A contentious large-scale residential development site at Moore River has come to market, with the 2,099-hectare parcel expected to draw significant international interest.
The Plunkett family’s Moore River Company has appointed commercial agency JLL to sell the land, which has an approved development plan covering 452ha that allows for nearly 2,000 lots, as well as tourism and town centre opportunities.
Key elements of the approved plan, as well as the residential lots, include two resorts, a caravan park and a new primary school.
JLL director of sales and investments WA, Sean Flynn, said the parcel was one of the largest englobo coastal development sites offered in the state for some years.
“This land is just north of the existing metropolitan area boundary and is about one hour’s drive from Perth’s CBD,” Mr Flynn told Business News.
“This unique position delivers the site a breathtaking 5.7km ocean frontage and picturesque 1.9km Moore River frontage, and the current planning framework incorporating substantial public open space and foreshore reserves take full advantage of these outstanding features.
“This is a generational development opportunity the likes of which are rarely seen in Australia, let alone Western Australia.
“Consequently, we anticipate a strong response from both local and international developers and investors.”
Moore River Company has owned the land for 54 years, however locals in the tiny town of Guilderton have not always been supportive of its plans to develop.
Lobby group Friends of the Moore River Estuary have been petitioning Moore River Company for more than 20 years to shelve the development, saying more than 5,000 new residents that would come with the project would have serious environmental impacts on the pristine estuary.
The group claims the proposal does not have sufficient links to benefit Guilderton and has described the plans as impractical and unworkable.
The state government approved the development of up to 2,000 dwellings at Moore River in 2009, however that was a scaled back proposal from the original development plans, which flagged a population increase of 15,000.
An international expression of interest campaign for the land closes on October 2.
