Secret document that warned Minns government about Moore Park golf plan
A secret document obtained by The Daily Telegraph under freedom of information laws show why Planning Minister Paul Scully is facing more pressure over Moore Park Golf Course.
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The Minns government was warned late last year that hacking Moore Park Golf Course in half could become an expensive money sink requiring “significant capital investment”, while cutting government revenue which pays to maintain public land.
The bombshell revelations come amid fresh concerns that the world-class golf course could be locked up and rendered unusable for any form of recreation from July next year if Premier Chris Minns insists on repurposing 20 hectares of land for green space.
A secret “consultation outcomes report” raised concerns in December that slashing the golf course in half would incur “significant” upfront costs and cut revenue, impacting the “viability of Centennial Parklands and the standard of maintenance across Moore Park”.
The concerns came from stakeholders who responded to public consultation on the Minns government’s proposal, championed by Lord Mayor Clover Moore, to turn Moore Park Golf Course into public green space.
The document, labelled “NSW government – in confidence”, was obtained by The Daily Telegraph under freedom of information laws.
The Telegraph can also reveal that Planning Minister Paul Scully has been presented with “various options” for the future of Moore Park, including “preferred options”.
Bureaucrats have refused to release these documents, which could reveal the true cost of cutting the golf course in half, citing cabinet confidentiality.
As first revealed by The Telegraph last year, the government is paying a private design firm Hassell almost $1 million to provide options for a reworked golf course and new green space.
The reworked golf course — which will be a “minimum” of nine holes — is being designed by golf course builders Golf in Design.
However, the government is refusing to say how much the construction work will cost.
On one estimate, a new public park could cost the government more than $200 million.
Mr Minns has rubbished that figure, previously saying the government could spend “as much or as little on the park as we want”.
The $200 million figure was estimated by a collective of golfing organisations which has prepared an alternative proposal to save an 18-hole course.
Sports Minister Steve Kamper has now expressed his support for that alternative plan, telling budget estimates he thought it was a “good proposal”.
Mr Kamper deferred other questions to Mr Scully, who is responsible for making a decision.
In estimates, Mr Scully said that he would not do “anything” to further his plans before mid-2026.
“We’re not doing anything in advance of when the term of the lease expires,” Mr Scully told budget estimates last week.
That has sparked new fears that the lease could expire in the middle of next year with nothing to replace the current course.
“There is a risk that when the lease runs out, the fences will go up and Moore Park will not be able to be used for anything: either golf or other recreation,” Save Moore Park Golf course campaign leader Jared Kendler said.
“The government could end up with a large site in the inner city that is not generating revenue, is overgrown, and not safe for the community, with an unlimited potential financial cost to the state.”
Mr Kendler is advocating for the government to adopt a plan presented by a consortium of golfing bodies for a redesigned 18-hole golf course and 15 hectares of public space for “active and passive recreation”.
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Originally published as Secret document that warned Minns government about Moore Park golf plan
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