Blue Mountains City Council invites feedback on plans for former Katoomba Golf Course precinct

Blue Mountains City Council along with Traditional Custodians, local community, educators and researchers from a number of universities is exploring opportunities related to planetary health initiatives at the former Katoomba Golf Course precinct (clubhouse and adjoining 30 hectares of public land).   

Council is developing a Precinct Plan for the site and receiving specialist advice relating to urban design, environment, bushfire and transport matters. The plan will provide a holistic planning framework that guides the short and long term future land use of the site.

Council is inviting community feedback on what opportunities they see for the former Katoomba Golf Course site and ways in which this site could be transformed to help restore planetary health. Initial community feedback is being received until 14th April, 2022.

Blue Mountains Mayor, Mark Greenhill notes “Given the increase in natural disasters and the critical urgency to stop climate change now – as well as the need to protect our World Heritage Area – Council has established the Blue Mountains Planetary Health Initiative. Our community cares about planetary health – including the health of our environment, the health and wellbeing of our people and the health of all life. So with many stakeholders and our community we are looking at how the former Katoomba Golf Course site could be transformed, for the long-term benefit of our City and our community, and to create new job opportunities.”

In 2020, Council adopted its Local Strategic Planning Statement Blue Mountains 2040 Living Sustainably, including an action to “...develop an International Centre of Excellence in the Blue Mountains for sustainable living, environmental science or Planetary Health (including climate change and bush fire challenges).”

Blue Mountains City Council bought the former Katoomba Golf Course clubhouse, adjoining 30 hectares of Council-owned public land (the former golf course site), in November 2020. Currently, the former clubhouse is being used as the base for the Blue Mountains Planetary Health Initiative.

The top floor of the facility has also been leased to the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) – who are committed to the ethos of the Planetary Health Initiative. The revenue generated from this lease arrangement is covering the maintenance costs of not only the clubhouse, but also the adjoining 30 hectare site.

Council has also partnered with a number of universities and the Blue Mountains World Heritage Institute through Memoranda of Understanding to work together on the Blue Mountains Planetary Health Initiative. 

Blue Mountains City Council Chief Executive, Dr Rosemary Dillon advises “Council has a long history of embedding sustainability into its operations and practices. The Blue Mountains Planetary Health Initiative is building on our long-term commitment to restore social, environmental and economic health across the City – and, in turn, generate new jobs for the future. We are thinking globally, but acting locally to find long term benefits.

“There is a unique opportunity to do something very special on the former 30 hectare golf course site that could be of national and international significance and that could generate significant local benefits including job creation.”

Share your vision with words or images or art online at: yoursay.bmcc.nsw.gov.au/katoomba-golfcourse-precinct-plan and take our survey to provide more detail.

Image: Aerial view of the former Katoomba Golf Course site.