Wanneroo town centre plan endorsed

COUNCILLORS have endorsed a plan to revitalise the Wanneroo town centre but believe there is still a lot of work to be done.

Following extensive community consultation, the City and Wanneroo Town Centre Advisory Group found the centre lacked walking, cycling and public transport options, as well as events and activities, and there were no incentives for development.

The vision of the Wanneroo Town Centre Action Plan 2016-19, presented to councillors at the July 19 meeting, is to “create a centre that people engage with and that meets the needs of all community stakeholders”.

Cr Dot Newton thanked residents for their submissions and said it “gives us something to build on”.

Cr Frank Cvitan agreed that the City had “a lot more work to do” and noted the need to develop the centre and make it a friendly environment.

“Maybe within the town centre we should be looking at groups where people will be involved and businesses can grow,” he said.

Lamenting the loss of the centre’s former piazza, Cr Dianne Guise said the area was “crying out” for development.

“We won’t have a viable city centre unless we make it attractive to people and unless we make it viable for businesses,” she said.

“We need to make the most of what we’ve got and try to recreate that space.”

Under the plan, the City will negotiate with the Public Transport Authority to improve transit options, including investigating the need for an express bus service, and develop several strategies to increase accessibility for pedestrians and cyclists.

It also aims to explore opportunities for cultural activities, free Wi-Fi, a potential community market and ways to promote growth, redevelopment and attraction with business owners, as well as engage with private landowners to revitalise key sites.