Key Points:

• 681 new housing allotments are to be developed on the golf course
• Destruction of current golf course
• Depletion of the water table
• Threatens critically endangered local flora and fauna
• The beauty of our land and the simplicity of our lifestyle is about to be forever changed if we do not act.

If you’d like more information on the key points listed above, please read on:

Mount Compass Golf Course is in danger of being turned into a 681 allotment housing subdivision in the near future by the owner of the Golf course Stephen Connor, Capitoline Pty Ltd.

Not only does this rob residents of the views and lifestyle they were promised, it threatens the critically endangered local flora and fauna, depletes the water table and will destroy what makes our small town so special.

You may have heard that over the past year or so the existing planning legislation for South Australia has been changed to a Planning and Design Code which has merged a number of zones and names.  This has had a significant effect on Mount Compass, particularly the golf course area which was originally zoned as ‘Golf Course (Mount Compass)’ and included a planning policy which stated that the land was primarily for recreational use (golf course) activities and complemented by low-density housing (that’s what we have now).

The Department responsible suggested that the new zone be a ‘Neighbourhood’ type zoning which would have allowed for housing but Council objected strongly to this zoning and were successful in having the residential part of the Golf Course Estate zoned as ‘Neighbourhood’ and the golf course as ‘Golf Course and Recreation’.  All good and Council formally adopted this in February this year.

The golf course owner (Stephen Connor, Capitoline Pty LTD) then objected to the decisions just prior to the Code coming into effect on 19th March 21.

A compromise position was then agreed to by the Department and Council which resulted in the housing area being zoned ‘Neighbourhood’ and ‘Recreation’ for the golf course which included the intent for the golf course land as mentioned above. Again, all good.

Then the Minister for Planning (Vickie Chapman), for one reason or another,  asked for a change for the whole area as ‘Golf Course Estate Zone’.  Such a zone is very broad and does not specify the size of the golf course – hence it could be 18 hole, 9 hole, par 3 or something else that represents only a tiny portion of the current golf course.  The other part could then be used for housing.  This would totally destroy the intent of this land.

The matter was investigated by a government committee and Council not only objected strongly to the proposal for change but also had an expert planner presenting and answering questions.  The committee has subsequently recommended to the Minister that the whole of the land be zoned ‘Golf Course Estate’.  Council will now be objecting to this recommendation and seeking an option to undertake a ‘Code Amendment’ process which will include significant public consultation with our community – this may be our only option.

If Mr Stephen Connor, Capitoline Pty Ltd, owner of the Mount Compass Golf course, develops 681 housing allotments, replacing the golf course, the overpopulated new housing area would make a significant negative environmental impact on the 3 Mount Compass protected Wetlands. With less than one per cent of the permanent wetlands of the Mount Lofty Ranges remaining, the swamps of Mount Compass are nationally listed as a Critically Endangered Ecological Community and important sites for several nationally endangered flora and fauna which are protected under the Federal Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. The overpopulated new housing area would deplete the local underground water supply over time and further threaten the critically endangered Mount Compass. The development plan is smack bang in the middle of 3 protected Mount Compass Conservation Swamps (all home to critically endangered flora and fauna). 
The 3 Mount Compass Conservation Swamps are:
Mount Compass School Swamp (corner Victor Harbor and Arthur Roads)
Stipiturus Conservation Park 
Hesperilla CP - Square Waterhole Swamp

We need everyone's support to stop this development.