Kingswood Golf Course

Kingswood Golf Course voted to sell the Dingley Village site and merge with the Peninsula Country Golf Club.

ISPT buys the former golf course for $125 million.

More than 8,000 community objections lodged with Kingston Council against the development proposed in Planning Scheme Amendment C151.

Kingston Council refuses permission to rezone the site. The Victorian Government then stepped in to take the decision away from Council.

Victorian Government set up special advisory committee on the issue of Golf Course Redevelopment.

Victorian Government exhibited Planning Scheme Amendment C199 and a total of 1,650 submissions were received.

Council engaged a range of experts and legal representatives to present a very strong argument to the Victorian Government’s Golf Course Redevelopment Standing Advisory Committee.

After a year and a half of the Minister considering a number of significant recommendations of the expert Advisory Committee who were critical of large aspects of the proposal, the Victorian Government approved rezoning for the former Kingswood Golf Course site to General Residential Zone to allow for housing development.

ISPT sells the site to Satterley Development Group.

Council calls for genuine consultation on Kingswood development plans.

Kingston urged the community to have their say on Kingswood plans.

More than 1,400 community members lodged submissions with the Victorian Government, with most highlighting concerns about the scale and potential impacts on the local area based on the development plan.

Kingston Council lodged a substantial submission outlining concerns about the Development Plan.

We detailed key concerns and potential improvements, however much of this feedback was not taken on board by the Victorian Government when it approved the development plan.

Council and community anger as Victorian Government approves the controversial development plan.

The decision was made despite overwhelming community opposition, clear environmental risks, and warnings from the Government’s own advisory processes that the site is highly constrained by flood risk and critical environmental values.

Council had hoped to try to gain some improvements to the plans by appealing the development plan at the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal, however due to confusion over the legal timeline the tribunal will not hear the case.

Kingston Council had appealed to VCAT in November as part of ongoing community efforts to improve the Kingswood development plans.

The VCAT appeal was not about stopping the housing development from going ahead at all – unfortunately, despite strong community and Council opposition, the rezoning and now development plan have both been by the Victorian Minister for Planning.

Council had lodged the VCAT appeal to try to secure changes to the designs to address key concerns including supporting community infrastructure, appropriate drainage solutions, increased vegetation protection, improved road designs and providing critical links to nearby parks, schools and shops.

Unfortunately, there was confusion over the legal timeline. Council officers were not aware that the Victorian Government had notified us four days after it approved the development plan.

We lodged the appeal 28 days after we were notified, but regrettably this was four days late. Officers apologise deeply for the error and are incredibly disappointed that this oversight has resulted in a lost opportunity to argue our case at VCAT calling for improvements to the plans.

Councillors and the community are understandably upset and disappointed at this lost opportunity.

Yes, VCAT could have granted the four-day extension request for extra time. Unfortunately, Council’s request for extra time was opposed by the Victorian Minister for Planning and the developer – and was refused by VCAT.

Only on one occasion in 2018, after Council resolved to abandon the rezoning of the Kingswood Golf Club site after receiving in-excess of 8,000 submissions, has Council been in the position to make decisions over the site. Since this time, the ability to decide the fate of the site has been removed from Council and been in the hands of the Planning Minister.

Yes. 

Kingston Council and community members have flagged concerns for several years and made substantive submissions to the plan in April and May this year.

Kingston Council first refused permission for the former golf course to be re-zoned for housing in 2018. However, the Victorian Government overruled Council and took the matter out of our hands.

There have been many steps along the way where Council and community have repeatedly tried to improve the project, including this latest attempt at the VCAT.

Yes.

Council and the developer have continued to meet regularly to discuss key issues and potential improvements. We are still hopeful to achieve some positive outcomes by working with the developer.

Council also continues to work with Victorian Government agencies to reinforce the concerns the community and Council thoroughly documented in submissions made in April and May 2025 to the Development Plan.

No, it is not too late for the Victorian Government to hear the voice of the community and incorporate practical improvements.

The Victorian Government still has to consider a planning permit for the development before it can proceed.

Council again calls on the Victorian Government and its agencies to listen to the genuine concerns raised and to work collaboratively with Council to address issues that have been raised by the community through several years of submissions regarding the site’s redevelopment.