contribution to delivering more homes during a housingcrisis.
“They (golf courses) are ripe for #development and could be unlocked very quickly, which is what you need in a #housing crisis — it just needs a bit of political will,” Mr Shifman, who is also CEO of one of Australia’s largest property developers, Intrapac Property, said.
“Golf courses represent an incredible opportunity in the midst of a housing crisis to develop affordable housing in typically quite established parts of Melbourne, where you’ve got infrastructure and amenities.”
The comments are illuminating with objections mostly boiling down to: 🚫Stop importing more people 👨👩👧👦 so we don't need more housing 🤑 Greedy developers want to destroy everything and turn it into boxes – ("why not just bulldoze our public parks/ovals/MCG too") 🎋Don't touch any green spaces, for any reason, ever. Turn them all into parks (regardless of tenure).
Here are some thoughts to consider: 🤔 This should only apply to privately held land/member courses adjacent to existing, well-serviced urban areas. It is not a call to redevelop any public land (or the MCG) – public land should remain public.
🤔 This maximises the use of existing #infrastructure, doesn't require significant (or any) government investment, and delivers better livability to the future residents 🤔 Redevelopment does not mean bulldozing the site. Substantial obligations remain to retain significant vegetation and protect fauna 🤔As a rule of thumb, ~20% of the site would typically be retained as open space for public use. This actually turns private open space into public land, as opposed to being exclusive to golf club members.
🤔 Many golf clubs continue to struggle financially, and selling their land provides the funds they need to reinvest in the game and broader community facilities. The land value/uplift goes to the club to ensure their survival, not the developer.
🤔You can't just force private land to become a public park if a golf club fails.
With few opportunities to unlock #affordable housing #supply🏘️ at scale in the short term, the ideal solution is middle-ring, moderate density developments allowing efficiency and consistent delivery. Redeveloping golf courses is the paradigm.
📢 Is this proposal on the fairway or am I lying in the rough?