Industry News
Stuart Fraser Appointed NSW CEO
After eight years as CEO of Castle
Hill Country Club, Stuart Fraser
has been appointed the new CEO
of Golf NSW. Amongst a long list of
candidates, Stuart was a standout
according to Chairman of Golf NSW,
Chris Allen. “We are very pleased
Stuart has agreed to join us and
he will commence on September
24 and assume the CEO position
the following Monday, October 1st,
which provides a one week handover
period from retiring CEO, Greg Mills”
said Allen. Fraser has a distinguished
golf administration career behind
him including quite a number of
years with the PGA and he also
holds executive roles with Golf
Management Australia, both here in
NSW as well as nationally. A capable
golfer in his own right, the new man
will continue the momentum created
following the amalgamation of the
NSW Golf Association and Women’s
Golf NSW to form Golf NSW in 2010.
Yarra Ranges Council approves planning application
Yarra Ranges Council last month
overwhelmingly approved
development plans for The Eastern
Golf Club’s (EGC) proposed new site
at Yering in the Yarra Valley. Seven
(7) Councillors voted in favour of the
application, with only two (2) voting
against.
Supporting Councillors spoke
positively and highlighted the
benefits the proposal would bring to
the entire region including significant
environmental improvements.
National and International tourism
opportunities were also highlighted
through the addition of a world
class Greg Norman designed golf
course, further enhancing the
region’s reputation to rival that of the
Mornington and Bellarine Peninsula’s.
The Club proposes to invest $49
million building the new facility,
creating hundreds of jobs during
construction and an additional 35
permanent jobs upon completion.
The 600 acre site with gentle
rolling hills will have an 11 hectare
wetland system created and 400,000
plantings with 95% indigenous
species. The golf course will see the
6
implementation of a 30m riparian
buffer to the Yarra River and use over
150 mega litres of Class B recycled
water that is currently disposed of
into Olinda Creek that in turn flows
into the Yarra River.
Central to the addressing
environmental matters, the Club
completed an extensive quantitative
human health and ecological risk
assessment as part of the application,
believed to be an Australian first for
the golf industry. This assessment
was subjected to incredible rigour
of review by Melbourne Water with
peer reviews conducted by Australia’s
leading consultants and academics as
well as arguably the worlds leading
academic on pesticides.
Club General Manager, Benjamin
Telley said “This is obviously a great
outcome for the Club, but also it
represents a great achievement
for environmental planning and
environmental management as
we believe a new benchmark has
been set”. The Club hopes other
developments in the future will
choose to follow suit.
The Golf Marketing Professionals www.golfindustrycentral.com.au
The proposal only received one
formal objection from a developer,
Bill Boerkamp whose case appeared
only to be based on planning issues
previously unsupported by VCAT.
A late objection was received from
Anthony Amis of Friends of the Earth,
although it appeared based little
on any facts or evidence. Mr Telley
said “for Mr Amis to suggest that
we would likely use pesticides other
than those approved, is completely
inappropriate and a cheap scare
tactic that demonstrates a complete
lack of respect to the intelligence of
the broader community and to the
authorities involved in assessing
planning applications.” Mr Telley
added “It is unfortunate that Friends
of the Earth sought not to understand
the work that has been undertaken
and to be informed despite repeated
offers by the Club”.
The Eastern Golf Club, voted
2011 ‘Club of the Year’ by Clubs
Victoria, will wait to see whether the
decision is appealed at VCAT before
commencing construction.