Cockburn Council Halts Long-Running Coogee Golf Project Over Financial Concerns

The City of Cockburn (WA) has voted to suspend all further work on the proposed $10 million Coogee Golf Complex, putting an end to two decades of planning due to concerns over spiralling costs and financial viability.

In a narrow 5-4 vote, councillors rejected an officer’s recommendation to continue investigating the project’s feasibility and liaising with stakeholders. The alternative motion, put forward by Councillor Tarun Dewan, ensures no additional city resources or funding will be allocated to the development of the golf course unless council explicitly revises the decision.

Two Decades of Planning Paused

First proposed in 2006, the golf complex had been included in the city’s community, sport, and recreation plan for 2018 to 2033. Perth-based consultants Glen Flood Group developed a business plan for the site in 2021, which projected that construction would not begin until at least 2027.

Over the lifetime of the project, the city has already spent $342,000 on developing plans and business cases. While the city has set aside $9.9 million in its long-term financial plan, these funds will remain unspent unless the golf course is deemed viable in the future.

Cockburn has been without an operational golf course since 2020, when the Glen Iris golf course in Jandakot closed to make way for a residential development.

Arguments Against Further Spending

Cr Dewan argued that the project’s prolonged timeline demonstrated that it lacked the necessary priority and community benefit to justify continued spending.

“The proposed Coogee golf complex has been under consideration for approximately two decades without progressing to implementation,” Cr Dewan said. “The prolonged time frame indicates the project has not demonstrated sufficient strategic priority, financial viability and community benefit to justify further investment. Significant funds have already been expended on investigations, studies and consultant reports over an extended period.”

He noted that any future progress would require substantial additional expenditure on planning, design, approvals, and procurement at a time when the community faces ongoing financial pressures.

“Sound financial governance requires our council to prioritise expenditure on essential infrastructure, asset renewal, community services and projects that deliver the most benefits to the wider community,” Cr Dewan said.

He further noted that he would prefer to allocate city resources toward higher-priority projects, such as repairing slides at the Cockburn Arc or providing playgrounds and other amenities. “That’s the purpose of our council — to make sure our ratepayer funded money benefits a larger population, not a small group of golfers in a higher income bracket,” he said.

Pushback from Opposing Councillors

The motion faced opposition from councillors who believed the suspension was premature. In December, council had approved a $45,000 budget amendment to undertake a review of golf provision at the site. This specific review was excluded from Cr Dewan’s suspension and will continue, with a findings report due to be delivered to council later this year.

Councillor Tom Widenbar argued against suspending further work before reviewing the upcoming report.

“There is already a consultancy contract in play here, which was authorised by council in December 2025 for a review of golf provisions at the site. We’re not going to do anything until we get that report back, so saying we’re going to stop any expenditure until then is a bit of a moot point,” Cr Widenbar said.

Environmental and Heritage Implications

The decision also impacts ongoing discussions surrounding environmental and heritage compliance. Updated fauna, flora, and heritage surveys conducted in 2023 identified important black cockatoo habitats, Aboriginal cultural sites, and a European heritage site in the area.

City officers had recommended that the council continue liaising with its Aboriginal and sustainability and environmental reference groups in response to these findings. Cr Widenbar supported this approach, arguing that the ecological assessments were valuable regardless of the golf course’s future.

“This is all stuff that should be happening regardless of if we continue with the golf course – it’s worthy of continuing our understanding of the ecology of the site,” Cr Widenbar said. “None of this is costing money. I don’t see why we would stop all that work when it doesn’t cost us anything or delay anything else.”

Despite these arguments, Cr Dewan maintained that further studies were unlikely to alter the fundamental challenges facing the project, leading to the project’s suspension.