Proposed Kangaroo Island golf course set to grow

A prime stretch of coastal land on the southeast coast of Kangaroo Island is likely to be incorporated into a planned international-standard golf course development.

The 1km site south of Salt Lagoon is owned by the State Government and has an approximate value of $800,000.

But the Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources last month advertised a notice of intention to dispose of the site in The Advertiser.

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A Department spokesman says selling the site will have little impact on the public.

“This section of crown land has limited practical public access points and it is difficult to access the coast from the clifftops,” the spokesman says.

The prime coastal stretch of Crown Land (in blue) is estimated to worth around $800,000.

The golf course development received major development approval in 2016 but the spokesman says it has subsequently changed ownership and the new owner wants to redesign part of the course.

Having the additional land will “enable players to take advantage of the coastal scenery,” they say.

Real Estate Institute of South Australia (REISA) president Alex Ouwens says the land is prime real estate but supports the disposal in favour of economic growth.

Based on similar land sales in the past, Ouwens said he valued the block of land to be around $800,000.

“People that hold beach front properties aren’t selling at the moment as they know a market upswing is coming and that these types of properties will be highly sought after,” he says.

Owens says the site is less valuable than other beachfront land on the island as it does not have beach access, amenities or water supply.

A concept map detailing the original golf course development site which is now hoped to be stretched out to include Crown Land to the west.

“Because of that, the actual market value of the property isn’t that high but from a State Government perspective, the release of the land will help drive tourism as premier golf courses are increasingly becoming holiday destinations.

“Considering that in the past, access to (lack of) attractions have hindered the market, I think the golf course will greatly benefit KI.”

The golf resort development at Pennington Bay will span across 242.6ha of oceanfront land and expected to generate up to 60 temporary during construction as well as long-term jobs in hospitality, course maintenance and environmental restoration.

Public comment is invited concerning the proposal and must be submitted in writing and received before the close of business on December 22.

This article from The Advertiser was originally published as “Developers to benefit of Crown Land disposal on Kangaroo Island”.