Final days for Kingston Links golfers before 18 holes are bulldozed for housing

A Rowville golf course will close within weeks, as developers tee up final plans for a 800-property development on the sweeping 65-ha site with views of the Dandenong Ranges.

An artist’s impression of the Kington Links development’s wetlands.

DEVELOPERS are teeing up plans for a massive housing estate at a Rowville golf course that closes at the end of the month.

Kingston Links will shut its function centre this week and golfers have until July 1 to fit in a final round.

Course operations manager Andrew Weir said it was “sad to see another golf course disappear”.

“It’s been a very good quality golf course in a very good location that’s hard to replace,” he said.

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The course, which opened in 1997, was bought by the Queensland-based Pask Group in 2016.

Mr Weir said Kingston Links staff would be transferred to other courses across Melbourne run by Golf Services Management.

The developers plan to re­develop the flood-prone 65ha course with 800 houses and apartments, and commercial and public space.

The massive redevelopment has been delayed slightly, with an application to rezone the site from special use to general residential waiting on State Government approval.

Pask’s marketing manager Marcus Hancock said he expected approval would come at the end of the year.

“We therefore plan to start bulk earthworks towards the end of 2018 and will release to the market during 2019,” he said.

Councillors approved the State Government report on the future of the site which will now go back to the Planning Minister for final approval.

Mr Hancock said the proposed development would provide family homes and integrate parks, walking trails and landscaped shared public space and parkland.

A Pask Group site design of the Kingston Links housing estate.

However, the plans have not been popular with all neighbours, with many raising concerns the development will invade their privacy and remove trees and vegetation.

Multiple objectors, who live on the golf course boundary, said they paid a premium to get a house with a view of the course and now feared the houses would back up against their properties.

Details of the State Government report: http://www.knox.vic.gov.au/Files/CityDev/Knox_C142_Panel_Report_Panel.pdf