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Minister for Planning; Culture & thGovernment of Western Australia

Our ref: 33-01968

Hon S Mills MLCChairStanding Committee onParliament HousePERTH WA 6000

Environment and Public Affairs

Dear Ms Mills

PETITION NUMBER 14— YALGORUP NATIONAL PARK

Thank you for your letter of 16 February 2009 seeking comment on the above-mentioned petition.

I provide the following comments on the subject matter of the petition that wassubmitted by the Chair of the Friends of Ramsar Action Group for the Yalgorup LakesEnvironment Incorporated (FRAGYLE), and provide background information onrelevant planning projects and development proposals.

FRAGYLE was formed due to concerns that possible future development in the coastalareas of Clifton Beach and Preston Beach could have unacceptable environmentalimpacts. The petition seeks support for the inclusion of existing rural holdings betweenthe coastline and the Yalgorup Lakes within the Yalgorup National Park. However, thiswould require the acquisition of more than 4,000ha of private land, which would be costprohibitive. Furthermore, a substantial portion of these rural holdings have alreadybeen modified to some degree, so there may be no significant benefit from anecological view point to purchase such large areas of rural land. (The Greater Bunburyand Peel Region Schemes' zoning and reservations for the area are presented asAttachment 1).

The Coastal and Lakelands Planning Strategy (Western Australian PlanningCommission (WAPC, 1999)) is the current endorsed strategic planning document forthe section of coastline between the Dawesville Channel and Binningup. (The structureplan contained in the Coastal and Lakelands Planning Strategy is presented asAttachment 2.) This Strategy recommended a future urban expansion to the south ofthe existing Preston Beach townsite to accommodate 800 dwellings and a total of 1,600dwellings for the townsite.

13th Floor, 2 Havelock Street, West Perth, Western Australia 6005Telephone: +61 8 9213 6600 Facsimile: +61 8 9213 6601 Email: Minister.Day©dpc.wa.gov.au

During the past few years some development concepts have been put forward for ruralland holdings between the coastline and the Yalgorup Lake system. Backgroundinformation on the Preston Beach Townsite Strategy and the Cape BouvardInvestments (CBI) development proposals is provided below.

Cape Bouvard Investments Development Proposals

The location of Cape Bouvard Investments (CBI) rural land holdings at Clifton Beach isshown on Attachment 2. The subject landholdings have a total area of approximately1,000ha. CBI has previously put forward some development concepts for its rurallandholdings at Clifton Beach. In 2007, CBI put a development concept for a newcoastal settlement of 3,000 dwellings and an ocean marina. However, CBI did notproceed with this proposal following advice from the WAPC Chair, Department forPlanning and Infrastructure (DPI) and the City of Mandurah.

CBI is now pursuing a proposal to subdivide their landholdings into 24 rural properties,(ranging in size from 20ha to 80ha. The EPA has set the level of assessment for this

rural subdivision proposal at a Public Environmental Review (PER) level. Theproponents are now preparing their PER document.

Preston Beach Townsite Strategy

In 2006 the Shire of Waroona commenced a project to prepare a Preston BeachTownsite Strategy. The project study area for the Townsite Strategy is indicated onAttachment 2. One of the proposed outcomes of the project is to make arecommendation to Council and the Western Australian Planning Commission (WAPC)on what should be the maximum number of dwelling units for Preston Beach. InNovember 2008 the WAPC advised the Shire of Waroona and other stakeholders,including FRAGYLE, of the specific regional planning matters and requirements thatneed to be addressed for any proposal to expand the existing Preston Beach townsite(A copy of the letter to the Shire of Waroona is presented as Attachment 3).

The Shire of Waroona, in conjunction with the Satterley Property Group and Mirvac (theCproponents of urban development at Preston Beach), has commenced work on

addressing the matters specified by the WAPC. Further planning and environmentalinvestigations are to be undertaken for the Preston Beach Townsite Strategy. Subjectto Council and WAPC approval, a draft Strategy should be released for public commenteither at the end of this year or early next year.

Investigations for determining which environmentally significant areas at Preston Beachshould be protected and examination of the most appropriate mechanisms to protectsuch areas, will be undertaken as part of the Preston Beach Townsite Strategy.Through the consultation processes for the Preston Beach Townsite Strategy, thecommunity, Waroona Shire Council and the Environmental Protection Authority will allhave an input on which areas they consider should be protected and how such areasshould be managed.

2

Shire of Waroona Local Planning Strategy

While the strategic planning for Preston Beach proceeds, the Shire of Waroona's LocalPlanning Strategy (LPS) will be completed. The LPS is a strategic planning documentthat sets out the long-term planning directions for the Shire of Waroona. The LPS hasbeen advertised for public comment and adopted by Council. It is expected that theWAPC will adopt the LPS in March 2009.

The LPS shows the rural holdings north and south of the Preston Beach townsite as an'area subject to Preston Beach Townsite Strategy'.

Environmental Protection Authority Policy Advice

On a broader strategic policy level, later this year the Environmental ProtectionAuthority expects to release some policy advice relating to the coastal strip fromBinningup to the Dawesville Channel. The Department of Environment andConservation officers, who are working on this EPA policy project, are consulting withDPI and relevant local governments in the preparation of such EPA policy advice.

