A MINING supply company has been granted a 10-year lease to extend their business operations into a 1402sq m portion of Wotton Reserve in Embleton.
The Beaver Group, based on Beechboro Road, requested they lease the adjoining site, which borders on Tonkin Highway.
The site is zoned industrial under the Metropolitan Region Scheme and local public open space by the City of Bayswater.
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READ NOWA BMX park and Morley Windmills Soccer Club are also based at Wotton Reserve.
At a Bayswater council meeting this month, councillor Dan Bull said the site was used as a park, close to dirt jumps, and the preservation of public open space was important.
“It’s a park and we’re turning it into industrial, that’s really what we’re voting on; delaying a sale for 10 years,” he said.
Cr Catherine Ehrhardt said 10 per cent public open space in the City of Bayswater was not a goal, but a minimum.
“I’m still concerned… a future council will say it’s been fenced off, let’s leave it,” she said.
However, Cr Michelle Sutherland said the site would be used for light industrial and would not produce lots of pollution.
“We’re not taking land from the public, this is not used every day,” she said.
Cr John Ricifi said the site was barren and a business operation would provide employment, as well as a return of $30,000 for ratepayers.
During public question time, Johanna Beaver, of Beaver Process Equipment, an offshoot of the Beaver Group, called on Council to provide a full valuation of the land prior to commercial terms being finalised.
Cr Brent Fleeton successfully moved an amendment to release the valuation details, with the permission of Qwest Patterson, to the owners of the Lot 152, 193 Beechboro Road.
Council approved the 10-year lease.