Community's campaign against redevelopment of local golf course

A Bayside golf club in Melbourne is hitting into a stiff breeze of community concern as it seeks to rezone its 18-hole course and sell up.

Rossdale Golf Club is hoping Melbourne's Kingston Council approves plans to sell its 43-hectare land holding to a property developer and relocate its facilities to a more affordable area.

"Unfortunately for close to a decade, the club has been running at significant financial losses. (We) just haven't been able to turn back the dial, which brings us to where we are at the moment," Rossdale General Manager Andrew Noonan told A Current Affair.

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A "Save Rossdale" campaign has been formed by local residents who live near the course and oppose the club's land being used for development for environmental reasons.

"Our council has a climate change policy and I think everyone realises that tree canopy is very important for climate change reasons," local Diana Donahue said.

"We're getting a big heatbank effect, so we need our trees more than ever.

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"Apart from that it's habitat. The golf course is next to a United Nations wetlands."

It's not the first time that Diana and her husband Ivor have opposed relocation plans at Rossdale.

In 1974 the golf club attempted to develop the space with the company, Leighton Holdings.

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Ivor and Diana led a campaign that ran candidates in local elections to have the plans blocked.

"(In 1974) there was a local meeting in the Presbyterian Church, in the middle of winter and we got 140 people there. 140 turned out on a Friday night to oppose the redevelopment," Ivor said.

"The people around here cared very deeply about that green space and about that golf course. They still do," Diana added.

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The rezoning proposal will be decided by Kingston Council.

"The announcement has caused some really significant community concern. We know a lot of our locals, our residents, are actually really passionate about this site. (They) want to see the golf course continue," Mayor of Kingston Councillor Hadi Saab said.

Rossdale Golf Club members have voted in favour of trying to get the land rezoned.

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"Twice (the club has) had special general meetings where the members have voted on a relocation, the first receiving more than 92 per cent of membership support, the second revealing over 88 per cent of membership support," Noonan said.

"We understand locals have an important role to play. We'd really love to engage with them.

"We want to ensure that we go through the process, welcome all the feedback and get the best result for everybody."