By ANNA USHER

A political battle is brewing after the NSW Government moved to secure the future of golf at Cammeray Golf Course beyond its lease expiry – triggering a showdown with North Sydney Council.

The issue? Who is calling the shots on one of the city’s most valuable green spaces.

In a statement published last week, the State said it wants to provide “certainty” for the nine-hole par-3 public course, where golf has been played for 120 years, confirming it is in discussions with Golf NSW.

“Cammeray Golf Course has been part of Sydney’s sporting fabric for more than a century, and we want to secure its future for generations to come,” Minister for Lands, Property and Sport Steve Kamper said.

But North Sydney Council says the Minns government intends to revoke its management of the golf course land within Cammeray Park – a move it argues would limit future flexibility for the entire reserve.

At a Council meeting on Monday night, Mayor Zoë Baker told councillors the proposal raised serious procedural and public-interest concerns, including whether the Minister’s powers were being exercised lawfully and whether Council had been afforded procedural fairness.

“There has been no community consultation, and Council has a mere 14 days to respond to this proposal,” Baker said. “The Minister’s media release stated that the NSW Government is ‘in discussions with North Sydney Council’. That statement is incorrect.”

Baker said she had written to the Minister “on no fewer than eight occasions since late 2022” seeking a meeting, but “not once has Council been granted that opportunity”, while Golf NSW had met with the Minister on five occasions since 2023.

She rejected claims that Council intended to remove golf from Cammeray Park, saying neither the Open Space and Recreation Strategy nor its supporting Needs Study proposed an end to golf.

“Nowhere does it say that this would exclude golf,” Baker said.

Baker said transferring Crown land management to Golf NSW would “effectively privatise green space that should always remain accessible to the community” and warned the move would set a troubling precedent for local government.

Cammeray Park forms the largest single parcel of recreational land in the North Sydney local government area and hosts a wide mix of uses beyond golf, including tennis courts, croquet lawns, a skate plaza, sports fields and community events.

Golf NSW chief executive Stuart Fraser has welcomed the government’s announcement, describing the course as a unique and affordable public facility catering to players ranging from beginners to elite athletes.

“Cammeray Golf Course is a unique public facility, welcoming everyone from beginners and juniors to elite players, so we whole heartedly support these moves to ensure its’ long-term future,” he said.

The Fight for Open Space

In a nutshell, the bun fight centres on how to manage public land in one of Australia’s most densely populated and expensive areas.

• The Government’s View: Minister Kamper argued the move ensures “equitable access to golf” and supports community wellbeing and local jobs. Golf NSW CEO Stuart Fraser welcomed the move, calling the course a “unique public facility.”
• The Council’s View: Mayor Baker argued that handing control to Golf NSW would “effectively privatise green space.” She clarified that Council’s Open Space and Recreation Strategy does not propose an end to golf but emphasizes the need for flexibility as urban pressures grow.

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