Land sale option to fund Heights work

A draft management plan for the Boulters Heights Reserve will go out for public consultation next month following extensive investigation into the area.

The plan, commissioned by the Bunbury City Council, could include the removal of some of the stairs leading to popular lookouts and the sale of some adjoining land to pay for the project.

Originally recommended by council staff to go out for public comment yesterday, the consultation period has been delayed until after the July school holidays to ensure Bunbury Senior High School students and families can have their say.

A suggestion to remove the concrete staircases from the Apex Lookout to the boardwalk and from the Haig Crescent lookout to Prinsep Street, break them up and bury them on site, raised concerns among councillors at a briefing on Tuesday.

During a presentation from sustainability and environmental planning team leader Ben Deeley, several councillors requested a cost analysis and plan to replace the stairs, which were identified as unsafe, rather than removing them. Mr Deeley said an alternative solution could be tested during the community consultation.

While a cost has not yet been revealed on the project, Mr Deeley told the council an outlay of about $65,000 might be needed for the first stages of the plan.

He also suggested there was scope for the council to look at selling land on Withers Crescent to help fund the project.

Mayor Gary Brennan told theSouth Western Times the council would consider its options.

“We’ve got to look at creative ways of raising money to partly fund these projects and selling land is a good option provided it’s used to fund a project nearby,” he said.

Mr Brennan said the project at the “iconic Bunbury landmark” was an important step for the city following decades of failed plans.

The draft plan also includes a fire break, a tuart/peppermint woodland, bank stabilisation and screening.