Local Government Focus

Mayor’s welcome

On behalf of all 12 councils in the South West region I offer all delegates and partners who attend the Australian Local Government Association’s National Road and Transport Congress in Bunbury, the warmest welcome.

The City of Bunbury and its surrounding Shires make up the 27th largest urban area in Australia, inclusive of capital cities.

Every year the population of Greater Bunbury grows by more than 2,700 people, which is matched by the growth of Mandurah and Busselton.

As a port city, Bunbury ranks in the top 20 in Australia with total cargoes of 13.9 million tonnes.

All roads from Perth and in the South West lead to Bunbury. Therefore, due to its own rapid population growth and that of Mandurah, Busselton, Dunsborough and Margaret River plus the South West being Perth’s weekend destination of choice, the road and rail links and transport logistics are a major issue for Bunbury.

We certainly have the transport, projects and issues to provide many relevant field visits during the congress including the Kwinana Freeway extension and Forrest Highway, the relatively new rail link to Mandurah, first stage of the Bunbury Port Access road, recently completed Collie River Bridge, and rail lines from Alcoa’s Refinery at Wagerup, and BHP-Billiton at Worsley.

So I take this opportunity to welcome you and say please come to the congress and see what we are building together. I know you will enjoy your visit.

Bunbury – one of the nation’s top three growth centres

First settled in 1829, the City of Bunbury is now the commercial and residential heart of the prosperous South West region of Western Australia, one of the most diverse and dynamic growth regions in the nation.

Located 175 kilometres south of the Perth metropolitan region, in recent years Bunbury has made a remarkable transformation from a purely industrial city to a lifestyle driven, diverse and thriving city.

A rich maritime heritage has inspired the birth of this waterfront playground. The Leschenault Estuary, deep water port, the sheltered Koombana Bay, a protected boat harbour and the Indian Ocean are within a few minutes of wherever you live in Bunbury.

The City’s diversity is its strength, with retail, manufacturing, construction, health and community services the major employment sectors.

With investment occurring in every facet of Bunbury’s economy, unemployment is well below the national average at four per cent.

Since 2004, Bunbury has averaged an annual growth rate of 4.4 per cent. As such the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) places Bunbury in the nation’s top three growth areas together with Mackay in Queensland and Mandurah just to Bunbury’s north.

The ABS now looks at the Greater Bunbury area including its hinterland in its population figures. In 2009 ABS figures for Bunbury and surrounds was 66,117 residents.

“We have lots of people moving into the area but at the same time we are losing very few,” said Council’s CEO, Greg Trevaskis. “Some of our young people move to Perth for University or other opportunities but quite a number are drawn back to our great lifestyle after a few years.”

Throughout the year Bunbury hosts a range of events that attract people from far and wide.

Its Australia Day celebrations regularly see up to 30,000 people joining in the celebrations including many visitors from outside the region.

Race week in March involves a series of events that attract crowds in excess of 20,000.

Sporting events are also popular with Bunbury’s annual PGA golf tournament, and a recent AFL match between Fremantle Dockers and Carlton saw 10,000 spectators turn out.

In 2009 Bunbury was selected as the venue for JJJ’s national promotion ‘Groovin the Moo’. This inaugural music festival was a great success with all 15,000 tickets sold out well in advance, and accommodation in and around Bunbury booked out. Council provided $100,000 and the South West Development Commission $50,000 in financial support to
bring this festival to Bunbury.

As well as the economic boost to the local economy, Council was very pleased with the promotion Bunbury received across the nation. Such events deliver top class entertainment for local people, as well as attracting visitors from outside the region to experience the friendliness, beauty and lifestyle that Bunbury and the South West has on offer.

Bunbury is looking forward to hosting the Australian Local Government Association’s 2010 National Local Roads and Transport Conference from
13 to 15 October.

Council encourages delegates not to miss the opportunity to visit earlier or extend their stay after the Congress so they can fully experience the many attributes of this vibrant region.

Award winning Back Beach enhancements

During 2007 and 2008, work undertaken during Stage 3 of the Bunbury Coastal Enhancement Project transformed Ocean Drive, running the length of the Back Beach, into an attractive boulevard.

This work valued at $7.9 million included the construction of three new car parks and a central median strip.

Land between the sand dunes and road was widened and redeveloped with reticulation, garden beds, turf, new paths, street furniture, fencing and an ablution block.

Solid concrete stairways providing access to the beach were a construction challenge for Council’s contractors due to the constantly changing beach environs.

