Cranbourne and Huntingdale golf clubs in $80-$120 million redevelopment
A popular sandbelt golf course has been revealed as a major player in a merger worth up to $120 million.
South East
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Two major golf courses — including one from the famed sandbelt — are to merge in a mega $80-$120m redevelopment.
The Leader can confirm Cranbourne and Huntingdale golf clubs will merge, with the new club to be based at Huntingdale’s site in Oakleigh South
Cranbourne general manager Andrew Kenny said one of the reasons behind the merger was changes to land tax made by the state government in 2021 which would have meant his club paying an additional $1.6m in land tax.
“Huntingdale was looking to redevelop their site, so Cranbourne Country Club offered their assistance in the form of a merge of the two clubs.”
Cranbourne Country Club owns the land that the golf club resides on, and so has been a large player in the deal, he said.
“They’re currently working on an arrangement between the two clubs, for the acceptance of a number of our members from Cranbourne Golf Club. There is limitations upon that, we are still working on what parameters will be put on that,” Mr Kenny said.
“The redevelopment will be at Huntingdale Golf Club, and at the completion of the redevelopment, Cranbourne Golf Club will close.
“There are a few dynamics that are out of our control. Both clubs were set up for the Jewish community originally, and over the last 70 years, there was a lease arrangement between the country and golf club. Now they have assessed that it’s time to change that around.”
The redevelopment is set to begin in late 2023 and planned to be complete in 2025.
The state government last year amended Section 71 to be included within Section 74 of the Land Tax 2005. This section refers to the criteria for tax exemptions for certain land holders, with Section 74 now stating that to be exempt from the land tax, the land must be owned by a charitable institution, and “leased for the outdoor exempt activities. The land must also be available for use for one or more of those activities by members of the public.”
Huntingdale Golf Club has been contacted for comment.
