THE much-debated future of the Arden Street parkland in East Perth is set to be decided once and for all by Planning Minister Alannah McTiernan.
THE much-debated future of the Arden Street parkland in East Perth is set to be decided once and for all by Planning Minister Alannah McTiernan.
The review comes following promises by Premier Geoff Gallop and Perth MLA John Hyde during the election campaign that the parkland would be retained.
The resumption order signed by former Planning Minister Doug Shave, which handed control of the parkland to EPRA, is now under review, and the authority has put its plans to turn the 13,000sqm park into an upmarket residential development on hold.
EPRA’s plans to subdivide the land into 23 sites attracted harsh criticism from the Perth City Council and nearby residents, who said there already was a lack of public space in the area.
Mr Hyde said the area was being used regularly as parkland and was one of the last pockets of land in East Perth with access to the river.
He said that, provided the EPRA had not entered into any binding agreements with developers, the land would remain as parkland for the public to enjoy.
“There have been some developers who have intimated they have a contract or are about to be given a contract with EPRA and the minister is now investigating those claims,” Mr Hyde said.
Ms MacTiernan said the Govern-ment was in the midst of a consultation process and expected to announce a final decision in the near future.
Arden Street residents do not believe a binding agreement should be used as an excuse to let the development proceed.
“If there is a contract then the Government should just pay it out,” Arden Street resident Laurance Goodman said.
“It is not a huge development, only 23 homes, so how much would the government have to spend? One or two million?
“The fact there could be a contract changes nothing.”
Mr Goodman said eliminating the parkland would put more pressure on the already overused public space in East Perth.
“And the population of the area is nowhere near the anticipated level,” Mr Goodman said.
“People will soon be competing for open space and that will simply result in more wear and tear on those spaces which are left, and they don’t have the capacity to handle all of it.”
The City of Perth also supported residents’ views and had set aside $120,000 in the 2000-2001 budget to clean up and beautify the parkland.
The land is in need of major rehabilitation works as it was once used a rubbish dump and its slope means retaining works are needed.
East Perth Redevelopment Authority chief executive officer Tony Morgan confirmed the authority’s plans for Arden Street had been stopped for now but declined to comment on what profit or loss EPRA could take from the venture.
