The owner of the Mount Compass Golf Course has asked the State Parliament Environment Resources and Development Committee to amend the zoning of the site to allow further development of allotments.

Stephen Connor, the Managing Director of Capitoline Property, told the committee when he purchased the property five years ago it was zoned residential.

He said the council subsequently suggested it be rezoned as recreational and rural land during a review of fire ratings.

He told the committee, “That has massive implications for our business. It's a significant drop in development potential. The destruction of value is horrendous and, if it's not sorted out, basically our business is going to get wiped out.”

He said the site could be zoned as a ‘golf course estate’ to help underpin a reasonable figure for his bank and valuation viewpoints.

Mr Connor said the golf club and restaurant currently employed nine full-time staff and eight casual workers and that their jobs are potentially at risk if he cannot raise funds to reinvest in the golf course. 

He told the committee, “If it is not fixed up, we are in real trouble. The golf course shuts and then I will have to pursue some compensation, I guess.”

Alexandrina Council’s Manager of Strategic Development, Sally Roberts, told the committee that the golf course is an important feature of Mount Compass.

She said when the original development was initiated by a single developer about 20 years ago it was always intended to be a residential and golf course development. 

She said the zoning regulations at the time meant the whole area was zoned residential, including the golf course

The original developer of the site created the course and about 200 allotments. 

Since purchasing the golf course site Capitoline has been able to create a further 63 residential allotments around the edge of the course.  

A stage two release of these allotments is currently being marketed, with blocks for sale from $160 000 to $215 000.

The committee has written to Planning Minister Vickie Chapman in support of changing the zone to ‘golf course estate’.