Gnarabup is a new town site near the famous Margaret River surfing break and overlooking a popular surf break Grunters. The town site has had a very controversial history. Many different developments have been proposed for the area.
On it's original inception it was to be a town site similar to Prevelly with a caravan park, retirement village, shops, low key tourist chalets and 140 houses. Most restrictions have been removed for development of the area with replacement of the Town Planning Scheme by a larger overall scheme covering the shire. The local community has fought to control unbridled development in the area and the local shire has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on legal defense of the area. The WAPC have approved a structure plan that will see the area house over 2500 tourists combined with another 2000 permanent residents with major outstanding infrastructure issues including sewage, beach access, groundwater pollution and fire risk that have not been addressed properly. The area suffered the most costly fire in Western Australia's History in 2011 and there is still no second access road into the area. The development area is located on one of the most dangerous coasts in the world. Putting unknowing and uneducated tourists in this environment can only result in fatalities.
The corrupted underlying planning process in this area is a graphic illustration of a deeply flawed state planning process. The nearby Smiths Beach area also came under attack from 2001-2004 however the corruption in the planning process was revealed and the area has been saved for future generations. Gnarabup is now in a perilous position with regard to overcrowding and spoiling of the local environment. The broken planning process needs to be reviewed with reference to the initial aims of development for the local area. Updated information is now listed on preservegnarabup.org.au/news/
The initial aim for the development of the Gnarabup Area
TPS 18
A minor, low key expansion of Prevelly has clearly been the expectation for the last 30 years.
”the development zone may provide a similar lot yield and similar tourist opportunities as the present townsite (Prevelly) and be located in those areas identified elsewhere in the guidelines as most suited to development "
The initial aim for development of this area has been completely overidden through persistent developer led corruption of the planning process leading to ongoing disputes and legal challenges with the local community and the council. The state planning process is not robust enough to avoid corruption of it's processes when it comes under attack from developers that are well funded and well connected.
Future plans for a five star hotel in a totally unsuitable environment
