Cockburn Mayor Logan Howlett at Cockburn Central.
Camera IconCockburn Mayor Logan Howlett at Cockburn Central. Credit: Supplied/Martin Kennealey

City sights set on the future

Staff ReporterFremantle Gazette

The paper is part of the City’s plan to stimulate community discussion about how Cockburn’s biggest activity centre develops into the future.

Ideas put forward so far include creating stronger public transport links to the Cockburn Coast, Fremantle and Armadale, a potential train station at Jandakot Airport, and an expansion of the town centre east of Cockburn Central train station. A long-term expansion of the Jandakot industrial area just west of Cockburn Central West was also spruiked.

Unsurprisingly, new ways of linking different areas of the centre currently fractured by a car-heavy environment was a priority, while the City said it needed to encourage more businesses and arts to the area.

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Cockburn MLA Fran Logan flagged building design and public art as integral to any future development.

‘New buildings should try where possible to make a statement and draw comments, either good or bad.

‘It is the built form that will draw people to Cockburn Central and make it a destination,’ he said.

‘Bilbao, Barcelona, Bras-ilia are cities that take their public art very seriously and in turn are taken very seriously by visitors from around the globe.

‘If interesting public art is required to be incorporated into the buildings around public spaces and even in hidden type spaces, it makes the whole area interesting and a place once again that will attract people as a destination.’

Melville Cockburn Chamber of Commerce executive officer Louise Towler said she backed the push to get more young entrepreneurs into the City, with stats revealing a 21 per cent increase in the number of 25-34-year-olds and a 17 per cent increase of 15 to 24-year-olds moving into the City over the last five years.

Mayor Logan Howlett said community input would be needed to make the City’s showcase precinct even better.

The discussion paper is open for comment until February 11. It can be viewed at Cockburn.wa.gov.au/planningprojects or at the City’s administration building.