Controversial Floodplain Development Proposed by City of South Perth

The City of South Perth is proposing a substantial ($7 million) development in Sir James Mitchell Park on the South Perth Foreshore https://southperth.wa.gov.au/our-future/projects-and-places/westralian-centre. According to local residents, this proposal is being pushed along with unnecessary haste.

A Special Electors’ Meeting on Thursday 8 June at 6 pm at South Perth Community Hall (cnr Sandgate St and South Terrace) has been called to get further information and allow electors to express their views.

Additionally, you can 'Have Your Say' via the City of South Perth website https://yoursay.southperth.wa.gov.au/the-westralian-centre – BUT NOTE this questionnaire closes Friday 2 June 2017.

Unfortunately, the artist's impression (below) gives the impression that the landward side of the park rises up towards Mill Point Road. Whilst this is true for the immediate corner shown, the area immediately behind the proposed development is virtually flat, so anything above ground level (even if disguised with a turf roof) will be a visual barrier to the river. 

Any community consultation (and to-date there appears to have been little, if any, active consultation) must be based on accurate drawings and pictures from ground (ie observer) level not the elevated viewpoint currently shown, from which no-one will ever see it, including from Mill Point Road and from the River as well as both east and west along the foreshore.

The bottom picture, below, gives the impression that there would still be an uninterrupted view of the Swan River, but the 7-metre height of the building and the flatness of the surrounding foreshore mean that this will not be so.

There are important issues surrounding any built form on the Swan River foreshore, especially when it involves a commercial element and removes some 2,200m2 of public open space - even if the development would (presumably) be under the control of the Council. We should not forget that Sir James Mitchell Park is Crown Land that was created as a reserve by the Minister for Lands for the purpose of Recreation. Whilst it is managed by the City of South Perth, it rightly belongs to all Western Australians.

The central area of the proposed development has a large expanse of concrete or paving (ie heatsink) with absolutely no shade. Since this is north-facing, it will become intolerably hot on sunny summer days, even though the southern 'passage' might funnel some breezes (but not the Fremantle Doctor, which comes from the southwest, not the south), the heat from above (sun) and below (paving) will make this a very uninviting space.

I'm not sure, either, that masses of concrete/paving reflects aboriginal heritage/significance (as stated by the City of South Perth), which prompts the question of how much consultation there has been with aboriginal communities.

More fundamentally, one must question the wisdom of any new development on a foreshore that is barely above the level of the river, especially in view of the recent report (http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-05-23/coastal-areas-at-risk-new-climate-study-reveals/8549934) that sea level rise (and Perth Water is tidal, so will be affected) could result in the inundation of the foreshore by the end of the century.

Even with a lesser sea-level rise, low-lying foreshore areas will be subject to more frequent storm- and tide-related inundation.