Save North Lakes Golf Course Update – June 2021

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The Central Open Space Precinct of North Lakes is under attack, thousands of square metres of open space land is at risk of being lost forever! A developer wants to rezone the land, pour concrete over it and build 200 plus residential retirement units, a large three storey, 24 hour aged care hospital and potentially we fear a lot of other building types will be floated by the developer. For us this adds up to seeing the Open Space land being eroded and reduced down. The masterplan of North Lakes always planned and documented that this central linear open space precinct was home to the North Lakes Golf Course and was promoted heavily as an asset to build and live around. There was a reasonable expectation from residents that it would remain free from development and at the very least remain as open space.

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Interestingly the entire open space land parcel is classified as an easement on the land title in the council’s favour as it acts as critical engineered stormwater infrastructure. There are over 15 inlets flowing onto the course and draining into the central waterway. The level of water around the course can change in volume, depth and speed quickly with any rainfall.

We cannot reconcile that this land should have a drastic rezoning approved. Even the recent QC’s advice stated that the town planning document over North Lakes may very well militate any application for a change of use on the land! (militate is defined as  “a powerful and conclusive factor in preventing”.)

There is other land already zoned for residential and hospital uses that are available in and around the town centre. There is also large retirement facilities being finished and under construction in our suburb. With North Lakes already having a large housing choice available (today you could buy a unit, villa, home on small lot, townhouse, retirement unit or large house, there is so much choice) it does not make any sense to us to see a massive 130,000m2 of land zoned as open space sport and recreation lost forever to a large privately owned unit development.

It is such a shame that the restaurant, café, bar, driving range, golf lessons, function venue, school golf programs and golf course, which saw tens of thousands of people exercising and playing golf rounds every year, is shut down. Especially since willing operators are wanting to reinvigorate the course and reopen a community based facility that would have something for all ages, especially on the back of the past 12 months seeing a trend of surging golf participation increasing all over Australia and especially here in Queensland with nearby courses at or over capacity.

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Andrew Cathcart updating residents at a recent Mango Hill Progress Association meeting.

I think everyone who walked into one of the Stockland display villages over the past 15 years and looked at the masterplan map would be horrified if such a large portion of the open space would even have had the potential to be lost to a big private unit development. This development, if approved, would see all the high sitting, flat and most accessible areas lost forever. The balance of the “left over” land the developer has said numerous times in the media that it will all be given back to Council as pubic parkland, but a lot of residents have said from the start that the developer may try and build on all parts of the land and we will be left with little to no open space left. Will the developer build on all the land that is what you have to ask yourself, this is why we need to stand up and fight now and stop this development as North Lakes will be changed forever.

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North Lakes Golf Course is a sanctuary for local wildlife.

We will continue to object to what in our opinion is just an opportunistic effort to grab cheap open space land and turn it into a rezoning jackpot pay day if residential and other uses are approved.

If you are interested to know more, please follow the latest updates on our private facebook group (savenorthlakesgolfcourse) or website which has links to join our mailing list and DA objection list.

Andrew Cathcart – President, Save North Lakes Golf Course

04/06/2021 |

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