In the congested suburbs of Sydney stands an oasis that is 20 times larger than the city center's Centennial Park. According to a report from smh.com.au, only a few are able to enjoy this space deep in the heart of the city. If this prime piece of land is made available to the public, the shortage of living space in the city would definitely be alleviated.
There have been plans drawn up to convert the Eastlake golf course into parkland. One of the proponents, Sean Macken said, "Is having these spaces locked away in golf courses really the best use for them?"
He added, "There might be 1100 members of Eastlakes Golf Club but probably thousands of kids in that area struggling to get space to play soccer and Aussie Rules. Having that much open space often used exclusively for private purposes is not just good planning."
Overall, there are 91 golf courses throughout Sydney covering an area of about 38 square kilometers. These areas are exclusive jaunts for members only and their paying guests. One prime area is the Australian Golf Club in Rosebery, which will host the 2015 Australian Open this November. Converting the 62 hectares of the property into apartments or houses would create residential land value in AU$1.7 billion.
A contrary view on the matter was reported by businessinsider.com, quoting Golf NSW chief Stuart Fraser. According to Fraser, golf courses are heavily utilized areas that provide a myriad of benefits to the community. He says, "They provide healthy outdoor activity for many thousands of people in an ageing population, and I would say it's a good use for the land. To say it's for a chosen few is not correct."
The debate will rage but the issues needing to be addressed remain the same. Until political will is imposed, these prime pieces of land will remain available only to those who have access to it