As a result of this work, the contractors Hassell Ltd and their associate contractors took out two awards at the recent Concrete, Cement and Aggregates Australia national biennial awards for Landscape architects.

Ocean Drive’s concrete paths and steps were judged the best path project nationally for 2008/2009 from a field of 50 competitors.

The judges noted the skilful application of a variety of construction methods and the use of several finishes, including sand blasting and exposed aggregate that are ideal for an exposed coastal environment.

Strategic gateway to the South West

The new Forrest Highway links Perth’s southern commuter suburbs with industrial areas in the rapidly growing South West region of Western Australia, the expanding urban areas of Mandurah and Bunbury, major resource developments and agricultural industries.

Opened in late 2009, this dual carriageway has taken 30 minutes off the road trip from Perth to Bunbury and resulted in a marked surge in day tripper visits.

“The new highway has provided a great boost to Bunbury as the gateway to the South West,” said City Engineer, Jason Gick.

“This extension to Perth’s Kwinana Freeway now bypasses Mandurah providing a top class dual carriageway all the way from Perth and the State’s second largest city, Bunbury.”

The new section of the highway is 70 kilometres in length and is the longest single highway project ever built in Western Australia.

This $800 million project was jointly funded by the Federal and State Governments, and is an important component in the Perth Bunbury Corridor Strategy.

A single gauge rail link from Perth to the Port of Bunbury is also a key element in this Strategy. As well as rail freight, this line provides two passenger daily returns between Perth and Bunbury.

In 2008 a study commenced by the State Government to assess the feasibility of a new fast rail service from Perth to Bunbury’s CBD.

Travel time would be one and a half hours, a reduction to the current time by one third.

Council is keen to push for this given the tourism and commuter spinoffs such a service would deliver, and sees it as yet another opportunity for Bunbury as the commercial capital of the South West. West

Roundabout works remove a blackspot

Eelup roundabout is the major entry point to the City of Bunbury. It is the largest roundabout in the South West region but also has the highest accident rate in the State.

“Because of its size many drivers pass through it at an excessive speed and there is evidence that some are not even aware that they are on a roundabout when they enter,” said City Engineer Jason Gick.

Averaging one crash per week, Council and Main Roads WA have been successful in obtaining funding to dramatically decrease the radius of the roundabout.

“This will slow traffic down and reduce the risk of sideswipes with vehicles crossing lanes to exit the roundabout,” he said. “This is Stage 1 of planned works and will cost around $2 million.

“Stage 2 will be a flyover above the roundabout for traffic leaving Bunbury and heading to Perth and bringing traffic from the north into the City.

“Valued at $30 million, this second stage is not yet funded so Council will continue to lobby for this.”

WA’s top tourism town

After being a finalist each year since 2005, in 2009 Bunbury has taken out the Western Australian Top Tourism Town award. It has recently been announced that Bunbury is once again a finalist in the 2010 awards.

Sponsored by Golden West Network (GWN) this award includes $25,000 of advertising on GWN, one of the South West region’s free to air television providers.

In both 2008 and 2009, the Bunbury Visitor Centre also took out the category award for the best management and staff.

“Judged by the industry, these awards focus on how we work with the local community, businesses and tourism sector at a local and State level,” said Visitor Centre Manager, Felicity Anderson. “Our Tourism Strategy, endorsed by Council in 2009, is based on the synergy that can be achieved by working with all stakeholders, particularly the community and local businesses.”

She said that visitor numbers continue to increase and the opening of the new Perth Bunbury Highway has seen day dripper numbers swell by 23 per cent.

“One of our key draw cards is that we are a city with all the expected services and amenities but from any part of Bunbury you are no more than 15 minutes from natural areas,” Felicity Anderson said.

“We have Mangrove Cove right in the centre of the city, while Koombana Bay and Back Beach along with the Dophin Discovery Centre are just a few minutes walk from the CBD.”

With over 3,000 beds through a range of accommodation choices from four and half star through to backpackers, Bunbury is a popular destination for conferences and business related visits.

The Visitor Centre is a free booking agency, telephone (08) 9792 7205, email welcome@bunbury.wa.gov.au or go to www.visitbunbury.com.au

Showcasing the habitat of the South West

Complementing Bunbury’s marine Dolphin Discovery Centre, the Big Swamp Wildlife Park provides an experience of the terrestrial flora and fauna in the South West region.

