Darebin Council confirms Northcote Golf Course will be shared space
After a lengthy debate, Darebin Council has responded to the community’s calls for change to the Northcote golf course.
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The controversial Northcote Golf Course is set to become a shared space for both community use and golfers, following a lengthy debate at a Darebin City Council meeting on Monday.
Community members will be able to enjoy the open spaces for general use, while the nine-hole golf course will continue to operate close by.
Initial plans show how a shared space would allow golfers to continue playing, while the community enjoys 5.72 hectares of open spaces.
It comes as almost 10,000 citizens had their say on the project, many pleading with the local council to allow recreational use in pockets around the course.
Darebin locals flocked to the course while golf was prohibited during the 2020 and 2021 lockdowns, hosting picnics, exercising, and socialising outdoors.
Calls became prominent during this period to allow public access to the course, which boasts 25 hectares of leafy green council owned land, just eight kilometres from the CBD.
“We’ve worked hard to balance our passionate community’s wide range of views with this decision,” Darebin Mayor Cr Lina Messina said.
“Despite some people wanting to see this important space used purely for golf or as a park, tonight’s outcome meets everyone in the middle.”
Some locals expressed their concerns for a shared-space, with some claiming that the course should not be used for golf at all.
They argued that the course brings insufficient funds to the council, explaining how the car park at the course is often “empty”.
Some claimed that the course should operate within certain hours, with golf being limited to a 3pm deadline each day, while citizens could access the entire course from that time onwards.
Funding for the project will be confirmed in Darebin’s 22/23 budget, before detailed plans can commence.
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