Meeting with Landcorp's Gracetown Development Team

REPORT: MEETING WITH LANDCORP’S GRACETOWN DEVELOPMENT TEAM ON 24-2-09.
An informal two hour meeting of LandCorp’s Jill Gaynor and Catherine Bentley and Adam Parker of Benchmark Projects with Bruce Macaulay, Wayne Baddock and John James took place in Gracetown on Tuesday the 24th February. The opportunity to meet arose through the LandCorp team being in the area following an earlier meeting with the A-MR Shire planning staff, to discuss the future progress of the Gracetown residential development following their withdrawal of the rezoning application TPS No.11 District Scheme Amendment No.198, which related to the tourism facility.
The offer to meet was taken up by the GPA members since it provided an opportunity for a frank discussion of the following matters:
1. The breakdown in trust between the Community and the previous Government and LandCorp with respect to the advancement of the tourism facility.
2. The way forward from here in respect to the LandCorp/Community relationship, including the role of the Gracetown Development Investigation Reference Group [GDIRG].
3. Whether the tourism accommodation facility is still an item on LandCorp’s development agenda.
4. What the development timetable is today, given the economic downturn and the change of government.
In respect to the breakdown of trust, it was pointed out that there had been no community consultation of the proposal LandCorp presented to the A-MR Shire in October last. This was not disputed by the LandCorp team. In light of LandCorp’s recent withdrawal of the proposal, the GPA group did not pursue the point, except to say that such actions should not be repeated in the future if the trust and cooperation of the community was to be maintained.
It was at this point of the discussion that the question of the future intentions of LandCorp regarding the tourism facility was raised, for it is felt that recent comments made by its senior management, namely Mr Ross Holt and Ms Dale Page, are ambiguous as to whether or not this aspect of the development is still on its books. This uncertainty does not augur well for building community trust and cooperation in the future, since it looms as a black cloud which renders any wholehearted community involvement impossible. In fact, this is perhaps the cause of what some see as a significant lack of community engagement with the development and consequent ignorance of what it actually entails. Thus the benefits to be delivered by the development, such as: groundwater pollution abatement, third pipe water supply, enhanced fire protection measures and the ceding of the remaining gazette townsite to National Park are lost in the fog of fear of overcrowding, burgeoning traffic and ambience change.
The LandCorp representatives confirmed that the development of a tourist accommodation facility is no longer on the LandCorp agenda. Of course, this does not preclude it being raised in the future by any government. From a GPA perspective this emphasises the importance of ensuring that the Shire Council removes the proposal in the recently advertised Town Planning Scheme, TPS.1, to rezone some 8 ha west of Salter Street from Parks and Recreation to a Development Investigation Area, DIA G1.
The discussion then moved to the role of the GDIRG in the continuing development process, the need to continue with community workshops and a continued dialogue between LandCorp and the GPA. It was pointed out that the reference group had been a successful medium by which the Government, LandCorp, various Government Departments, the Shire and the GPA had kept in touch and abreast of the development. It was also noted that the Hon Barry House has indicated his willingness to chair such a body if reconvened. The need to workshop at community/stakeholder level such matters as a holistic concept plan for the expanded town was discussed. It was agreed that there would be future opportunities for community input on matters where alternative courses of action were possible. In respect to LandCorp’s and the GPA’s communications, it was resolved that informal meetings such as that in progress be continued when the opportunity arises or as needs be. The continuation of alternating committee meetings in Perth and Gracetown also provided meeting opportunities.
The subject of communication with the community was discussed since this was seen to be crucial to keeping people engaged and informed. The need to have email contact was emphasised as was that of keeping information accessible yet concise. Further, when more is known about the planned gravity sewerage system and third pipe water supply, that an information booklet is prepared in which connection methods for different housing types and their estimated costs can be outlined.
Finally, the new time lines for the development were discussed. What with the continued time slippage that has been part of this development since day one and the uncertainty of the economic future, land sales are now scheduled for early 2012 with the beginning of any major earthworks being late 2011. These projections will provide the time for thoughtful planning, genuine community input and perhaps full Shire engagement with the development; all of which will be of benefit to the town’s future ambience and the community’s state of mind.
John James
25-2-2009