To conclude, FRAGYLE's proposition that all of the rural land holdings between thecoast and the Yalgorup Lake system should be acquired for inclusion within theYalgorup National Park is not supported as:

• it would be cost prohibitive;• significant portions of the rural holdings have been cleared and would most likely

have no significant ecological value;• there would be substantial cost in rehabilitating any modified rural land and

implementation of any required park management plans required for theinclusion of substantial areas of rural land within the existing Yalgorup NationalPark; and

• the owners of the rural land would most likely oppose the acquisition of their landby the Government.

I hope this helps to clarify the situation and appreciate you taking the time to inform meof your views.

Yours sincerely

4 7JOHN DAYMINISTER FOR PLANNING;CULTURE AND THE ARTS

10 MAR 20C9

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ATTACHMENT 3

Enquiries: Mr C BulstrodeOur Ref: 801-6-10-2 Vol 5

Mr Ian CurleyChief Executive OfficerShire of WaroonaPO Box 20WAROONA WA 6215

Dear Mr Curley

PRESTON BEACH TOWNSITE STRATEGY

I refer to my previous letter of 2 September 2008 advising that the WesternAustralian Planning Commission (WAPC) will provide more specific advice on thestrategic regional planning considerations and requirements for any proposals toexpand the Preston Beach settlement.

On 17 October 2008 the Peel Regan Planning Committee of the WAPCconsidered the regional planning and environmental considerations that would beassociated with any proposal to expand the existing Preston Beach settlement.The committee also received presentations from the Satterley Property Group,Mirvac and FRAGYLE (Friends of Ramsar Action Group for the Yalgorup LakesEnvironment Inc).

The committee came to a position in respect to Preston Beach, as expressed inthe draft minutes below. I expect the draft minutes will be confirmed at the nextcommittee meeting on 12 December 2008.

The Western Australian Planning Commission resolved:

1. Following consideration of the regional environmental, sustainability andplanning issues relating to the expansion of the existing Preston Beachsettlement, to adopt the following policy position concerning further urbandevelopment at Preston Beach.

a The future population of Preston Beach will be limited, for the longterm, by the constraints and assumptions in the Coastal andLakelands Planning Strategy (WAPC, 1999) and the opportunitiesand constraints listed below, with the actual planned size of thesettlement being determined through a strategic planning processwhich seeks the optimal outcome based on regional priorities.

Albert Facey House, 469 Wellington Street (cnr Forrest Place), Perth, Western Australia 6090slot Tel: (08) 9264 7777; Fax: (08) 9264 7566; ITV: (08) 9264 7535; infoline: 1800 626 477

corporate@wapc.wa,gov.au; web address: tittp://www.wapc.wa.gov.au1

18r MN 35 482 341 493

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Under the Coastal and Lakelands Planning Strategy (WAPC, 1999)urban development at Preston Beach, in the long term, is limited to atotal number of dwellings, including existing dwellings, of 1600dwellings. The effect of the opportunities and constraints listedbelow will determine whether this total size is increased or reduced.

The maximum size of the settlement will be that which achievesmaterial improvements in the quality of surface and groundwaterflows into Lake Preston, for instance through improvements to theexisting stormwater drainage system and the tertiary treatment of allsewage from existing and new dwellings which impact on the lake.

The maximum size of the settlement will be that which avoids anyfurther detrimental impacts on any of the lakes dr wetlands andYalgorup National Park, and which, through additionslo the park andcomprehensive management measures (such as control of feralanimals and pets) improves the long term biodiversity status of thepark.

The maximum size of the settlement will be such as to attract aspecific demographic which maintains an economic base for thesettlement while minimising the proportion of the populationdependent on jobs in the district or further afield and thus minimisinglong distance commuting.

The maximum size of the settlement will be that which can besatisfactorily served by the existing Preston Beach Road as a two-lane, single-carriageway road, and does not, now or In the future,generate a need for either a second coastal route, or an expansionof the capacity of Preston Beach Road or of its intersection with thePerth Bunbury Highway.

The maximum size of the settlement will be that which can be servedby a single neighbourhood or local centre with a maximum netlettable area of 4 500 m2.

The maximum size of the settlement will be sufficient to support asingle primary school without generating the need for additionaleducational resources or an overflow to another primary school inthe district.

The maximum size of the settlement will be defined by a permanentboundary between urban land and land which is included in, oradded to, the regional open space reservation, or which is otherwisecommitted to, and managed for, long term biodiversity conservationpurposes.

2. To support the Preston Beach townsite strategy process, whilstacknowledging that any proposals for the expansion of the Preston Beachsettlement need to adequately address and respond to a range of regionaland local planning and environmental constraints and requirements.

3. To reaffirm its support for the study area of the Preston Beach townsitestrategy to be shown in the Shire of Waroona's local planning strategy as anArea subject to Preston Beach townsite strategy'. This enables the Shire'slocal planning strategy to be finalised, as opposed to awaiting the finaloutcome of the Preston Beach townsite strategy project, which may takesome time to complete.

4. To agree that a draft environmental policy statement for the coastal areasbetween Dawesviile and Binningup will be prepared in parallel with the draftPreston Beach townsite strategy, principally by the EPA $ervice Unit inconjunction with officers from the Department for Planning andInfrastructure, Department of Water and relevant local governments.

If you have any further enquires regarding the above please contact Mr CameronBuistrode at the Peel Region Planning Office on (08) 9586 4606.

Yours sincerely

voSJeremy DawkinsChairmanWestern Australian Planning Commission

't November 2008