodwork and take the lead. Call a community meeting.

“Helensvale is really growing and there should be no reason why the community won’t get involved to save it.”

Mr Burchill, who founded an engineering consultancy business on the Gold Coast in the 1960s, said the community’s golf course land was gifted to Albert Shire Council via a 99-year peppercorn leaseback to protect the land ever being sold for development.

Geoff Burchill at the launch of his book Passion, Power and Prejudice held at Q1.

The Gold Coast and Albert shire councils merged in 1995, with the 42-year-old Helensvale Golf Club now the only council-owned golf course on the Gold Coast.

Mr Burchill said a community-based model would involve the club returning to its old format of an elected board running the day to day activities, while Council could assist in funding for general maintenance.

“It’s a small course and there are not many costs to keep it maintained. Council could keep it mowed and they could collaborate with interested parties in the area like the shopping centre,” he said.

“They could also introduce a ‘benefit of area’ levy where every piece of real estate in the area gets levied with the funds going to the upkeep of the club.”

Area councillor William Owen-Jones said council officers will present a report and recommendation when Council meets on the club’s future tomorrow.

“We have had a fair amount of interest from the golfing and residential community regarding what is happening to the club,” Cr Owen-Jones said.

“We have advised interested parties to hold until after the meeting before we go any further with it.”