Sonya Kilkenny clears Kingswood Golf Club development
Sonya Kilkenny has cleared the way for the redevelopment of Melbourne’s former Kingswood Golf Club after a late Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal challenge by Kingston City Council fell over.
The permit grant allows for 179-217 Centre Dandenong Road, Dingley Village, to be subdivided into 932 residential lots.
It replaces an 823-home application considered in 2018 by council then in 2021 through the state’s planning process, and a 941-lot development plan approved by Labor last year.
Satterley will develop the estate in 15 stages with the first lots being tested this week through online registrations ahead of sales.
The the first lots are being offered from $774,000 to $1.143 million, with townhouses from $799,900.
The delay between an approval announcedin October stems from a failed VCAT appeal by council over flood and traffic concerns.
VCAT dismissed the case when Kingston missed its filing deadline by four days – a delay CEO Peter Bean blamed on “confusion over the legal timeline.”
Dingley Village is about 23 kilometres south-east of town.
Development to tee off after union windfall
Following the merger with Peninsula Golf Club, the 53.4 hectare Kingswood Golf Club site was sold to union-affiliated Australian Super through an entity managed publicly by ISPT in 2014, for $125m.
The 823-lot subdivision in 2018 was rejected by Kingston Council following c8000 objections.
Its concerns include traffic, infrastructure, flooding, open space and vegetation (continues below).
The state government subsequently established the Golf Course Redevelopment Standing Advisory Committee to consider the development, which then approved a rezone for residential.
Satterley Property Group bought it in March, 2024, for c$220 million; Australian Super saying the project no longer aligned with its property strategy as it cashed out.
The 941-home scheme was approved in 2025.
No consultation: opponents
After the state took responsibility for key planning decisions, Kingston Council and residents lost the same role they would ordinarily have had in a council-determined application.
In April, the council said the application just approved by Ms Kilkenny, who said she considered submissions, should not be supported.
Flooding remains – the permit requires further work on drainage and flood management, including independent review of key drainage works and modelling to demonstrate that flooding is not worsened outside the site.
Other matters to be resolved through conditions and subsequent approvals include staging, subdivision, traffic, infrastructure, vegetation and affordable housing.
Opponents to the decision have argued these matters should have been resolved before permission was granted.
Subscribe to our newsletter at the bottom of this page.
