Esperance council seeks feedback on plan for Condingup land that could create up to 300 rural residential lots

An amendment to the planning strategy for an area of land at Condingup has been initiated, which could see a mixed tourist, conservation and rural living area created if approved. The agricultural townsite 68km east of Esperance includes cattle, sheep and grain production industries, and is home to a tree farm which is expected to close soon. At last Tuesday’s council meeting, Shire of Esperance councillors voted to amend the planning strategy to transform an area just south of the townsite to include a range of tourism uses, rural residential lots, rural smallholdings, rural and conservation areas, including a rural residential subdivision of up to 300 lots. The shire will now approach the WA Planning Commission as well as other agencies and the public to seek comments on the planning strategy, which shire chief executive Shane Burge said would determine whether the precinct went ahead. “I think council are wanting to essentially get the feedback from especially the government agencies and the planning commission as to their views on it, and also more importantly some of those public comments as well,” he said. “We’ll get all those comments back and then council will be able to make an informed decision as to whether they proceed with that planning application or whether the council don’t accept it.” Condingup’s planning scheme has been amended several times already, with Mr Burge saying the precinct was yet to find its “most appropriate development”. “I think that just trying to find the most appropriate development that they can for that property, and it’s been through a number of different application processes, and I guess none of them have proceeded any further, so we’ll see where this one goes.” The proposal is aimed to support the existing Condingup townsite and the Duke of Orleans Caravan Park which is located south of the land.