Save James Price Point, Our Sense of Community and Place

Yesterday, Nik Wevers, concern Broome resident delivered a REQUEST FOR SPECIAL ELECTORS’ MEETING duly signed by 156 electors (to be validated) to the Acting Shire President to undertake community consultation on the Local Planning Strategy (LPS) prior to sending to the WAPC for certification.

Nik Wevers prepared and circulated a Petition that will be tabled at the Broome Council Meeting this Thursday, the 30th at 5pm, requesting that Council does not adopt the draft LPS given that there has been no direct community consultation by the Shire or Council to develop the Local Planning Strategy. Cr. Foy will table the petition.

Following are the stated objections and concerns in regard to the Broome Local Planning Strategy 2010

1. There has been no formal community consultation on this strategy.

2. The Strategy itself provides on page 12 a flowchart showing the process of preparing a local planning strategy – the first part ‘Data Collection’ including community consultation has not been done.

3. The WAPC requires in its planning guidelines to undertake consultation prior to drafting of an LPS.

4. The term “certification for consultation” as in the report recommendation is not terminology in either the Act or the regulations.

5. Once Council adopts the LPS and then it is certified by the WAPC, the Local Government is required to undertake advertising and call for public submissions which the Local Government must consider before returning the LPS to the WAPC for endorsement. Calling for public submissions is not community consultation. It should be imperative that Council takes the community with it in planning for the future of the community and the area. At the moment it does not look like you are doing this. The Broome North development by Landcorp was much more consultative than this has been.

6. The Agenda item report does not give any indication as to why there is such urgency to adopt the LPS in its current form.

7. The Dampier Land Use Plan has not been completed and we, the community have been given no idea as to when this will be done. It is just NOT GOOD ENOUGH to accept that the inclusion of the LNG processing precinct can merely be an amendment to the LPS/TPS5 as and when it happens. The Shire does not have a good record of advising the community in a meaningful way about Planning Scheme amendments and it would unfair to the community to approve the proposed precinct in this manner.

8. There are NO MAPS attached to this LPS, where are they? And why is this in the public domain without proper map documentation.

9. Which maps will be used? The community has seen various maps, from Department of State Development ( Master Plan, Social Impact Assessment) Woodside Precinct map and a Woodside map in a later agenda item re turkey nest dams and workers accommodation (just a circle on an area)’ Petroleum and Mines maps provided in Hansard and the maps associated with the Compulsory Acquisition of land. Which maps are correct and will the Shire develop its own so that the Broome and Dampier communities know exactly what areas the Shire is actually talking about? Further, it seems impossible to me that the Broome Shire Council would develop an LPS and then not include maps in the draft.

10. As set out in Town Planning Regulations Local Government is required in part to “set out the long term planning direction for the Local Government” the LPS before you does not do this for the whole Shire.

Shire Councilors have a responsibility to ensure that the community for whom they are planning is involved, engaged and encouraged to plan for its future. It’s the foundation stones to wise business, community and future investment in the area.
The Broome Community are asking the Broome Shire Councilors do not approve this LPS without consideration of the community and until the Council have arranged for the Special Elector’s Meeting with electors to discuss the issues, gain opinion and have their questions and concerns answered in regards to the LPS.

As Environskimberley (EK) have stated "This Strategy will set out the Shire’s broad framework to achieve identified objectives for future planning and development in the next 5-10 years". EK has serious concerns about some of the proposals in the Local Planning Strategy

• Residential development proposed for the Gantheaume Point area, and at Coconut Wells
• Industrial development in the Environment and Culture Corridor near the Port
• New rubbish dump on Crab Creek Road
• Industrial development on Broome Road, opposite Cape Leveque turn-off
• Massive potential irrigation area from just south of the Roebuck Roadhouse to Bidyadanga
• Heavy Industrial area for gas refinery at James Price Point

Draft strategy here http://www.broome.wa.gov.au/council/pdf/attach/2010/Sept/20100930_931.pdf

The maps at the end are useful and illustrate the proposed future land uses. Please note the pretty pink circle around James Price Point, what that!!!!!!