Green Light Finally for Royal Sydney Redevelopment

Royal Sydney Golf Club has been given the go-ahead for a $17.4 million redevelopment after an “exhausting” conciliation process with the council. 

Woollahra Council initially refused the club’s development application to renovate and redevelop the existing 18-hole golf course at Rose Bay, which was founded in 1893 and has hosted the Australian Open numerous times.

The application for the development, at 701-703 New South Head Road, was initially submitted in late 2019. 

The development application proposed landscaping works of 7.6ha for new heathland and woodland planting, and further native grasses and vegetation. 

However, the application also requested the club be allowed to remove 595 existing trees, although 1888 would be planted during the initial construction phase.

This proved to be too much for the council and lobby groups, including Woollahra councillor Nicola Grieve’s Save The Trees organisation, and the application was rejected by the council. Royal Sydney subsequently launched a legal challenge.

No agreement was reached after a conciliation conference was held in May although discussions continued between the council and club.

This process led to a number of amendments including a reduction in the total number of trees to be removed including ‘high-value’ trees, adoption of a new Biodiversity Assessment Method, and comprehensive mapping and modelling of tree canopies.

These amends were last week approved by the New South Wales Land and Environment Court.

 Sporting body Golf NSW said that the process had been “exhausting”.

“With the benefit of these changes, the DA clearly identifies how biodiversity across the course will be vastly improved by the enhanced course restoration plans and provides further details on important water management and drainage solution improvements (which are not possible under the current course set-up),” it said in a statement.

Royal Sydney president Chris Chapman said that despite a lengthy DA process, it had delivered “a very positive outcome for the community”. 

“In working extensively with Woollahra council and heeding the feedback of the community since the original DA lodgement in late 2019, we have produced what can be considered the most exhaustively detailed golf course renovation plans in Australian history,” Chapman said.

“At more than 1000 pages and including numerous expert reports on matters ranging from ecology and horticulture to flood planning and the extensive civil works involved, no stone has been left unturned and absolutely nothing has been left to chance.”

Royal Sydney plans to combeginmence the renovation of the Championship Course in early 2021, which will be overseen by golf course designer Gil Hanse, assessed by landscape architect Harley Kruse.