Western car park redevelopment

Over the last 18-24 months, the Club has seen a significant rise in golfing, function and dining activity placing regular pressure on our limited car parking capacity and inconveniencing members and guests on their visits to the Club.

As a result, the Committee of Management (COM) is currently working through plans to extend the Western car park (adjacent the 1st fairway) to increase car parking capacity and minimise the disruption and inconvenience faced by members and guests when using the Club.

Feedback from members in the 2014 Member Satisfaction Survey identified car parking as one of our members’ key concerns and this feedback has been taken on board by the COM who have identified increased car parking capacity as a high priority infrastructure project for 2015.  Another logistical issue identified by the Club is that, on many occasions when the Western car park stretches beyond practical capacity, the Bonython Avenue car park remains half full.

A concept plan has been drawn up to extend the Western car park to the south (in the area of land bounded by the 1st and 7th fairways) currently used as a green waste dumping ground.  The existing informal gravel overflow areas adjacent the western car park will be formalised to maximise capacity in these spaces, as quite often cars will park too far apart in these areas due to a lack of line marking, thereby reducing potential capacity each time.

Comparison of car parking capacities

In addition to our formalised car parking capacity, our informal overflow areas have catered for approx. 50 spaces (including the informal gravel areas adjacent the western car park and on the LHS of the entrance road).  The capacity of these informal areas will be reduced as they are replaced with formal car parking spaces.  Overflow parking will remain available on the LHS of the entrance road providing for an additional 15 spaces if ever required, and, in the rarest of circumstances, other overflow areas can also be used.  However, we anticipate capacity increases to the Western car park should easily accommodate the needs of Club for 99% of the time.

For many years, this area has been an eyesore and not reflective of the Club’s position as one of the premier private members’ golf clubs and function centres in Australia.  Not only will the proposed works minimise disruption and inconvenience to members and guests, the proposed works will significantly enhance the presentation of the Club’s main car park and entry point for members and guests.

Engineering and pavement plans are currently being finalised for the project with redevelopment works being put out to tender within the next month.  It is hoped that work can commence as soon as possible with an expected completion date around September, ready for the Club’s busy spring/summer season of golf and functions.  Funding has been allocated in the Club’s 2015 capital expenditure budget with final costs to be determined once tenders have been received.   Club member and former COM representative, David Gillespie, has kindly volunteered his expert services to assist the Club in the management of this project to ensure the work is undertaken within budget and completed on time.

Preliminary works will commence this week with the removal of trees and vegetation on the site of the southern extension in preparation for the planned civil works once contracts have been finalised.