Wollongong Council reject plans for a Greg Norman Golf Development at Avondale.
From the Australian Financial Review, comes a report by Su-Lin Tan that plans for a long touted Greg Norman golf course development outside Wollongong have been rejected by the local Wollongong City Council.
As background, Norman has been involved in the project on the old Huntley Colliery in Avondale for more than ten years. His first golf course layout was approved by the same council in 2011, and back in early 2013 Norman made a site visit to supervise the design work on his first two holes, and generate media interest and awareness in the project. The development then stalled, however, as the Chinese backed investor, Visionary Investment Group (VIG), sought a revision to the original approval. Their revision involved 105 residential home sites, and was rejected by the council because of environment impacts and concerns with traffic and planning issues.
Visionary Investment Group's Greg Norman-designed 18-hole golf course and housing sub-division in Avondale at Wollongong has been rejected by the local council and is now on appeal before the Land and Environment Court.
The jewel in VIG's portfolio, which once included a super block of commercial towers bounded by Castlereagh, Pitt and Liverpool Streets in the Sydney CBD now sold to China's Han's Group, is a 187-hectare site on Avondale Road with an approval for a gold course.
VIG sought to create 105 residential lots on the site to form a mega integrated resort but was rejected by Wollongong City Council because of "environmental impact, traffic and planning concerns".
VIG declined to comment in detail due to court action but said it was "fully committed to long-term investment in the Illawarra region".
"Our integrated resort development would not only showcase the best that the region has to offer but more importantly bring employment and long-term sustainable economic growth to the region, especially in tourism, hospitality, retirement and other services sectors," VIG chief executive Michael Guo said.
"We will continue working with the community, council and all stakeholders to make our integrated resort development the true pride of Illawarra."
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