The WA government has approved a new scheme for Mandogalup in hopes to solve uncertainties over the controversial area developers have eyed for housing for more than a decade.
The state government has approved a new scheme for Mandogalup in hopes to solve uncertainties over the controversial area developers have eyed for housing for more than a decade.
Improvement Scheme No.1, which covers 330 hectares of land in Mandogalup, was gazetted today.
The scheme area is bound by Kwinana Freeway on the east, Rowley Road, the Anketell and The Spectacles wetlands, and the Kwinana Industrial area.
Under the scheme, the Mandogalup area has been divided into zones and precincts for specific land uses including residential, service commercial, light industry and general industry.
Previous local and metropolitan planning documents zoned portions of the land as "urban deferred" or "rural", creating ambiguity in the interpretation of the category use.
The area has been subject to several project proposals, but developers faced challenges dealing with the ambiguity of the categories in the previous planning schemes.
Western Australian Planning Commission also established a buffer zone to maintain the air quality in Kwinana because of the nearby Alcoa residue disposal site and the industrial precinct to the west.
Property developers Satterley Property Group and Qube have proposed to build more housing in the area, campaigning to open up the buffer zone for residential use.
While two lots of the Mandogalup area are zoned residential, majority of the site has been designated for industrial use under the newly gazetted scheme.
There will be also be a 50-metre buffer around the wetland, among other buffers in place.
Kwinana Industries Council chief executive David Harrison welcomed the retained buffer zone and clarification on zones, which he said created certainty over land within the area.
“Protection of the industrial buffer zone has been one of the most significant advocacy battles waged by local industry,” he said.
“While this is a significant development, there is more work to be done to fully protect the buffer zone.
“KIC will continue to advocate for further amendments to the Metropolitan Planning Scheme to create a Special Control Area for the Western Trade Coast.
“By doing so, the issue will be settled once and for all.”
Planning Minister John Carey said the scheme was the product of more than five years of consultation with stakeholders, including the City of Kwinana, Alcoa, Westport, and the KIC.
"Through the Improvement Scheme, we have balanced the complex constraints of the land to achieve a positive outcome for landowners, who have been asking for land use surety for some time,” he said.
"It will provide that much-needed certainty for both landowners and industry through a balanced, sensible and workable land use response, particularly on issues including zoning and permitted land uses."
Premier and Kwinana MLA Roger Cook said Mandogalup has a blend of rural, urban and industrial land.
"Importantly, it supports major initiatives including Westport and the Global Advanced Industries Hub that are crucial for the future economic wellbeing of our state,” he said.
