A revised development of Port Kennedy has received Planning and Infrastructure Minister Alannah MacTiernan’s approval, 15 years after the plans were first released.
A revised development of Port Kennedy has received Planning and Infrastructure Minister Alannah MacTiernan’s approval, 15 years after the plans were first released.
The original Port Kennedy Development plans were based on an outdated 1980s model of coastal development and soon after work started the developer went into receivership.
Ms MacTiernan said it was highly questionable whether such a model would meet today’s community and market expectations for development on Perth’s metropolitan coastline.
The vision for the development, according to the new plan, is to “create a community-based, integrated residential and tourism development and recreational destination of unsurpassed quality, which will be accessible to the community at a regional and local level,” she said.
Changes from the old plan include the deletion of a marina and introduction of a boat ramp and public jetty; deletion of a five-star beachside hotel and introduction of a golf course based hotel and villas; deletion of a proposed harbour and introduction of an eco-tourism facility; the protection of significant wetlands and flora; and the relocation and configuration of the town centre.
“Mirvac Fini now has a great opportunity to finally deliver an environmentally sound, high quality tourism, residential and recreational development for the Port Kennedy area,” Ms MacTiernan said.
Mirvac Fini development director Darren Cooper said the project was entirely on Crown land valued at $26 million and would be proceeded on a dollar for dollar exchange for the land, with Mirvac Fini putting in $26 million worth of infrastructure.
“This project will create 1,360 new tourist beds across a range of facilities, 400 new houses and a beachfront town centre,” Mr Cooper said.
With coastal development in Western Australia often high profile and contentious, Mr Cooper said developers engaging with the community was paramount to the success of a project.
“The reason the Port Kennedy plan is successful is that it is a collaboration between the developer and the community,” he said.
“It is not the develop and defend model, which developers just can’t do any more.” Kennedy Bay is located in the City of Rockingham, about 50 kilometres south of the Perth CBD.