Golf course plan stirs ire

A SMALL but vocal protest group has stepped up its campaign against a South Arm golf course.

Friends of the Arm

A SMALL but vocal protest group has stepped up its campaign against a South Arm golf course, but the developer says the critics are out of step with the rest of the community.

Noela Foxcroft has lived at South Arm for 40 years and has formed the Friends of the Arm to oppose Greg Ramsay's Arm End golf course at the end of Spit Rd in the South Arm nature reserve.

"I have a strong view that public land should not be given over to private property," Ms Foxcroft said.

"This land has some magical qualities that are not easy to define – you stroll out there and within the first 20 minutes there's an amazing sense of peace and serenity.

"A golf course would change everything. It's not tucked into one of the corners. The fairways cover the whole area – they are spread out."

The nature reserve is used by Hobart and Kingston walking clubs, and by the South Arm Primary School as part of its curriculum.

Mr Ramsay said his golf course had tremendous community support.

He said the land was public recreational space that would be operated privately.

"It's not a golf course, it's a multi-purpose public recreation area and golf is one of them," he said.

"It's not exclusive – it's completely open to everyone.

The only persons who have to pay are the ones who hit a golf ball." Mr Ramsay said the golf course development was sensitive to public concerns and the plan included walking tracks for the disabled, bike tracks over the headland and a ferry from Hobart to Opossum Bay.

His group, Experience Consulting, is behind 16 developments around Tasmania, including whisky distilleries, golf courses and real estate.

"Of course, there's bound to be community opposition, but it's so minor compared to community support," he said.

There were more than 600 submissions to the Clarence City Council in favour of the golf course and only 18 against it, he said.

The land was covered in african boxthorn weed and was uncared for, he said.

"There's no one there – we want to make it a public playground," he said.

The final hurdle to the development is a Parks and Wildlife lease, which will be granted when Mr Ramsay complies with a set of conditions.

"Once we meet the agreements of the lease we hope to begin work within the next six months," he said.

Mr Ramsay is very confident the golf course will go ahead.

"We've got all the necessary planning approvals, there are no barriers," he said.

An Aboriginal site survey should not stop the project but might reshape it, he said.

"It doesn't daunt me that there are some people who aren't in love with the vision," Mr Ramsay said.

If granted the go-ahead, he will hold a 50-year lease on the land.

Environment Minister Brian Wightman said Parks and Wildlife had an arrangement with Mr Ramsay that enabled him to pursue a public golf course development subject to meeting stringent conditions.

"PWS will need to be satisfied that the conditions have been met before issuing a lease," Mr Wightman said.

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