MINISTER FOR PLANNING AND INFRASTRUCTURE

25/01/07

Community forum backs contemporary look development for Victoria Quay.

A new option for a proposed commercial precinct on Victoria Quay gained strong support at a community forum.

Planning and Infrastructure Minister Alannah MacTiernan said 88 per cent of the 194 participants selected an option which had two buildings at six levels and improvements in view corridors, over another which proposed three buildings at five levels.

“Both options presented to the forum were reduced in height and scale, compared with previous proposals,” Ms MacTiernan said.

“This was achieved by cutting back the amount of commercial office space from 25,000m² to 15,000m².

“Forum participants preferred a contemporary design, rather than a more traditional port-style architecture for the development.

“All options for the proposed development include the restoration and re-use of historic C shed, the former immigration building and an adjacent amenities building.”

The Minister said consultation specialists from Murdoch University conducted the forum for Fremantle Ports and developer ING.

Participants were drawn from a random sample of people from Fremantle and surrounding areas, selected by the WA Electoral Commission.

Random telephone and face-to-face recruiting was also undertaken to boost participation from people in the younger age groups:

·        57 per cent were from the Fremantle municipal area and 43 per cent from surrounding suburbs;

·        63 per cent of the participants were aged 50 years or more and seven per cent were in the 18-to-29 age group;

·        preference for the selected option was highest in the younger age groups (93 per cent for the 18-to-29 age group) and lowest in the 65 plus age group (58 per cent);

·        76 per cent of participants felt their preferred option would be positive for them and 81 per cent said it would be positive for Fremantle; and

·        most participants indicated they felt the forum had been a well-balanced and fair process.

Representatives from the City of Fremantle, Fremantle Ports, ING, Fremantle Chamber of Commerce, the Fremantle Inner City Residents’ Association and the Fremantle Ports Inner Harbour Community Liaison Group oversaw the consultation process and assisted in developing the forum questionnaire.

Representatives from most of these organisations, as well as the Fremantle Society and the Heritage Council of WA, also made presentations at the forum.

Ms MacTiernan said that Fremantle Ports and ING would now prepare a development application, planning to submit this to the Fremantle City Council and the approving body, the WA Planning Commission, in the first quarter of 2007.

“The proponents will continue to provide the public with information and there will be additional opportunities to provide input as part of the development application process,” she said.

The forum outcomes and other information are available on the Fremantle Ports website: http://www.fremantleports.com.au/

Media contact: Steve Keogh 9213 6400 0409 592 138

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