Newsletter 75 – Cammeray Golf Course

Case of a “tin ear”. Cammeray Golf Course – (North Sydney Council) putting at risk, other people’s (NSW Government’s) money

North Sydney Council was appointed Trustee for the Cammeray and Green Park Reserve Park Trust (which includes the golf course land) in 1988.

With the Western Harbour Tunnel, the future of Cammeray course was the matter of discussion as far back as 2018.

The December 2020 the Legislative Council’s report of the Impact of the Western Harbour Tunnel and Beaches Link noted:

Transport for NSW acknowledged the loss of green space, and stated that Cammeray golf
course would be altered to nine holes.

The NSW Government committed to an expenditure of $7.56m on the “preservation” and conversion of the golf course to nine holes.

In January 2023 the mayor in the background to a mayor minute wrote:

Council resolved to undertake detailed community consultation with all stakeholders on the future of Cammeray Reserve and surrounding parklands and to prepare a master plan to guide the future use of those lands.

Council is committed to ensuring that the future of these precious community lands will be
determined by the community under Council’s care and control.

North Sydney Council seems not to have appreciated the significance of the $7.56m spent on rebuilding the golf course and went ahead with work on the master plan for possible alternative uses of the golf course and surrounds.

That is why on 6 February 2026 the Premier announced:

The Government’s intention to secure the future of golf at Cammeray Golf Course where Golf has been played for 120 years.

How? The Government announced its intention to revoke Council’s care, control and management of Cammeray Park and instead transfer that role to Golf NSW.

The Mayor seems to miss the point in her exchange with the Minister for Lands and Property on point when she reports:

Correspondence received from the Deputy Secretary, Crown Lands wrongly assumes that Council intends to prevent golf from continuing at Cammeray Park and relies on Council’s Open Space and Recreation Strategy to justify this claim. This is also incorrect.

Neither the Open Space and Recreation Strategy nor the supporting Needs Study proposes an end to golf at Cammeray Park.

Hardly an assurance that the newly rebuilt golf course would survive – understandably, the Government having just spent $7.56m on the rebuilding of the golf course would not want to risk having the course bulldozed by Council.

Little wonder that the Government “took back” the land from North Sydney Council.

Next, to be looked at – the boat shed at number 1 Henry Lawson Avenue, McMahons Point.

Ian Mutton
Email:
www.ianmutton.com