Developers of the Tawarri Hot Springs project are appealing a condition of approval that they fund a new carpark alongside their attraction.
They have instead offered to cover the cost to fix long-standing foreshore and roadway drainage issues as part of mediation taking place in the State Administrative Tribunal, it was revealed at a City of Nedlands briefing this week.
The suggestion drew a predictable reaction from some Nedlands councillors, particularly as the drainage offer is for significantly less dollars than the amount the WA Planning Commission had prescribed be paid to the City of Nedlands for a carpark.
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READ NOW“By accepting that money, there is an expectation that something will be done,” Cr Fergus Bennett said.
“If we are under obligation to solve that problem after receiving the $200,000, pretty much that entire $200,000 will be gobbled up solving the drainage problem, and we’re still left with a (public) carpark that’s going to be used by Tawarri.
“It doesn’t seem like were getting a very good deal out of this.”
Under the current arrangement, Tawarri must pay $268,960 excluding GST to the City of Nedlands to provide car parking.
The negotiations, if successful, would result in only $200,000 inclusive of GST being put towards the drainage works.
City of Nedlands staff however recommended council endorse the deal as ultimately it will not be the council’s call anyway.
It will be up to the tribunal to resolve in the hearing between Tawarri and the WAPC.
The situation continues an ongoing disagreement between Nedlands council and developers who failed to see eye to eye over the establishment of the luxury wellness centre.
The council pulled its support for the entire project in March last year, leading then-Lands Minister John Carey to intervene and allow a portion of Crown land to be excised for the hot springs development.
At the time, he said the State Government deemed the hot springs a strategically important tourism attraction.
“The Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation considers the Tawarri Hot Springs project a unique and innovative development, which supports Tourism WA and Tourism Australia’s strategies to attract high-value travellers to WA,” a report recommending approval said then.
City of Nedlands staff at the time told councillors if they refused the lease, it would cost ratepayers $1,167,200 to remediate the Tawarri carpark and drainage issues, and remove the derelict facility.
But approving it would bring a net benefit to the area of more than $16 million.
It was further confirmed at Tuesday night’s briefing that the area will still be used as a carpark, regardless of whether the city accepts the funding to fix the area’s drainage problem or not.
The council is expected to make a decision on the offer at its next council meeting on April 23.