In June last year after almost eight years of extensive consultation with the local community, environmental groups and planning authorities, the golf club board’s October 2015 agreement with award-winning retirement living operator Mbark was finally going somewhere.
A month earlier, the ACT Government finally gave approval of the Territory Plan Variation to allow a sub-lease of part of the golf course’s land for the building of a 125-dwelling retirement village.
Public consultations were taking place with Federal Golf Club stating the agreement would bring in $18 million a year. In April this year, the first of three approvals needed for the retirement village to proceed was supported by the ACT Government.
The fate of the $103 million village by Mbark, founded by James Robinson, John Leo, and Adam Somerville, depends on the approval of a development application (DA) for the village itself and a DA for a lease variation to remove the concessional status from about 5.8ha of the club’s 85.9ha lease area where the village is to be sited, and subdivision.
However, a submission to the government from the former golf club president David Bain-Smith (pictured right), who resigned last month after the board’s decision to sign a new agreement with MBark, shows feelings are running high. 
David’s submission, one of about 400 representations, claimed the club, the community, and ACT Government will all be losers if the development goes ahead.
“The local community and/or the ACT Government will not receive a reasonable benefit from them [the DAs],” said David, Managing Director of recruitment firm Calleo.
“The development will also result in restricted access for the community and will not achieve financial viability or material improvement to the club’s financial position.”
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