The future of Sydney’s Moore Park Golf Course has ignited renewed scrutiny after internal government documents, cited by The Daily Telegraph, revealed the NSW Government announced plans to halve the layout before key financial impacts were finalised.
NSW Premier Chris Minns announced last year that half of the 45-hectare course would be converted into a 20-hectare park, citing the urgent need for green space in high-density suburbs such as Green Square, Zetland and Waterloo. The plan, slated to be rolled out from mid-2026, faced backlash from local politicians, Golf Australia, Sydney golfers and even Hollywood actor Mark Wahlberg.
According to The Daily Telegraph, when Minns outlined his intention in 2023 to transform nine holes of 18-hole Moore Park Golf Course into public parkland, internal briefings confirmed the financial implications were “still to be worked through.”
In an all-staff memo reviewed by the newspaper, Greater Sydney Parklands CEO Joshua French wrote that the proposal was “likely” to lead to a “reduction to revenues to GSP.” Moore Park Golf currently generates roughly $7 million in annual income for GSP—money that funds the broader Centennial Parklands precinct. That contribution represents around 68 percent of the trust’s net income.
Documents obtained by the newspaper through parliamentary order show that officials within GSP cautioned that significant revenue loss from cutting into the layout would affect maintenance and operations across surrounding parklands. To date, the Minns government has committed just $2.6 million for planning the parkland conversion.
More concern emerged when The Daily Telegraph reported that a senior bureaucrat warned sports groups not to be misled by the government’s promise of new facilities. As quoted, “There is nothing in this for community sport, as the community are not going to cop mass tree clearing.” The email from GSP sport and recreation manager Jarrod Bean added: “It flies completely in the face of government’s argument for quality green space. All sports codes need to know there is nothing in this for them and not to be fooled.”
Premier Minns addressed the issue, stating: “People shouldn’t be fooled by this: it’s not a forest at the moment, it’s a golf course.” He added, “My view is we can have what we need on the site, which is open space, tree canopies, as well as organised sport. We’re hopeful of having the land at some point in 2026 and it’ll be a brand new, open place for Sydney to play in the not too distant future.”
Supporters of the plan include City of Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore, who, in her most recent community newsletter, said the proposal had faced a “coordinated campaign” of opposition. She wrote that local residents “have shouldered the brunt of increased density” and “desperately need walking access to open parkland.”
Moore lives nearby in Redfern, directly opposite Moore Park. Her office told The Daily Telegraph she “did not make a formal (conflict of interest) disclosure” regarding the plan because “it was not required by the City of Sydney’s Code of Conduct.” The spokesman added: “While a formal declaration was not required, it is no secret the Lord Mayor is a proud Redfern resident. The Lord Mayor has consistently advocated for and delivered additional parkland across the entirety of the LGA.”
Still, the proposal has drawn criticism from within state parliament. Opposition planning spokesman Scott Farlow told The Daily Telegraph the new documents “show that the captain’s call of the premier to transform Moore Park Golf Course into football fields is a complete con.”
“If golf is removed from Moore Park South the reality is that the site will just be a few picnic tables, walking tracks and maybe a set of swings and a slippery dip,” Farlow said. He urged the government to consider an alternative supported by golf advocates that would preserve the full 18-hole configuration while freeing up 15 hectares for shared use.
A Minns government spokeswoman did not confirm whether the conversion would require “mass tree clearing,” but said: “Moore Park South will be transformed by a new 20-hectare public park that will respond to the community’s future recreational needs in one of the densest residential areas in Australia.”
She added, “The Minns Government recognises that with an increasing population there is a need for more open recreational space, so that’s exactly what we plan to deliver.”
As the debate continues, Moore Park Golf remains a central point of contention between urban development and recreational heritage. With its future still uncertain, the iconic public course sits at the heart of a city-wide argument over green space, sport, and identity.
The NSW Government maintains that the scrapping of nine holes strikes a balance between recreation and urban growth.
“We make no apologies for opening up this publicly owned land to the public, delivering a brand-new park for Sydney,” Minns said. “Our plan retains 90 golf courses across Sydney including a course at Moore Park while creating a new park for this growing community.”
In response, a coalition of golf organisations – Moore Park Golf Club, Golf NSW, Golf Australia and the PGA of Australia – formed the Moore Park Golf Collective. Their counterproposal, backed by Wentworth Liberal candidate Ro Knox and Senator Anne Ruston, includes a redesigned 18-hole course, a youth recreation zone, and new amenities such as a BMX track, athletics hub and 500-space carpark.
“This is a creative and visionary plan that addresses the problems in the broader precinct,” said Moore Park Golf Collective spokesman Jared Kendler. “It should focus on how do we get the best recreational facilities for a growing Sydney, while also maintaining the best facilities for golf, which is absolutely booming right now.”
City of Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore has been a vocal supporter of the state’s plan to halve the golf course.
“The conversion will achieve the highest and best use of this public land, which now neighbours Green Square, one of the most densely populated residential communities in Australia,” Cr Moore said.
However, the proposal has drawn criticism from neighbouring councils and federal Labor MP Matt Thistlethwaite, who have called for the full course to remain. NSW Opposition planning spokesman Scott Farlow added, “It’s already one of the most highly used public golf courses in Australia… I can’t see anything else utilising that space that much.”
With planning funds already allocated and consultation ongoing, the fate of Moore Park Golf Course remains firmly in play – both on the political and public stage.
