A $500 million, 1,300-room accommodation project in South Hedland has been given the green light by the regional Development Assessment Panel (DAP), which had rejected the first application nearly a year ago.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Parola Court development in WA’s Pilbara region, which originally proposed workforce accommodation with 1,653 rooms in November last year, has since been amended significantly by the applicant, Pacific Partnerships.<\/p>\n
Amid housing and short-term accommodation shortages, the new plan flagged 24 of the 1,311 rooms for tourism accommodation.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Development ‘could have negative impacts’<\/p>\n
Managing director at consultancy RFF Owen Hightower said the proposed development did not align with the town’s planning principles.<\/p>\n
“The town’s planning framework and rules were designed to encourage these developments to happen within the planned town centre \u2026 to ensure the facility maximised external engagement with the community,” Mr Hightower said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The proposed development is 2.3 kilometres away from the town centre.\u00a0<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Pacific Partnerships says the development will support the growth of mining and energy industries in the area. (ABC News: Kimberley Putland)<\/p>\n
Mr Hightower said shifting the project closer to the centre would “deliver all the aspirations of the community” in activating the town centre.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“Where it’s ended up and been approved really limits the ability for that to occur at all,” he said.<\/p>\n
Mr Hightower said the community understood the need for workforce accommodation, but the development’s social impact survey highlighted concerns.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“There was an overwhelming perception that this development would have negative impacts \u2026 there were references to the location being inadequate within those surveys,” he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Port and South Hedland face ongoing short-term accommodation shortages. (ABC News: Kimberley Putland)<\/p>\n
A ‘wait and see’ approach<\/p>\n
Town of Port Hedland Commissioners Jessica Shaw and Ron Yuryevich sat on the panel and voted to approve the development.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ms Shaw disagrees with Mr Hightower.<\/p>\n
“When we considered all the planning principles \u2014 which you’re required to as a DAP member \u2014 we determined that it was consistent and that it would be a good development for the town,” she told ABC Pilbara Kimberley Mornings.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“It’s a significant investment into Port Hedland.<\/p>\n
“It will alleviate a lot of those housing issues, both for temporary workers and for permanent housing and so, yes, we did support the project.”<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Ron Yuryevich (left) and Jessica Shaw (right) were on the Development Assessment Panel. (ABC News: Courtney Withers)<\/p>\n
While not a condition of approval, the proponent agreed to make a voluntary contribution of $2.5 million every 10 years to the Town of Port Hedland. \u00a0<\/p>\n
Ms Shaw said she and Mr Yuryevich argued for the contributions to be a condition of approval, but they were outvoted.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The estimated lifespan of the development is 40 years, valuing the deal at $10 million.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Hedland First National Real Estate general manager Scott Lowe said the benefit of the development might be to ease housing shortages in the town.\u00a0<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Scott Lowe says the development could be a “net positive” for the community. (ABC News: Rachel Pupazzoni)<\/p>\n
“Our preference would always be to see investment into permanent residential accommodation,” he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“This facility might actually support that, in that if some of the occupants currently housed in permanent housing moved into it, then it frees up some accommodation in town for families or permanent residents to move into town.<\/p>\n
“It’s a ‘wait and see’ approach I guess because it could be net positive.”Water Corporation ‘confident’ it can work with developer<\/p>\n