The State Government plans to turn Bentley's Technology Park into a specialist information and communications technology hub, as part of a wider development of the area, Industry and Enterprise Minister Francis Logan has announced.
The State Government plans to turn Bentley's Technology Park into a specialist information and communications technology hub, as part of a wider development of the area, Industry and Enterprise Minister Francis Logan has announced.
Mr Logan said the Park would expand from 42 hectares to 314 ha, taking Government land currently operated by the Department of Agriculture.
The park plans to boost its percentage of tenants with a strong ICT focus from the current 60 per cent, a spokesman for the minister said.
The proposed changes will not impact on existing tenants, the spokesman said.
The $8.5 million already allocated to the Technology Park redevelopment plans have funded the construction of a second entrance, as well as roadworks, buildings and telecommunications facilities.
The minister will seek community input on the project plans through a website entitled "Community of Minds", which he launched today.
The full text of an announcement is pasted below
Community consultation has begun on a master plan to turn the Bentley Technology Park into Australia's premier hub for information and communications technology.
Industry and Enterprise Minister Francis Logan has announced an $8.5 million transformation of the park to create an ICT cluster in Western Australia.
"Bentley Technology Park is one of Australia's economic success stories," Mr Logan said.
"The State Government wants to build on this success and is planning to expand the park from 42 hectares to an area of 314 hectares, an eight-fold increase.
"An appointed taskforce is working on the master plan that will turn the park into a technology precinct, to draw diverse but complementary technology organisations together in one central location.
"Community consultation is vital to ensure this vision is realised. We are trying to create a community of minds, an area that is not determined by geographic boundaries."
Initial consultation with stakeholders has already begun, but will now be expanded to embrace the surrounding community and will continue until May 2008.
"A two-way consultation process, the first of its kind in Australia, will allow the community to have a voice, an open forum to express their opinions and ideas on the future direction of the precinct," he said.
"To ensure this is achieved, an interactive blog has been established and I encourage all community members to go online and have their say.
"The first in a series of dialogue cafes took place earlier this month and the next one is scheduled for October.
"It is vital that we get this right, otherwise we are just property developers and that's not what we want our role to be. We want to create a precinct that will benefit the State's economy and make it a world leading research and development hub."
Currently home to more than 100 companies and employing more than 2,700 people, Bentley Technology Park produces a combined turnover of $500 million each year.
The Minister said the Bentley Technology Precinct master plan would incorporate the State Government's vision of creating an exciting technology-driven destination that co-located WA's diverse and experienced ICT industry.
"Already, more than half of the companies at the park are involved in ICT and my vision is to foster and increase its share within the wider precinct," Mr Logan said.
"The master plan will link technology based industry, academia, research organisations, government and the community, to generate synergies, build on social capital and establish strategic linkages to create innovative technologies."
Stage One of the master plan includes the provision of strategic infrastructure incorporating roadworks, buildings and telecommunications designed to assist existing stakeholders to integrate with other infrastructure and new technology developments.
Mr Logan said expressions of interest were currently being sought to upgrade the telecommunications infrastructure at the park and submissions would close on August 31, with tenders to be called shortly after.
