It's been more than five years since the question was first asked of Crown Lands but the Pambula Merimbula Golf Club (PMGC) is continuing to pursue its plans to transform its now closed clubhouse, into tourism accommodation.
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The clubhouse site - some 8000 square metres - is owned by Crown Lands and five years and a half years ago the club asked about the buying the land.
PMGC president Tony Freeman said there was a great shortage of play and stay accommodation in the area and the purchase of the land could lead to the development of a golf resort.
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Mr Freeman said the club didn't know how long it would take Crown Lands officers to submit a recommendation to allow the club to buy the land to the minister, or how long the minister might take to consider the recommendation.
But Mr Freeman said they had asked for the valuation of the land to be taken from the date of application, March 2018.
"If the purchase is allowed, we would go out to the industry to see what they propose," he said.
In 2022 Bega Valley Shire Council agreed to send the proposal for change of use for gateway approval with NSW Planning.
In September 2022 council put the proposal to allow the club to diversify the use of its land to support potential future tourist accommodation options on exhibition.
The proposal, which closed in October 2022, explained that while the golf course itself was a highly valued and popular public recreational facility, the clubhouse was no longer suited to the needs of the golf club members and their visitors.
Company secretary and treasurer at PMGC Philip Saunders said it was a long-term timeframe and certainly no less than three years.
"It's a long-term plan for the future of the club and the community," Mr Saunders said.
He said the last three years had been difficult, not just with COVID but also the increases in prices including insurance and rates.
"There's been a large number of increases but we're coping," Mr Saunders said.
He said the club had a very conservative budget but they were conscious that "we're a discretionary spend".
The focus is very much on maintaining and improving the courses and the agreement the club has with Bega Valley Shire Council to take treated effluent to water the courses, helps to ensure the greens live up to their name.
Mr Freeman said that over the course of a year 50 per cent of players were visitors and the club was seeing more players from Canberra.
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Denise Dion
Regional daily news journalist on the Far South Coast of NSW. Contact me on 0418 213 780 or at denise.dion@austcommunitymedia.com.au
Regional daily news journalist on the Far South Coast of NSW. Contact me on 0418 213 780 or at denise.dion@austcommunitymedia.com.au
