Residents demand |answers on oval project

Locals who feel they have been left in the dark about potential developments filled the Bas-sendean Lawn Bowls Club last week to receive information collected by Kathryn Hamilton, Graeme King and Anni MacBeth.

Ms MacBeth, who has lived in Bassendean for 10 years, chaired the meeting, with fellow residents Ms Hamilton and Mr King conveying what they believe to be “conflicting” information made public by three key stakeholders – LandCorp, Town of Bassendean and Swan Districts Football Club.

Ms MacBeth said she could not trust anything any of the representatives from the key stakeholders had to say about the process.

She said the concerned residents were not anti-progress or anti-development.

Mr King said it was “inconceivable” that LandCorp and Planning Minister John Day would make any announcements about the project without any planning already done.

He said residents had asked for the plans, whether conceptual or not, but were refused or received no response.

Attendees had the opportunity to ask questions and have them recorded by the action group.

Ms Hamilton told the Eastern Reporter the group would debrief this week.

She thanked all the attendees who ignored the inclement weather to attend the meeting.

“We three are simply the public faces of an initial group of 20 hard-|working residents who helped every step of the way to create a motivated collective that you now know as Bassendean Forum,” she said.

“Over a period of just weeks the community has rallied behind us with hundreds of residents now contributing their ideas and, in many cases, hands- on assistance.”

LandCorp chief operations officer Dean Mudford said he saw the meeting as another opportunity to listen to the community’s views.

“All forms of community feedback, whether they are initiated throughout program or the community themselves, are extremely important to ensuring that any potential development of the areas under investigation becomes a future asset to the area,” he said.

He said a survey the organisation held seeking feedback from residents received more than 400 responses and LandCorp would hold another community forum in late February.