A consortium comprising Satterley Property, Leighton Contractors and Ngarda Civil and Mining has been announced as the preferred proponent to further investigate development of a 120 hectare parcel of land in Port Hedland.
The opportunity was advertised through an expression of interest process this year and drew proposals from a number of developers based in Western Australia.
The land, bordered by Cooke Point Drive, Styles Road and Wilson Street, east of Port Hedland town centre, is currently zoned rural and development presents environmental, heritage and engineering challenges.
Lands Minister Brendon Grylls said the challenges involved in developing enough land in the area were significant requiring investigation of areas of land not previously considered.
"This is just the first step in the process, we're looking at a five to 10 year timeframe for development, so this is very much about preparing for the future to make sure there's adequate land to cope with ongoing demand," he said.
Submissions for the development were assessed on the concept plan put forward by the individual proponents, previous experience, and urban design and sustainability criteria.
The preferred proponent will now work with LandCorp to obtain the rezoning, planning and environmental approvals necessary to enable development to progress.
The development is likely to be based on a series of neighbourhoods and include a variety of lot sizes for residential development, as well as provision for affordable housing, local commercial centres and mixed use accommodation.
A structure plan for the land will be progressed through statutory approvals and will take into account the results of environmental, heritage and engineering investigations.Public comment on the plan will be sought as part of this process.
