Kingston council was contacted for comment.
Development at the site has faced years of objection from both the council and nearby residents
The former Kingswood Golf Course in Dingley Village. Credit: Eamon Gallagher
At a November 10 Kingston council meeting, councillor Caroline White said that allowing the development to proceed would “annihilate” the local community and called for the plans to be scrapped.
“[It will] create absolute chaos in a suburb that’s not designed to manage this type of growth,” White said at the meeting. “It would cost the minister nothing to do the right thing.”
Save Kingswood group president Kevin Poulter called the project “the worst development ever proposed for Victoria.”
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Poulter, who has been fighting the proposed redevelopment for 13 years, was critical of the state government’s decision. He said his residents group will continue to oppose the project.
“We put out a list of about 50 reasons about why it shouldn’t be built there … there’s still some fight left in us yet,” he said.
The former golf course was bought in 2014 for more than $100 million by superannuation giant AustralianSuper.
An initial attempt to develop the site into housing in 2018 attracted 8000 public objections and was rejected by Kingston council.
Decision-making authority was taken from the council and handed to the state government, which has since faced criticism for its long delays in deciding the future of the project.
AustralianSuper eventually sold the site in 2024 to Satterley Property Group without ever having begun construction. The land is currently used as a public park.
A Victorian government spokesperson said the Dingley Village plans had undergone consultation with local residents and Kingston council, as well as other stakeholders.
“Information on the development plan, including the approval date, was made publicly available online,” the spokesperson said.
“We’re unlocking underutilised land to deliver more homes and create new opportunities for people in Melbourne’s south-east.”
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