To the Monash Community & Residents
Monash Councillors sacrifice their constituents rights to progress State Government’s NE Toll Road
In a secret deal made with the State Government, Monash Council agreed in principle to forfeit 3.4 hectares of the Glen Waverley Public Golf Course land in order to solve a problem faced by the State’s NE Link Project team.
To build the Eastern Freeway / NE Link interchange, there was a need to relocate the 23 courts at the Boroondara Tennis Centre. Previously the NE Project team had tried to place the courts near the Centre’s current location, by reducing the holes of a nearby golf course down to 9, but had been faced with court action by Boroondara, and three other councils.
The decision to accept $21 million from the State Government to place 18 tennis courts (of which 14 will be tournament standard, hard surface) on the Glen Waverley Golf Course land, and to contribute $5.77 million from Monash coffers, was made by Monash Councillors, in Confidential Business on 15 Dec 2020 - without consulting any of the affected stakeholders beforehand.
Stakeholders are concerned
Golfers are extremely unhappy with the prospect of losing their practice driving range and adjacent chip and putt.
They fear this loss will dissuade “beginners””” and coaches will lose clients.
They worry that without these assets the golf club membership (and income) will drop as the course will be less appealing.
In addition, the new commercial facility will be classed as multi-purpose and a proposed new function/ clubhouse will be shared with the tennis clubs as will the expanded parking area on site.
When tennis tournaments (Boroondara Tennis Centre hosts 40 per annum) are played, silence will not be interrupted by birds chirping, but the sounds of spectators and amplified line calls.
The residents whose properties abut the golf course are devastated. Instead of enjoying a green vista they face the prospect of rows of bright blue courts, radiating the summer heat and operating 7 days a week, from 7am, and floodlit till 10pm.
Established local tennis clubs which historically service their immediate neighbourhoods are not overjoyed at the prospect of being forced to move to a soulless complex, kilometres away.
A co-location will strip away their clubs’ identities. They do not wish to share commercially operated licensed clubrooms with golfers (and this stance is applicable vice versa).
The existing tennis clubs are adamant their members will not be willing to play on the hard surface courts proposed – citing that the injury risk is magnified.
It’s been noted that the State Government has provided a grant to Golf Victoria in order to create a strategy to promote participation in the game.
https://www.golf.org.au/vic-golf-infrastructure-strategy
It seems counterproductive to all concerned that the same government expects the golf sporting code to acquiesce to another, for a road. Many are stunned that a Council would be willing to trash its own perfectly good community facility – its premier public golf course, in order to fix an infrastructure problem faced elsewhere by a state government authority. There is no benefit to Monash stakeholders.
At a time when global warming is front of mind for all, it is ironic that golf, the one sport which supports Climate Change initiatives is to fall victim to another code that doesn’t. Golf is one of the few sports which encourages participation across all age groups; fosters enhanced mental health; requires large areas of open space where trees support carbon capture and provide shade for natural cooling; and protects habitats for native wildlife. This golf course is adjacent to the Dandenong Creek and associated parklands.
Golf, not tennis, provides positive answers to both the City of Monash’s Open Space, and Urban Landscape and Canopy Vegetation Strategies, passed in 2018.
On the other hand, the non-porous surfaces of tournament quality tennis courts and associated parking bays proposed for this “relocated” Tennis Centre, will radiate heat and exacerbate drainage problems on site.
Last, but not least, the Active Monash Sports Club Framework (Item 2.3 Council Meeting 25 Aug 2020) at Platinum Accreditation Level awards an incentive for clubs to be alcohol free. Yet the NE Link media release boasts that the new tennis complex will incorporate a large shared function centre. Currently various licences and licensees are in play depending on the tennis and golf clubs involved. Future control over alcohol sales and access to licensed facilities will be transferred to a commercial operator. It is feared that under-aged players will be exposed unnecessarily to licensed premises.
A Fit for Purpose Alternative Site
Objectors have provided the Monash Council with suggestions for alternative sites to place the Tennis Court Complex, which does not require access via council roads, instead, is easily accessible from Eastlink, M1, M3 and arterial roads. The Tennis Centre Complex could be accommodated on one of two ovals that are to the right when entering Jells Park from Ferntree Gully Road. The location is already serviced by bike and walking tracks, plenty of parking, toilets, a playground and picnic shelters. This would bring the complex back into state hands. It would save the golf driving range, the chip and putt green, the off leash dog park and the Halcyon Social Support Centre; as well as ensure the identities of the Glen Waverley Golf Club and established local tennis clubs are maintained. There would be no need to forfeit 3.4 hectares of golf course land and there would be no more loss of trees.
However Monash Council would need to refuse the $21 million offered by NELP to secure the deal – but it would save its own $5.77 million contribution.
Community members believe keeping the beautiful 18 hole Glen Waverley Course intact is a goal worth fighting for.
If this article resonated with you, we seek your support in communicating the above concerns by sharing this information with your community, as well as communicating your concerns to Councillors, see the list of sample questions to ask Council here and who to contact.
References
The project scope: https://shape.monash.vic.gov.au/tennis
Predetermined project inclusions determined by State Government - without consultation: https://northeastlink.vic.gov.au/news/serving-up-tennis-centre