Published on Thursday, 20 May 2021 at 10:34:17 AM
A new stage in the development of the Ocean Beach area was reached on Tuesday when the Ocean to Channel Precinct concept plan was presented to Council for consideration.
The concept plan, which sought to cater for the various recreational and environmental interests at the site, was adopted by Council after detailed discussion and feedback from stakeholders and community members was worked into the development process.
The plan includes improved amenities and parking, improved accessibility, changes to Surf Club facilities and a safe space for threatened bird species, and is in-line with community sentiment as indicated by a community survey conducted last year to which more than 75 percent of respondents supported the changes.
Shire of Denmark Director of Assets and Sustainable Development David King said the community can be assured there are many more steps to be taken before a finalised design will be presented to Council for the official go-ahead, if funding is achieved for the project.
“The next step now is for us to wait to hear the outcome of our application to the Building Better Regions Fund,” Mr King said. “We hope our application will be successful, at which point detailed plans will be developed which will require additional community and stakeholder input.”
Mr King said he understood community members and stakeholders were concerned about the environmental and recreational impact of any potential development at the site but re-iterated that if the project goes ahead, close scrutiny would be applied to all aspects of the proposal.
“For example, the proposed road re-alignment will need parliamentary approval and any clearing would require thorough flora and fauna surveys,” he said.
“In anticipation, the Shire has already done some preliminary survey work to confirm the absence of threatened species such as the Main’s Assassin spider at the proposed site but we will complete all the necessary additional checks if the project progresses.”
“At the end of the day, it was important to us to be able to present a concept plan to Council which caters for the needs of the environment, locals, tourists and their pets who all have equal right to access the site.”
The popular multi-use recreation precinct, which includes Prawn Rock Channel, has faced growing service pressures as visitor numbers have increased.
While tourist visitation has been a factor in the design process thus far, Council this week committed to giving community members and stakeholder groups additional opportunities to consult on the next stages of the design process.
Amendments were made to the consultation plan to include additional stakeholder groups and to increase the wider community’s input. A Council resolution to adopt the final design will also be required.
Back to All News