Bunbury port study gets the go-ahead

State Cabinet this week committed $790,000 towards a full feasibility study and community consultation process regarding the redevelopment of Bunbury’s outer harbour  into a mixed-use facility.

A concept plan was also released to provide a basis for the community consultation process.

It is estimated the project will attract more than $140 million in private investment and have a total economic impact on Bunbury of $260 million, provide 1,400 construction jobs and 170 ongoing jobs in the process.

Bunbury Port Authority chairman Jim Brosnan said the project was great for Bunbury and the authority was very much in favour of it.

“It is a very exciting opportunity for what was a heavy industrial area a few years ago,” Mr Brosnan said.

“With the Marlston Hill project next door, it is the logical way to go.

“The outer harbour has always very much been at the heart of the community, for recreational activities like fishing and the beach, but that aspect had been harder to maintain with the requirements of port security.

“Now, the community can have access to those assets and we have the chance to consolidate our operations.”

Mr Brosnan said there were several tenants in the current outer port area who would need to agree to shift to the inner harbour area.

“There are three major tenants who would need to agree, but so far they have all been quite conducive to the idea,” he said.

“There is plenty of room for growth within the inner harbour.”

Planning and Infrastructure Minister Alannah MacTiernan said that, during a preliminary consultation, Bunbury’s business community had expressed strong support for plans to redevelop the city’s outer harbour as a world-class harbourside tourism and recreation destination.

“Redevelopment will generate a mix of tourism, residential, retail and commercial development opportunities and significantly increase public access and amenity to the outer harbour,” she said.

“This includes the return of five kilometres of primary waterfront land to public use.”

An information line was established in May, and Ms MacTiernan said that more than 100 calls had been received from business people interested in the potential to establish enterprises in the harbour.

“The next highest level of interest came from people interested in information on the likelihood of marina and boating facilities,” she said.

LandCorp will oversee the public consultation process and feasibility study, with the first stakeholder forum scheduled for next month.