PLANNING
The western suburbs could benefit from a system that allows developers to build infrastructure themselves, rather than paying money to the state government to fund the work.
Planning Minister Matthew Guy said Wyndham could benefit from a “road overpass” built by private enterprise.
Mr Guy’s spokeswoman, Rochelle Jackson, refused to say where the overpass might be built.
But one option would put it in Wyndham as a trade-off for works in-kind rather than developer funds being paid to the government.
“As people move in to new suburbs, we want them to have immediate and easy access to connected roads and transport, employment opportunities and nearby community facilities,” Mr Guy said.
“Through growth areas infrastructure contribution works-in-kind, we can deliver infrastructure alongside new housing, removing the costly need to acquire land later and ensuring better integration of public and private facilities.”
Committee for Wyndham executive director Chris Potaris said that while welcome, the government’s in-kind scheme was not entirely new.
“Enlightened local governments have been doing this for a number of years with excellent results,” he said.
Mr Potaris said a positive result of the scheme would be a guarantee that monies raised within a community were spent in the same community.
“The alternative is that the developer pays the GAIC (Growth Areas Infrastructure Contribution), which then goes into consolidated revenue with no guarantees that it comes back to the community.”
Mr Potaris said a new scheme could work if there wasn’t “unnecessary red tape, supervision or administration costs”.
He said the government must ensure the process was transparent, consultative and used in the best and most efficient way for residents.
SUE HEWITT
