Northern suburbs are viable

Mayor Roberts was responding to comments by sustainability professor Peter Newman and a Committee for Perth report, both calling for a limit on outer
metropolitan growth.

“Our residents could feel justifiably offended that all the attention seems to be on the Perth CBD and promoting high density housing and jobs in the inner suburbs.

“There seems to be a false assumption that sustainability can be achieved only at the core of a big city.

“The northern suburbs has been identified as a growth corridor for decades in the Metropolitan Region Scheme (MRS). Now is not the time to say that it is all too hard.

“At Wanneroo we are striving to achieve new communities with high liveability, reduced need to travel, good proximity to work and quality facilities.

“Over 7,000 new residents move into our city each year and deserve to enjoy the lifestyle they have chosen. We have more than 30 kilometres of coastline extending to Two Rocks and some simply do not understand that people choose to live in our beautiful northern suburbs.

“In 1955 Yanchep was clearly shown as a residential node for greater Perth in the landmark Stephenson-Hepburn Plan.

“That visionary plan laid the foundations for today’s MRS which first mapped the northern coastal corridor – from Whitfords to Yanchep - in 1970.

“Rather than criticising growth in the outer suburbs as urban sprawl they should respect that our residents need the focus on transport connectivity and creating local jobs.

“As a local government member of the Committee for Perth we would be happy to work with them on a more inclusive approach for the whole of metropolitan Perth.

“The City of Wanneroo will continue its strong, community-driven campaign for extending the railway and freeway to Yanchep.

“We have almost 100,000 employed residents, half of them with local jobs. Our mission is to help to create more employment within Wanneroo with a focus on advanced manufacturing, renewable and new technologies and agribusiness.

“There is also a great opportunity to grow the tourism industry.

“We should not abandon decades of land-use planning for outer growth areas in favour of the soft option to boost development and infrastructure around the Perth CBD,” she said.

“We need to promote and continue the progressive thinking that puts a focus on transport connectivity, quality facilities and local job creation,” she said.