Melbourne’s “missing link” threatens to demolish Heidelberg Golf Club

By Mathilda Andersson

Government plans to build a new toll road in Melbourne’s North East, in an attempt to curtail heavy congestion on suburban roads, could see the end of the Heidelberg Golf Club.

Last year, transport industry bodies called for the Victorian State and Federal government to take action regarding the “missing link” in Melbourne’s metropolitan ring road, and to address safety concerns along Rosanna Rd and Banyule roads.

The Andrews Government published last week four development options for the North East Link which will link Melbourne’s M80 Ring Rd to the Eastern Freeway or EastLink.

According to the recently unveiled corridor maps, route B – one of the more favourable tracks due to a more modest price tag than some others – runs along transmission lines straight through the Heidelberg golf course located in Lower Plenty.

According to Heidelberg Golf Club General Manager Lindsay Bell, the club, staff and its members have been left in the dark and are concerned about the club’s future.

“We have received no information about the proposed route of the North East link project other than what can be read online,” Bell said. “We have been left out of any consultation process and it’s really disappointing to the club, members and residents.”

Established in 1927, Heidelberg is one of the oldest golf and bowls clubs in Australia and a long standing community gem with around 1050 current members.

“Heidelberg Golf Club is a superb community asset providing golf and bowls facilities to members and to the public. Unlike many other clubs, HGC fully owns its valuable land and heritage clubhouse. It has defied industry trends in delivering trading surpluses,” GM Bell added.

“The Club is also the venue of choice for local businesses and individuals for their meetings and social events. The uncertainty associated with this potential proposal has alarmed our members not to mention local residents who are seeking information from us that we don’t have.”

An online community forum on the North East Link Project website has also seen some worried golf and community members left in limbo after last week’s announcement of potential link corridors:

“Is it true this corridor would go above ground through the middle of Heidelberg Golf Club? If that is the case the cost of this connection is too great. How can you even consider destroying a great community asset? Cannot see how this ‘protects the environment,” ColinHGC asked.

– “The indicative routes we are using for the business case aren’t exact or final in any way. We still have more work to do before we can know precisely where North East Link could be built and how the road would be designed.

Thanks for your feedback and letting us know that the Heidelberg Golf Club is important to you.” – The North East Link Project

”You can kiss goodbye the Heidelberg Golf Course and the adjacent green wedge of the historic Edward Willis landscape. This proposal is an utter disgrace and would be a catastrophe for this area,” another concerned Yallambie resident wrote on his blog.

The North East Link Project has stated that all options will involve some property acquisitions, crossing the Yarra River and upgrades of existing roads.

“The four possible corridors have been determined through extensive works spanning the entire north-east, including geo-technical investigations, traffic modelling, environment studies and discussions with community groups, businesses and local residents,” the website said.

“Each corridor has been assessed against a range of measures including key local concerns such as reducing congestion, getting trucks of residential roads, as well as the impact on urban areas and the environment.”

According to the North East Link Project, a business case will be prepared once a preferred route is selected later this year.

Note:

Golf Industry Central has unsuccessfully tried to reach the North East Link Project for a comment.