Parts of Northcote public golf course set aside for community use
A section of Northcote’s public golf course will be freed for community use in a small win for residents, who have been campaigning to reclaim the green space since the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The City of Darebin will also seek to restrict golfers from accessing the greens after 3pm as it renegotiates a golf course management contract for the site, opening up the space for picnics, sports, and other recreation.
Mayor Lina Messina said the decision, which followed more than two hours of public submissions and deliberations on Monday night, was unlikely to please everybody, but was “the best we can achieve at this particular time”.
“For me, it’s a win-win. A win-win for the golfers and a win-win for the community,” she said. “For me, it’s about what makes economic sense.”
As part of the plan, 5.72 hectares of land at the southern and northern ends of the course will be turned into local parks and linked by a shared path. The golf course will be also redesigned to keep its nine holes and the council will investigate ways to use the existing buildings for hospitality and events.
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