Dear Members,

Ken Crompton has been working on our behalf to bring to the State Government’s attention, our concerns regarding Nillumbik Council’s plans for our course.

Our concerns are centered around the funding of the ongoing refurbishment of the course under the Council’s proposal to lease the course and surrounds to an outside contractor, effectively washing their hands of their responsibility in this regard.

Ken has had a sympathetic hearing from State representatives, and now needs to demonstrate that his concerns are shared by a broad section of our members.

A letter to Ms Marlene Kairouz, MP will be placed on the countertop in the Bat Cave tomorrow.

We urge you to place your name and sign this letter in the space provided.

With the State elections a few month’s away, this is a unique opportunity to seek State subsidies for the refurbishment of our greens and bunkers, and to put pressure on Council to ensure that our course fees remain reasonable.

Gavin Pearce, President

The contents of the letter is reproduced below:

‘Dear Minister,

We would be pleased if your Department would investigate the recent and intended actions of the Shire of Nillumbik over the Yarrambat Golf Course, which it owns.

We are members of the Yarrambat Golf Club Inc, a not for profit association, which organises regular golf games at the Yarrambat course each week, throughout the year.

In 2012, it was evident that the course, tees, bunkers, fairways and greens needed refurbishment. The Shire of Nillumbik adopted a plan and undertook some of the necessary works annually, until this year. It has now decided, after doing less than one third of the adopted works, that the cost of completing the full plan is too much of a financial burden.

Recently, Council resolved to find a golf course operator who will undertake the necessary works, if granted a 20 year lease and it has called for tenders to this end.

We are concerned that:

1. The lessee may not carry out the necessary works or may default under the lease;
2. The works will never be undertaken in full or in good time;
3. There will be no control over the fees the lessee will charge for use of a public golf course;
4. That Council may then say it is all too hard and look to sell the land for residential subdivision;
5. The Council may approve an application for such subdivision by the lessee, avoiding normal objection processes, and then sell the land to the lessee.

Council has brushed aside Government’s plans for golfing in Victoria, particularly in Green Wedge Municipalities, and the Government Grants available to it to refurbish the course.

Council appears to be under the misapprehension that such grants are only for new projects. However, our research would indicate that State Government funds are available for refurbishment of existing assets.

For example, the State government is reported to be funding the refurbishment of Sandringham Golf Course, which will also include a public café and administration office. (Bayside City Council, website News Section dated 22 February 2018).

We would appreciate it if you could inform Council of the State’s grant options used for Sandringham’s refurbishment, so that it can apply for similar funding for Yarrambat.

It seems odd that the Auditor-General noted in 2014 that many Councils have maintenance funding gaps for existing assets and required them to close these gaps. Yet, Councils are still allowed to acquire new assets, when they already have funding gaps for existing assets.

Why?

Yours sincerely’

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