Council to go ahead with Western Foreshore development plans

The Mandurah Council have decided to go ahead with plans that will see the Western Foreshore transformed into a "family-focused" hospitality precinct.

After an eight-week community consultation period, Council voted in favour of an 18-hole mini-golf course, a licensed restaurant/microbrewery, a cafe and chocolate factory to be built on the iconic site, currently leased by King Carnival. 

Mayor Rhys Williams said while there was still a long way to go, this was a significant milestone.

“Last night’s decision by Council marks a crucial step forward in this transformative project and ultimately, once completed, this will represent the largest private investment in Mandurah’s City Centre in decades, coupled with enhanced public amenities that the whole community can enjoy,” Mayor Williams said.  

In their proposal, operators of Shelter Brewing Co in Busselton, Left Coast Leisure Group Pty Ltd (LCLG), said their development will be a "family-friendly, inclusive and accessible entertainment precinct for locals and visitors, activated from day to night, seven days per week, while creating accessible and welcoming venues that take in the incredible waterfront views".

“The next phase involves detailed planning to address necessary road network changes and the land excision process with the State Government,” Mayor Williams said.  

“This project is part of Council’s strategic vision for revitalising our City Centre, which is essential for reshaping our local economy and enhancing attractions for residents and visitors. Importantly, this project is expected to create over 400 hospitality jobs and provide training pathways in partnership with TAFE. 

“This Council is ambitious for Mandurah’s future. We’ve built strong momentum and projects like this are vital to ensuring Mandurah is a vibrant and thriving city.”  

The City of Mandurah will now begin the process of seeking a land excision from the State Government to allocate a portion of the existing reserve for commercial use.

If approved by Parliament, the Department of Planning Lands and Heritage will then consider leasing the site to the City of Mandurah.

Following these steps, a Development Application from Left Coast Leisure Group will be reviewed by the WA Planning Commission.  

Mr Williams said Council received over 1000 submissions during the feedback period.

"There was some opposition to the project...but the consultation we had back was very balanced," he told West Coast Radio.

"When you're making a decision that's different and ambitious, there's always going to be some opposition to it.

"We're really confident that we've got the right project on the right site, and also that we can work with those that are opposed to it to look at how we can mitigate some of the people's concerns to get a really good outcome."

Submissions can be viewed here.