‘Like half a tennis court’: Neighbouring council joins fight to save Moore Park Golf Course

Three neighbouring councils have now gone into bat to save Moore Park Golf Course as Waverley council joins voices against Premier Chris Minns’ plan to hack into the back nine.

Waverley Council has joined the fight against the proposal to carve up Moore Park Golf Course, putting further pressure on NSW Premier Chris Minns to dump his plan to slice the world-class course in half.

Waverley Councillors voted to help save Moore Park Golf Course on Tuesday night, supporting a motion from Mayor Will Nemesh, which he called a “no-brainer”.

One Labor councillor even likened a nine-hole golf course to asking people to use “half a tennis court”.

Mr Nemesh will now write to Mr Minns, Lord Mayor Clover Moore, and Planning Minister Paul Scully to advocate for a proposal to keep an 18 hole course while creating new public space.

Labor councillors even broke ranks with their state Labor colleagues to back the motion of support.

Another council has joined the fight to save an 18 hole golf course at Moore Park. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

The move means all three council areas east of Moore Park are now unanimous in opposing Mr Minns’ plans to hack into the golf course’s back nine holes to create 20 hectares of green space.

As the Telegraph has previously revealed, the government was warned last year that the proposal – championed by Ms Moore’s City of Sydney Council – could become an expensive money sink.

Premier Chris Minns’ plan to turn the back nine into a 20 hectare public park could cost $200 million. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

Mr Nemesh said the alternative proposal will still provide a “significant” amount of public space while keeping an 18-hole golf course.

Waverley’s vote follows Woollahra and Randwick councils, who previously came out in favour of saving an 18-hole golf course at Moore Park.

“I think it will send a strong and powerful message that (councils) between Woollahra all the way down to Randwick are in unison on this,” he said.

Deputy Mayor Keri Spooner, a Labor councillor, called for the state government to back an alternative proposal put forward by golfing bodies, which would deliver an 18-hole golf course, as well as up to 15 hectares of new public space.

Waverley Mayor Will Nemesh, who moved the motion of support for Moore Park Golf Course, called the motion a “no-brainer”. Photographer: Ted Lamb

Labor’s Deputy Mayor Keri Spooner likened a nine-hole golf course to “half a tennis court”.

“I think it’s a good balance, good compromise.

“I’m not a golfer, but I imagine telling the golfer that they can have nine holes, it’s been like telling someone they can have a half a tennis court to play on.”

As the Telegraph revealed week, a secret “consultation outcomes report” raised concerns in December that slashing the golf course in half would incur “significant” upfront costs.

Stakeholders also warned that cutting the course in half would impact revenue required to maintain nearby parklands.

Originally published as ‘Like half a tennis court’: Neighbouring council joins fight to save Moore Park Golf Course