THE final integrated plan for Red Hill has made way for a retirement village to be built on the north-east portion of the 18-hole Federal Golf Course. 

Released by Land Management Minister Mick Gentleman today (June 17), the final plan states that it will “retain” all 18 holes at the golf course but will also leave space aside for the development of up to 125 units as part of a retirement village.

It also confirms plans to rezone Section 66 in Deakin from a transport services zone to a “Commercial CZ2 Business Zone” for further commercial use. Residential use will not permitted under the rezoning.

Red Hill Nature Reserve will be expanded as part of the integrated plan, too, with the reserve expanding into green space next to Section 66.

Following the release of the plan, Mr Gentleman said: “[It] will guide the future of the Federal Golf Course and add more land to the well-loved Red Hill Nature Reserve.

“We received 929 pieces of feedback with the majority of submissions supportive of the plan, which several local community organisations have also endorsed.”

However, submission opposing the plan were not absent from the process.

One anonymous submission was opposed to plans for the retirement village as well as any development on Section 66, saying: “Developers should not be allowed to build on Section 66 Deakin, except in the current buildings and carpark area. Section 66 has many beautiful trees, some of them centuries old. There are Gang-gang babies in a hollow in one of these trees right now, and I have seen sugar gliders and bats coming out of hollows in the same area.

“The Federal Golf Course is green and peaceful and always full of birds and other wildlife. We should keep it that way.”

Another submission did not agree with building on the golf course but confessed that building on the southern portion of the golf course would be “the least, worst option, pending further information and a full scale environmental impact assessment”.

Others, however, saw the benefits saying they support the changes and believe they will be good for the community.