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Dunsborough residents in fear of new Mandurah

Jackson Lavell-LeeBusselton Dunsborough Times
The City of Busselton’s planning investigation area
Camera IconThe City of Busselton’s planning investigation area Credit: Supplied

Dunsborough residents fear current planning by the City of Busselton will result in the town becoming a sprawl of suburban housing estates, suggesting it would result in a low employment rate and “social problems”.

Dunsborough’s population is predicted to more than double in the next 10-15 years, and action group Dunsborough 2030 spokesman Peter Kyle said the City’s plans would result in a repeat of Mandurah, creating a “jobs desert” with “social problems and crime”.

“The City of Busselton’s published strategy is to retain the unique coastal village character of Dunsborough, but that character risks being destroyed if you simply cram it with thousands more people,” he said.

“Schools and other facilities were promised for the ever-growing Dunsborough Lakes for years. Still nothing, yet the City and State planners are working on yet more land to house yet more people.”

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Dunsborough resident Greg Milner said parking in the town centre and beaches was already a major issue.

“The planners at the City just assume that the population must expand relentlessly,” he said.

“Dunsborough is already bursting at the seams at holiday times, the town is choked with traffic.

“You can’t park at Meelup or Yallingup beaches,”

City of Busselton Mayor Grant Henley said the investigation of areas for the urban expansion of Dunsborough was led by the WA Planning Commission. The potential development would need to be sympathetic to the character of Dunsborough.

“The issue of jobs is a relevant point and there is a history of not approving residential development when there are no jobs available in the region but it’s been seen that much of the population of the City of Busselton live here but work elsewhere,” he said.

“I don’t see Dunsborough as having any big industries outside of tourism and service but job opportunities will exist in construction throughout the region rather than just in Dunsborough.

“No one wants to see the social problems that come with poorly planned development, but it is our job to ensure orderly and good planning for our districts,” he said.

“Without development, much of our local youth will be phased out of buying in the area.” The Dunsborough 2030 organisation is planning a survey of the town to gauge support for the City to reassess its planning strategy for the town.

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