Locals oppose any move by Fox family to develop golf course
In the rough: the billionaire Fox family face a revolt from a Melbourne suburban community if they try to redevelop a golf course into a residential or industrial estate.
Local activists have warned the Allan state government in Victoria against approving any future residential or industrial development on a golf course bought by the Fox family for $100m.
The Capital Golf Club, covering 120 hectares in southeastern Melbourne, sits within a green wedge that restricts development, and community leader Michelle Hornstein urged the government against rezoning the land.
“The biggest thing is that it’s in the green wedge, and the local community is very protective of the green wedge and keeping it as open space,” she said.
Ms Hornstein, who runs a Facebook group focused on monitoring the impact of the nearby Suburban Rail Loop, said most locals would be opposed to any major development at Capital.
“Golf courses are fine,” she said, noting that some green wedge land had been used by the government to help construct the first stage of the $34bn rail loop.
The Australian revealed on Thursday that Melbourne’s billionaire Fox family have long-term ambitions to transform the Capital Golf Club – which they are buying from Crown casino for $100m – into a residential or industrial estate.
The Australian has been told one of the scenarios being discussed among high-net-wealth Melburnians is that Lindsay Fox and son Andrew are considering offering 50 “foundation memberships” costing $1m each in their newly acquired 18-hole course.
The members of this exclusive million-dollar club would, according to business figures who have spoken to The Australian on condition of anonymity, be entitled to share in massive profits if the family can win planning approval to redevelop the 120ha site into either residential or industrial – or a mix of both – within 5-10 years.
Green Wedges Coalition, a leading environmental group, said it was confident the government would not approve planning changes to allow any development on the golf course.
“As the Planning Minister (Sonya Kilkenny) has repeatedly assured us her government will not rezone green wedge land for residential development, we don’t think even Lindsay Fox could get his land rezoned for this purpose,” group co-ordinator Rosemary West said.
“Capital has always been owned by wealthy influential owners, at least one of whom tried unsuccessfully to persuade Kingston council to have the course rezoned a decade or more ago.
“Nobody has tried since. Residential development is prohibited in Melbourne’s green wedges and it would require a huge backdown on the part of the state government for this to change.”
The Allan government said it was committed to the “strongest protections” in green wedge zones.
“We are actively safeguarding green wedge land with the strongest protections to limit (the) Melbourne Urban Growth Boundary, while encouraging more homes to be built closer to jobs, public transport and services,” a spokesperson for the planning minister said.
The government confirmed it had not received any planning applications to redevelop the golf course.
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