SINGLETON residents are up in arms over the impact on their lifestyles from 2.5m high earthworks behind their homes on the adjacent Madora Bay North residential development.
The residents claim the level of the site near their homes should be 1.5m, as stated in the outline development plan, not 2.5m and gathered yesterday at a home in Manders Way to protest with placards that included ‘Save our Dunes’, ‘Shame WA’, No to the ‘Berlin Singleton Wall’ and ‘Do you want this at your house?’.
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READ NOWThe controversial development has been in the pipeline for years and was approved by the WAPC about four years ago.
But the plan differed from that which the City of Mandurah had determined months earlier.
It included a buffer zone between Singleton and the development but modifications had stripped away the buffer zone and their were several public meetings over the issue.
The outline development plan says earthworks abutting existing lots have been kept “as low as feasible to match in with existing ground levels on adjoining sites with the majority between 1m and 1.5m along the northern boundary”.
But the earthworks are now 2.5m high, according to Singleton Progress Association president Graeme Dean.
Mr Dean claimed contractors had shifted a sand hill “and just dumped it here”.
He said a 1.5m site height would be agreeable but not 2.5m, which behind their homes would be topped by a wall and affect their privacy.
“Its outrageous,’’ he said.
Mr Dean said both the WA Planning Commission and the City of Mandurah were on the side of residents and the City would be approached for help.
Resident Lester Martin said recently blowing sand from the development had made driving difficult on Mandurah Road and the fumes from machinery were unbearable.
He suggested the height of the earthwork could start at 1.5m behind their homes and gradually increase to 2.5m where it would affect residents less.
Spokesman for the developer, Frank Lawrence of H and N Perry, said the final site levels had not been set.