With its Peppermint and Tuart forests, and rocky granite outcrops, the wildlife park and adjoining Big Swamp is a haven for over 30 species of birds, as well as western grey kangaroos, emus and wallabies.

Walk trails and viewing platforms introduce visitors to a range of wetland flora and fauna.

With three new playgrounds all in close proximity to the wildlife park, this area of the City is very popular with both local families and visitors to Bunbury.

Cruising into Bunbury

The Port of Bunbury is growing in popularity as a cruise ship stopover destination. The first visit was from the Virgo in 2003. Every year since then there has been an increase with nine ships pulling into Bunbury between last November and March this year.

Some of these vessels have as many as 3,000 passengers keen to visit Bunbury and explore the South West region.

To maximise the flow benefits to the whole community from these visits, the Bunbury Cruise Ship Committee has been established comprising representatives from Council, the South West Development Commission, Bunbury Port Authority and Chamber of Commerce.

The cruise ships dock at the Outer Harbour, close to the CBD and popular Marlston Waterfront area. A visitor tent at dockside has staff and volunteers on hand to provide a warm welcome and assist passengers with maps and brochures.

A free shuttle bus service has received positive feedback from the shipping lines and passengers.

“This brings people right into the centre of town and enables our local producers and tour operators to promote their goods and services,” said Bunbury Visitor Centre Manager, Felicity Anderson.

“Upwards of 30,000 people are coming through each year and with an estimated spend of between $100 and $200 per person this is a great boost to the local economy. Retailers in particular and noticing the difference.”

Experience dolphins in their natural environment

Established in 1994, Bunbury’s Dolphin Discovery Centre enables some 60,000 visitors per year to gain a better understanding of dolphins in their natural environment.

Located on beautiful Koombana Bay, this wildlife experience is remarkedly just a few hundred metres from the CBD.

The Discovery Centre is a not for profit operation that relies heavily on the efforts of its 150 volunteers. Many volunteers are local residents, however, the Centre also runs a program where young people from overseas can sign up for a six week stint of volunteering.

The Discovery Centre aims to provide conservation and protection for local bottlenose dolphins, to educate the public about these popular mammals and their habitat, undertake research involving PhD students from Murdoch University and deliver an informative tourism package that helps to finance all of the above.

Thanks to a $950,000 grant through Western Australia’s Royalties for the Regions, the Centre is soon to undergo stage one of a major redevelopment that will ultimately see its interpretive area triple its current size. A circular theatre will provide a virtual experience of being in a fish bowl with a dolphin pod in its natural surrounds.

The virtualisation being developed by the Australian Centre for Digital Innovation will enable visitors to see dolphins feeding, a pod protecting a calf from a shark attack, and a birth. It will be the only experience of its type in Australia.

As a wild dolphin experience the Discovery Centre cannot give a 100 per cent guarantee that visitors will see dolphins in the interaction zone, however few come away disappointed.

In stage two of the planned re development new second level will provide enhanced views of Koombana Bay, and dolphins when they swim close to shore as well as providing a modern café and function room.

In winter 30 to 40 mothers and calves are in the vicinity, while in summer when the males return up to 150 animals join the pod.

The Discovery Centre offers controlled interaction with dolphins from the beach under the watchful eye of staff and volunteers.

“We provide a minimal impact experience of dolphins in their natural environment – no dolphins are in captivity,” David Kerr said. “This means little disruption to dolphins’ daily activities and there is minimal feeding so as not to create any dependence.

“Our cruise and swim tour boats position themselves in the Bay and then leave it up to the dolphins whether they want to come over and interact.

“Our marine biologists monitor the behaviour patterns of the dolphins, such as feeding or mating, and if this is occurring swimmers will not be permitted to enter the water.

“Our average time before seeing dolphins is seven minutes, but again this is all up to the dolphins to decide if they want to come over.”

David Kerr said that the aim is to have Stage 1 of the redevelopment completed by October.

“We believe that a larger facility with additional interpretive experiences will swell visitor numbers well over the current 60,000 per year,” he said.

“Stage 2 of the redevelopment is valued at $5 million and we hope this can commence in the next 18 months depending on the successful application for funding.

“We believe this expansion will value add for the whole community with additional visitors providing a flow on economic boost for Bunbury and the South West region.

“There is a growing trend for ecotourism and natural experiences. This will also add to the South West’s clean and green image delivering benefits on a wider scale across the region.”

The Dolphin Discovery Centre is located close to the CBD and is open seven days a week.