12:00a.m. 23rd November 2007

An eleventh-hour change to the Maleny Community Precinct has residents up in arms, with Caloundra Council yesterday voting in favour of putting a golf course on the 124ha site.

Deputy mayor Don Smith amended the plan to allow a greater area for sports and recreation in order that either a nine-hole or 18-hole golf course would be included in the community precinct.

A group of about 60 residents in the public gallery voiced their anger and frustration at the new proposal, saying it was not wanted and was undemocratic.

The residents claim that public consultation, which found a majority of residents were against a golf course being included in the precinct, has been ignored by the council.

More than 2000 submissions on the precinct were received by the council, with 73% against a proposed golf course.

Mr Smith said the new plan, which took 18 hectares of park and garden areas and re-allocated it for sport and recreation, would allow for a variety of sports groups to utilise the area, as well as incorporating a golf club, instead of having one or the other.

Maleny councillor Dick Newman said he was appalled at the council’s decision to disregard the original plan, which had taken more than 12 months to investigate and had cost thousands of dollars in planning and consultation, in favour of a plan that was not what the community wanted.

“This is a very stupid decision that the council’s made,” he said.

“The community doesn’t want what was delivered today ... a $5 million cow paddock.”

Mr Newman said he had been given no forewarning that the plan would be substantially changed, and his initial motion that the matter be deferred was denied.

Mr Newman said a large section of the community would oppose the council’s decision. He compared it to the highly controversial decision in 2004 to locate a Woolworths in Maleny.

“If you think the Maleny community is still battered and bruised from Woolworths and they’re not going to come back (against this), then you’re wrong,” he told the councillors.

He said residents would already be working on a campaign to stop the new plan for the Maleny precinct from going ahead.