LandCorp helps thrash out issues

ISSUES affecting Australia’s land development agencies were the subject of a recent talkfest hosted by WA’s LandCorp.

The two day conference for senior officials of State agencies covered issues including community service obligations, heritage and environment management and marketing strategies.

LandCorp CEO Ross Holt said one topic generating keen interest among all agencies was paving the way for the private sector to make substantial investment by providing quality infrastructure.

This was a key factor in the success of major projects which depended on strong support from the private sector.

“In WA, we can hold up Joondalup as a classic example,” Mr Holt said.

“There was $100 million of government investment which generated in excess of $800 million in private sector investment,” Mr Holt said.

“On the industrial side, we can look at Jervoise Bay, where the provision of land by the government has acted as a catalyst to the development of Australia’s largest concentration of shipbuilding,” he said.

“Quality products, a substantial skilled workforce and export

revenues are just a few of the resulting benefits.

“The interstate agencies were particularly impressed with LandCorp’s very active role in developing quality industrial land and tackling the hard projects that had high up-front costs but substantial economic and community benefits,” Mr Holt said.