Archive images and a map of BIC Reserve.
Camera IconArchive images and a map of BIC Reserve. Credit: Supplied/Supplied

Parents wary of LandCorp land grab

Julian WrightEastern Reporter

Part of the land earmarked for redevelopment includes a section of BIC Reserve that the school uses for sports and playtime.

LandCorp and Town of Bassendean Mayor John Gangell met with the school board last week.

Parent Warren Wright said the land had become smaller over time and feared the students would eventually have no play area left.

PerthNow Digital Edition.
Your local paper, whenever you want it.

Get in front of tomorrow's news for FREE

Journalism for the curious Australian across politics, business, culture and opinion.

READ NOW

“Our concern is that LandCorp have told us that at this time there is no plan but we have seen surveyors at the reserve recently,” he said.

Mr Wright criticised the process so far.

“We’re peeved with how they’ve gone about this; none of us knew about it and the survey was extended while we were on school holidays and closed off before school went back so people didn’t have a chance to have a say,” he said.

LandCorp chief operations officer Dean Mudford said the meeting with the board went well.

“In the recent community survey, parents of St Michael’s students were interested in the future of the oval as part of the redevelopment,” he said.

“(We) recently had a positive meeting with the school’s board to provide an update on the project.”

He said the future of the land would be discussed at three community forums and communication with the school would be ongoing.

“It is too early in the concept planning process to determine if an alternate location would be determined or if the school would be compensated.

“It is an important consideration of this project that the school continues to have access to the open space it needs,” he said.

The first forum will be tomorrow, February 24, from 10am at Swan Districts Football Club, Bassendean Oval.