Capital works program one of City’s biggest ever

Council last night adopted its budget and corporate business plan for the new financial year, setting out a blueprint for continuing a comprehensive program of services and support to a population fast approaching 200,000 people.

Major new sporting, community and civic facilities feature in the $75.54 million capital works program. Not since 2009 has the City had such a significant capital works program.

And coupled with a further $16.89 million of works carried forward from the previous financial year, it adds up to a $92 million boost for WA’s largest growing municipality.

Mayor Tracey Roberts said Council was continuing to provide the infrastructure and facilities needed to consolidate Wanneroo as a great place to live and work – now and into the future.

“This budget advances Council’s commitment to delivering for our residents, while continuing to keep rates as low as possible,” she said.

“As a City, we are growing at a rate of up to 140 new residents each week so it is vital that we continue to ensure we provide the recreation facilities, community hubs and meeting places, roads and pathways and parks and open spaces that our residents need and expect.

“We cannot stand still, we must respond to the growth and it is a challenge we take very seriously. This capital works program has been developed in close consultation with our residents and aims to balance the demands for new infrastructure against the need to maintain, renew, upgrade and replace existing assets.”

Program highlights:

Construction of new roads and upgrades of existing roads to improve connections, reduce congestion and speed up travel times. Key projects include upgrade of Marmion Avenue from Lukin Drive to Butler Boulevard, Neerabup Road construction of dual carriageway between Marmion Avenue and Connolly Drive; Connolly Drive dual carriageway construction from Lukin Drive to Neerabup Road; Old Yanchep Road upgrade between Pederick Road and Wattle Avenue; and Marangaroo Drive rehabilitation between Templeton Crescent and Wanneroo Road.

New playing fields and clubrooms at Yanchep for football, athletics, cricket and other sports as well as outdoor courts for netball, basketball and tennis ($8.65million); construction of sports amenities and car park at Riverlinks Park, Clarkson ($1.5 million), Little athletics building at Kingsway ($668,000), Sports facilities construction at Butler North ($650,000), New gym equipment and facilitates upgrades at Aquamotion, Wanneroo.

Construction of surf lifesaving clubrooms and southern carpark link at Yanchep Construction of Quinns Mindarie Surf Lifesaving Club, Pearsall Hocking Community Centre, Yanchep Surf Lifesaving Club, historic Mary Lindsay Homestead refurbishment and detailed design of new ‘southern suburbs’ library in Madeley.

New and upgraded parks furniture, rehabilitation works and park development. Highlights include: Peace Park at Koondoola, new parks at Landsdale (Hardcastle Park) and Picnic Cove (Yanchep), playground equipment at Kyara Park, Clarkson and Sandison Park, Landsdale, installation of shade structures, irrigation replacement and bore upgrades,

Traffic management upgrades ($1.9 million), foreshore management ($1.1 million), street landscaping ($580,000) – including new entry signage – and lighting ($262,000) will help to further improve appearance and safety in the City.

As part of landscape improvement works, more than 3000 new trees will be planted on residential verges, parks and other open space throughout the City with work continuing to beautify median strips on Wanneroo Road and Marmion Avenue.

Council will also commit funding to implement a new shark barrier at Quinns Rocks.

Mayor Roberts said keeping rates as low as possible was a key focus in setting the budget, which delivers an average residential rates increase of 3.5%, the lowest rise for 10 years.

“For the vast majority of ratepayers, the 3.5% rise represents a change from this year to last of about $44 per year or less than 85 cents per week.

“At the same time, we are embarking on a year of major investment in the roads and pathways, community and recreation facilities, infrastructure and services that our residents – current and future – expect to find in one of Australia’s most desirable municipalities.”