HCMC PROPOSES 36-HOLE GOLF COURSE IN CAN GIO

[01-12-2016] The government of HCMC has asked the Ministry of Planning and Investment to seek Prime Minister’s approval for a 36-hole golf course covering over 135 hectares in the city’s outlying coastal district of Can Gio. In a written petition sent to the ministry, the city proposed adding the golf course project in Long Hoa Commune and Can Thanh Town to the country’s golf course development plan until 2020.

According to the proposal, Can Gio Tourism Urban Area Joint Stock Company (CTC), a unit of Vietnamese real estate giant Vingroup, would develop the project at a total cost of around VND900 billion (US$39.7 million), excluding site clearance cost and loan interest.

The site where the golf course would go up would be reclaimed land in Long Hoa Commune, so the project would not encroach on agricultural land, protected forests and areas planned for industrial park development and special use, according to the city.

The municipal government is pinning high hopes that the project would give an impetus to the development of the poor district of Can Gio.

The golf course is expected to help fuel the city’s gross domestic product (GDP) growth, restructure the local economy, and create 300-400 jobs for locals. It would become a destination for domestic and international tourists.

CTC has pledged to comply with the current regulations in the process of implementing the project, and employ local residents, especially those affected by the project.

In addition, they would use advanced technical solutions to treat wastewater and take care of grass in a way that protects the environment.

The company would complete work on the project in two years after it receives land from the city.

The city came up with a major plan to develop a new urban area on reclaimed land around 15 years ago but the plan faced long delays. In mid-2015, the city took on Vingroup as a strategic partner and then permitted CTC to do a scale-1/200 zoning plan for the new urban area which would cover 1,080 hectares, up from the original 600 hectares.

The additional space would house a golf course, a movie production studio and a helipad.

Can Gio has over 70,000 hectares of mangrove forest, water coconut trees and canals. It is regarded as the green lung of HCMC, with half of its area recognized in 2000 by UNESCO as a biosphere reserve.

Source: The Saigon Times