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The Wonthaggi Golf Club has applied to open a caravan park, the first step in a grand vision to create a multi-sport country club.
By Catherine Watson
WONTHAGGI Golf Club has taken the first steps in its grand plan for a multi-sport country club with an application to build a 20-site caravan park on site.
But it may depend on Bass Coast Shire Council’s interpretation of conditions on the golf course restricting the purposes for which the land can be used.
The golf club acquired the 61.05ha golf course from the Crown in 1995 at a discount, and the agreement included a Section 173 agreement on the title:
In response to a request by the council, the application includes a legal opinion which states that many golf clubs, including Barwon Heads, Portsea and Numurkah, provide accommodation for golfers.
It states that the proposed caravan park is an ancillary and not a separate use, and therefore does not breach the agreement.
No extra staff will be employed to run the caravan park, according to the submission, and the club does not propose to construct toilet or shower facilities. Only caravans and recreational vehicle with self-contained facilities will be permitted. Visitors will also be able to use the toilet and shower facilities in the clubhouse.
A sewerage dump point was installed on the site several years ago, before a caravan park was mooted.
The submission also states that “residential properties are located around 400m away from the proposed caravan park” though its own plans show it is less than 100 metres from properties in Doctor Sleeman Drive and McKenzie Street.
According to the planning submission, the long-term vision is for a modern purpose-built country club on the golf course site providing a broad array of hospitality services.
“The country club complex ideally would be constructed over several levels to maximise the views over the golf course and would include a bistro, café, lounge and members bar, a flexible 250 seat minimum capacity function room and modern gaming room.”
The draft Wonthaggi Structure Plan (2026) identifies the golf course as a site of interest for “future infill development” in the long term, ie.10-plus years.
While the site is within the Wonthaggi settlement boundary, it is zoned Public Conservation and Resource and has an Environmental Significance Overlay.
In 2021 the club floated a plan to sell 12 hectares to a developer for a retirement village, with the sale proceeds to be shared with the Government as the land was sold at a discount. The sale did not proceed.
In 2023 Wonthaggi Golf Club members voted to merge with the Wonthaggi Club (which has a 25-year lease over the clubhouse) to form the Wonthaggi Country Club. However, the application is in the name of the golf club.