The environmental watchdog has decided not to assess the $100 million Perth Surf Park project, which is proposed to be built on a 5.7-hectare lot in Jandakot.
The Environmental Protection Authority has decided not to assess the $100 million Perth Surf Park project, which is proposed to be built on a 5.7-hectare lot in Jandakot.
The parcel of land on the corner of Prinsep Road and Knock Way has been leased to US-based Aventuur to develop a recreational precinct including accommodation, restaurants, a health and wellness centre, leisure amenities and a surf park.
It is set to be the first surf park in Western Australia and the largest surf park in the Southern Hemisphere, if approved and constructed.
The EPA has found potential impact on flora and fauna from the proposed clearing of 5.26ha of native vegetation but ruled the likely environmental effects were not so significant to warrant formal assessment.
A decision by EPA chair Matthew Tonts published today said the vegetation had already been impacted by historical clearing and ongoing degrading process, leading to a large proportion of weeds and limited canopy connectivity.
A statement from proponent Aventuur said the surf park would still be subject to environmental assessment by other government authorities, including the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation.
"The WA EPA’s decision is consistent with the findings of the federal Department of Environment (Federal EPA), which in July 2022 found that the Perth Surf Park did not present a significant risk to the environment, including to black cockatoos," it said.
"We will purchase 18 hectares of Banksia Woodland in the Swan Coastal Plain, donating it to the state of WA as a nature reserve to offset the partial clearing (3.1 hectares) of the largely degraded remnant vegetation on our site.
"In addition to using only local native vegetation in our naturescaping, we will safely extract all of the existing Balga trees on site and preserve them during construction, and re-plant them onsite once the park is completed."
The proposal will be considered by a joint development assessment panel later this year.
In June, the state government announced it has reached an agreement with Aventuur to lease the Jandakot site.
A surf park project in Perth has been in talks for some time, with the original proposal to build the attraction in Tompkins Park in Alfred Cove.
URBNSURF, the proponent for the Tompkins Park Wave Park, had trouble with a portion of Crown land being part of the project site.
The company's founder and executive director Andrew Ross has since taken up a position with Aventuur, as its chairman and chief development officer.
