City of Darebin to consult community on future of Northcote Golf Course amid tensions
Locals are pushing for golfers to be thrown out of a suburban golf course, calling for the greens to instead be turned into a park.
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Local residents who occupied a suburban golf course during pandemic shutdowns had damaged fences, greens and fairways, a report has revealed.
Hundreds of people descended on Northcote Golf Course last year when the Andrews Government banned activities like golf but allowed people to exercise within 5km of their homes.
The takeover of the City of Darebin-owned course reinforced a push by some locals for golfers to be thrown out and the site turned into a “rewilded” park.
On Monday, City of Darebin councillors will consider a report on community consultation options regarding broader use of the course as tensions rise over the issue.
Bill Jennings, spokesman for local residents’ group Northcote Community and Golf Hub, said his group wanted a win-win for the community, environment, ratepayers and golfers.
“We think that there can be mixed use of the space and facilities while golf on a nine-hole course still operates every day in daylight hours,” he said.
“The golf course can be more community-facing and inclusive of groups in the area who maybe don’t have a local space to gather in.”
Mr Jennings said that increasing biodiversity while keeping money flowing to the council was the best option.
An opposing group, Community to Unlock Northcote Golf Course, says on social media that with the golf course management contract set to expire in 2022, we want “a new safe open space where the surrounding areas can connect with nature and community”.
Darebin Greens councillor Trent McCarthy wants free public access to the course to continue, parts of it “rewilded to restore habitat for wildlife”, and the clubhouse used for activities by local Aboriginal groups.
The council report said that during lockdowns people entering had damaged “fences, greens and fairways”, and there was a potential public liability risk of while golf was being played.
It said that council officers had been unable to strike a deal with the management contractor that runs the course to allow shared use of the space in the lead-up to the contract expiring.
The report said there were no plans to disrupt normal operations at the course while parties were consulted about its future.
If approved at Monday’s meeting, Darebin will seek state government funding to do a comprehensive assessment of the site to help with decision-making.
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