Kingston has joined with the community to raise serious concerns about the proposed plans for the redevelopment of the former Kingswood Golf Course in Dingley Village.
More than 1,400 community members lodged submissions with the Victorian Government on the draft development plan for the site, with most highlighting worries about the scale and potential impacts on the local area.
Kingston Mayor Georgina Oxley said Council shared the community's concerns and was urging the Victorian Government to require further work on the plan to address community feedback before any final decisions are made.
"While we understand the Government has already rezoned the land, this is a major development in the heart of Dingley Village, which was never planned to have its golf course redeveloped. Therefore, it requires very careful planning every step of the way," Cr Oxley said.
"This is very different to a new suburb on the fringes of Melbourne or extra housing in an activity centre, the Dingley Village community are rightly concerned about what this means for their neighbourhood.
"Council is calling for a more balanced and better thought-out plan – one that protects the area's vegetation and unique character, while ensuring required infrastructure is provided to keep pace with growth."
The most common community concerns included:
- Loss of trees and open space – and impacts on local biodiversity and amenity for residents.
- Small lot sizes and housing density – not in keeping with the surrounding neighbourhood.
- Increased traffic and road congestion – especially around Centre Dandenong Road, Tootal Road and local residential streets.
- Infrastructure constraints– including schools, childcare, medical facilities and access to public transport (more frequent bus services).
- Drainage and flooding risks – especially due to reduced permeable surfaces on the site.
- Impact on neighbourhood character – particularly due to the scale and layout of proposed housing, which will see well-established trees removed along the site's boundaries.
Caruana Ward Councillor Caroline White said the number of community submissions sent a powerful message to decision-makers.
"The community has been incredibly clear – this proposal as it stands is not right for Dingley Village," Cr White said.
"They want development that fits the area, protects what locals love, and doesn't overload already stretched services."
Cr White said the Minister's own expert Advisory Committee had highlighted significant issues with developing the land and given a very clear signal to decision makers about issues that needed to be properly addressed.
While the Victorian Government is now the decision-maker on the site, Council has lodged a detailed submission highlighting a range of critical issues with the current development plan.
Key concerns raised by Council include:
- Significant native vegetation and tree removal.
- Flawed technical documents – including misidentified tree species and underestimation of native vegetation.
- Poorly drafted development plan – with errors, vague language and lack of clear guidance for future subdivision.
- Stormwater and drainage issues – unresolved questions around ownership, maintenance and design standards.
- Unclear design guidelines – uncertainty about how new homes (including those built next to existing homes) will be assessed and what permits will be required.
- Weak commitment to affordable housing – Kingston lacks genuinely affordable housing for key workers (teachers, nurses etc) and it's not clear that the current proposal will provide affordable homes.
- Missing pedestrian connections – further work is needed by the developer to ensure strong connections into the shopping precinct.
Cr Oxley said the recent decision by the State Government to remove Council's planning authority for the site makes it even more important that community and Council concerns are properly addressed.
"We are extremely disappointed that this change was made without consultation or impact assessment," Cr Oxley said.
"It makes the need for a clear and robust plan even more urgent.
"We have a significant track record of supporting well-planned growth – but it must be planned properly to respect local values, protect the environment and deliver the infrastructure and services needed."
Read Council's full submission(PDF, 86MB).
