Sydney’s Moore Park golf course faces conversion to public park

Sydney’s Moore Park Golf Course Faces Controversial Transformation as the New South Wales government announces plans to repurpose part of the course into a public park.

The New South Wales government has announced its intention to repurpose a significant portion of the 45-hectare Moore Park golf course into a public park by 2026. All without any consultation with Moore Park Golf Club.

The golf course is the third busiest in Australia, located on public land but operated privately under successive service agreements, and has long been a topic of discussion. Former NSW Premier Bob Carr and Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore have advocated for reclaiming the land for broader public use.

The government’s preferred option is to establish a new park on the western boundary and part of the northern section, aiming to maximize accessibility for residents of Green Square, Zetland, and Waterloo.

Critics of the decision highlight that there is already abundant green space available within 400 meters of the proposed park, most notably the 189-hectare Centennial Park.

Moreover, some critics point out that the high-density residential developments in the surrounding areas were approved and constructed without adequate green space, leading to the current demand for more open recreational areas.

Additionally, while there are other golf courses within a 10-kilometre radius of Moore Park, many of them are private and not accessible to the general public, making Moore Park Golf Course a more affordable and accessible option for anyone wishing to play golf.

Members of the golfing community express disappointment about the potential loss of an affordable golfing option in a city where many private clubs have higher membership fees.

Moore Park Golf Club President John Janik told ABC News that the course was one of the few public courses in the area and was one of the most affordable to join and play.

“We built this course from a swamp, an incinerator plant to what it is today, it’s one of the only public, community golf courses in Sydney.”

He described it as “one of the most used golf clubs in Australia” and said it was relatively cheap, costing about $2,000 to join, compared with between $20,000 to $50,000 for privately run golf clubs.

Mr Janik suggested the other hectares of vacant land surrounding the golf course should have been used instead.

The future of the Moore Park golf course remains uncertain as discussions and consultations continue. The government plans to release a discussion paper to gather input from the public, ensuring that various perspectives are taken into account in determining the course of action.