The Keysborough Golf Club (KGC) membership has voted in favour of relocating the Club to
a new site on Pillars Road, Bangholme, just 2.5km away from the current site on Hutton
Road. The relocation, if it were to proceed, would be the catalyst for construction of a
modern 18-hole golf course and state-of-the-art supporting infrastructure such as:
● A new clubhouse and function room;
● Gender-equitable and youth-friendly change facilities;
● A covered driving range;
● A six-hole short course (par 3, pitch and putt).
Current KGC members would be permitted to continue playing at the existing course until
the new course is completely ready for play.
The relocation of the KGC would then free up the current golf club site to be transformed into
a housing estate containing as many as 1200 sorely needed, affordable homes in an area
that is already supported by requisite transport and community infrastructure.
Proposed Keysborough Golf Club – Pillars Rd Master Plan
The KGC relocation and the SESH project are intrinsically linked, as one cannot happen without the other. Proceeds realised by Intrapac from the development of the current KGC site will underwrite the cost for the $50m first stage of the SESH project as well as the entire redevelopment of the new KGC golf course in Bangholme. The SESH site and the new KGC course will be almost side-by-side, creating a fantastic sporting complex for residents of the City of Greater Dandenong and the broader South East Melbourne region to enjoy.
Proposed Keysborough Golf Course and South-East Sports Hub – Pillars Rd, Bangholme
The Keysborough Golf Club is one of the oldest, most historically significant golf courses in Victoria. It is a significant piece of sporting infrastructure for the City of Greater Dandenong and broader South East Melbourne region. However, the course and its associated facilities have hardly changed since the Club made the move from Albert Park to Hutton Road in 1950. The relocation to Bangholme will safeguard the KGC’s future for many years, and is essential for maximising the Club’s growth and ensuring it realises future success. The current facilities are tired and rundown and do not offer appropriate access for women and juniors. To strengthen and grow the Club’s membership base now and into the future, the KGC must appeal to both existing and potential new members. This move would allow KGC to move with the times, building a modern, reimagined course funded entirely by Intrapac. The Club does not have the means to complete this relocation – or any redevelopment – with its own cash reserves.
Housing is not permitted to be constructed on the current KGC course due to the fact that the course currently falls just outside the Urban Growth Boundary (UGB). However, as you can see (pictured), this is quite the anomaly given the rest of the UGB seems to run along Hutton Road, and means the KGC is surrounded by houses to the east, north and south-east. This is because the current KGC actually was originally meant to be inside the UGB when the line was initially drawn in the early 2000s, however the Club’s management at the time lobbied to be excluded from the boundary out of fear that being inside the line would see Council rates increase inordinately. At the time the Club did not foresee it wanting to relocate, but times have changed and the Club’s future depends on this redevelopment.
So, for the Club’s relocation – and the SESH – to transpire, the Victorian Government needs to amend the UGB to include the current Hutton Road site—a step in line with its historical intention for inclusion. With this adjustment, the Club’s plans can advance, enabling a formal submission to the City of Greater Dandenong Council for detailed planning approvals.
It should be noted that on four separate occasions since 2004 the City of Greater Dandenong Council has officially and publicly supported and advocated for the rezoning of the KGC to enable its relocation and the redevelopment of the site to occur.
Melbourne’s Urban Growth Boundary
Victoria is in the midst of an unprecedented housing crisis. The Victorian Government said in 2023 that it needs to build 2.24million homes by 2051 in order to keep up with demand and ensure all Victorians have a place to call home. As part of this housing target, individual Councils have been set with housing targets to meet in that time, including a number of 57,000 for the City of Greater Dandenong. There are very few in-fill opportunities close to transport and community infrastructure that exist in the City of Greater Dandenong that don’t rely on high-rise apartment buildings to shoulder the load. This is especially true now that the long-proposed redevelopment of the Sandown Racecourse appears in doubt. The 1200 new homes on the current KGC site – while not a fix for the entire housing crisis – is a common sense win for the Victorian Government, the local Council and a community that is crying out for more affordable housing options that come with backyards and driveways, not large stairwells and small outdoor balconies. The current KGC site is already immediately surrounded to the east, north and south-west by housing. This appropriate amount of new houses in the area would complete the Somerfield Estate in Keysborough and not look at all out of place in the landscape.
Intrapac Somerfield development – Keysborough, VIC
Your voice can help get these projects over the line. The Victorian Government needs to know that this is an issue that is important to many members of the community. You might have a particular affinity with the Keysborough Golf Club. You might want to see the creation of new sporting complexes like the SESH. You might agree that this is a common-sense opportunity to build a sustainable amount of new homes without inappropriately or fundamentally scrapping the principles of the Green Wedge.
Whatever it might be that has you passionate enough to make a difference, you can express that support by clicking on the button below to send an automated email to Premier Jacinta Allan outlining your backing of the relocation and wider project.
