The draft Joondalup Activity Centre Plan.
Camera IconThe draft Joondalup Activity Centre Plan. Credit: Supplied/Supplied

Joondalup Activity Centre Plan impact worries businesses

Laura PondJoondalup Times

TRAINING and education providers and businesses are worried about impacts of the proposed Joondalup Activity Centre Plan to be presented at tonight’s council meeting.

Helen Smart, of the Department of Training and Workforce Development, and North Metropolitan Tafe corporate services general manager Russell Coad made a deputation at the June 13 briefing session, where they raised concerns about the plan’s effect on the Tafe campuses on McLarty Avenue and Kendrew Crescent.

Mr Coad said there was limited land available nearby.

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

“We need to maximise the footprint we have on these two sites into the future,” he said.

The McLarty campus forms part of the planned health and wellness precinct while the Kendrew site is within the learning and innovation precinct.

Regarding the former, Mr Coad was concerned about the plan’s requirement for parking not to be seen from the street and described the building height restrictions as “problematic” for the training sector.

He said proposed roads through each campus created “a lot of issues”.

The City’s report said the plan would not significantly impact the development potential of the McLarty site regarding requirements for parking and a high degree of glazing and awnings on frontages, while a modification to the minimum building height was recommended to allow flexibility.

No changes were recommended regarding future roads but it said the proposed connection from Kendrew to Teakle Court could be refined at the development stage.

Planning Solutions senior planner Scott Vincent presented on behalf of owners of stores within the City Centre precinct, who he said were worried about the plan’s prohibition of bulky goods showrooms as it posed a “significant risk” to large format retailers in the area.

The report said showrooms would be permitted in the adjacent Joondalup West area, which Mr Vincent argued had limited exposure to passing traffic, and would not affect existing businesses.

Cr Mike Norman asked if they could look at showrooms on a case by case basis.

Planning and community development director Dale Page said it was possible but it could result in them “popping up elsewhere”.

“It’s not appropriate to have showrooms in a residential precinct,” she said.

“If we gave different land uses it dilutes the vision we have.”

The City’s recommendation is for councillors to endorse the plan and forward it to the WA Planning Commission for approval.

READ MORE: Joondalup council wrestles with holy question: are there too many churches in Winton Rd?

MORE: Winning Division 1 Lotto ticket sold in Mandurah

MORE: Kalamunda’s Zig Zag Festival cancelled

MORE: Spearwood Video Ezy defies the decline in video stores

MORE: Australia very tolerant, not racist, says demographer Bernard Salt