4.4 Transformative project highlights

Settlement hierarchies underpin economic development, with the trend towards urban living on the coast, especially relevant to regional centres.

Weak regional centres lead to weak regions. Economic activity and liveability flow in waves from regional centres so it is important that the Bunbury-Busselton population axis stays strong and Manjimup anchors the Warren-Blackwood.

A drive to have Bunbury recognised as Western Australia’s second city is important in administration, education, healthcare, business and accompanying investment.

Transforming Bunbury’s Waterfront will change perceptions. The development of Hands Oval will accommodate AFL, AFLW and WAFL games and advanced manufacturing, port investment and digital will lay the foundations of a path to the future. Combine this with R+D, skills training and industries requiring an educated workforce, and your key centres secure the region.

Development of Bunbury’s Waterfront highlights the impact of revitalisation on first impressions and serves to provide opportunities in jobs and community leisure. Bicentennial Square has all the hallmarks of potential to better connect Bunbury to Leschenault Inlet and deliver transformative outcomes.

The currently underutilised public space can position itself as a connector to the water and become a vibrant precinct and community asset with strategic options to rejuvenate the CBD.

Unprecedented change and a housing shortage serve to elevate the importance of endogenous skills development and training in the region.

While collaborative activities already take place among SW Health and Education Campus bodies (Bunbury Regional Hospital and St John of God Hospital, ECU South West, South Regional TAFE, Manea Senior College and the Rural Clinical School), they operate separately which triggers an opportunity to create a fully co-operative working space and closer ties for all the precinct partners.

A proposed Precinct Hub would be co-designed to physically connect the partners, support collaboration and ease current infrastructure constraints as well as delivering a multi-disciplinary and interprofessional approach to regional health and education.

The South West Native Title Settlement has begun to fundamentally change Aboriginal engagement and create unprecedented opportunities for South West Noongar people. Notwithstanding formalised approaches, it is important that the potential for Aboriginal advancement is fulfilled through acknowledgement of history and an understanding that, for traditional owners, booja is a complete ecosystem that includes family, society and relationships with the land, plants and animals.

Opportunities for recognition abound in signage, art, procurement and tourism. Shared learning and mutual respect will be a key to a shared future in which no one is left behind.

In Bunbury, the Gnaala Karla Booja Aboriginal Corporation has a vision for a centre at Mangrove Cove where new premises can blend the 21st century with traditional culture and share arts with the community and visitors alike.

Growing our regional cities is popular theme, and sustainable populations are a key pillar, but there are risks that need to be carefully addressed. The ‘20-minute city’ with easy commute times, accessibility and parking will be challenged by unmanaged population growth. However, those issues will present their own opportunities for surrounding smaller towns and for infrastructure and services that retain high levels of liveability.

There will need to be open and mature discussion on sprawl versus multi-storey buildings, and the necessary development of support infrastructure to cater for more people. For example, there will be requirements for expanded sports facilities, and thoughts will need to turn to the built environment in respect of catering for an ageing population. Amid all change, the value of the natural environment must always be taken into account.

The South West Waste Precinct has the potential to meet State and Federal policy expectations by rapidly heading towards zero waste to landfill while using ‘waste’ as a resource and boosting innovation, jobs and the economy. Developing a composting facility will cut landfill by 35,000tpa while other activities can move towards a circular economy in which landfill is an atypical approach to available waste materials.

Investment in materials recovery will produce a stream of sorted materials for recycling uses and product for an innovation hub, which is strong potential development for the site. There have been great strides in utilising mine tailings as roadbase and that is just the start as the region takes its first steps on the journey towards a circular economy.