NO JOY FOR LOCAL INVESTORS

The Joondalup Business Association has decided it has little option but to go back to Minister for Planning and Infrastructure, Allanah MacTiernan, with a request for her to intervene in the process relating to the sale of land in the newly developed Southern Business District.

 

JBA President Russell Crook said that Landcorp had now created “superlots” of some 5.4 hectares to be sold by expression of interest and tender.

 

“The Minister gave a commitment at a meeting with local investors in May 2007 that a recommendation would be made for local business interests to be considered in the process of marketing the land, “ Mr Crook said.

 

“The creation of the “superlots” effectively precludes local investors from participating given the huge resources that would be required to acquire and develop the land.

 

“Local business operators have done the ‘hard yards’ by investing in property and businesses and building Joondalup to be a thriving economic regional centre and now feel they will be pushed out by larger corporations,” Mr Crook said.

 

“Over the years many businesses have left the district simply because

they outgrew the business park and had no alternative but to move to

larger premises in Wangara and Malaga.

 

“When plans to develop the Southern Business District were first proposed there was an expectation, subsequently confirmed at a recent meeting with Landcorp and Minister Allanah McTiernan, that there would be an opportunity for business owners to be able to look at expanding without leaving Joondalup,” Mr Crook said.

 

“We believe that the land should be available on the open market so that

local people can have the opportunity to invest in their community. The fairest and most transparent method of sale is by auction and zoning will control the final outcomes.

 

“The JBA has long supported the “Buy Local” ethos and this would assist

in ensuring that funds spent in the local district would stay here and  

benefit everyone,” Mr Crook said.