Dunsborough reference group formed to have voice in town development

Dunsborough locals frustrated at their lack of voice in repeated development applications to turn the coastal town into a high-rise haven have formed a reference group to have a seat at the decision-making table. The Dunsborough Reference Group was formed this week, consisting of community representatives, Busselton City Council planning staff and councillors aimed at giving direct feedback on planning strategies to the council. Its formation comes after repeated development applications have come to the Joint Development Assessment Panel for multi-storey apartment complexes in Dunsborough, which have incited vocal community concern. Interim group chair Peter Kyle said Dunsborough residents were vocal about the state of their town and the group would give them a chance to voice their concerns before major development decisions were made. “Planning decisions in the past have largely been handed to the community on a plate, after the decisions have been made,” he said. “It’s time the community got a word in before the professional planners and decision makers in Perth have their strategies set in stone. “Its aim is to give people a voice when it comes to retaining Dunsborough’s unique coastal village atmosphere.” Dunsborough’s rapid growth in recent years has alarmed hundreds of residents, with some development proposals drawing angry reactions. High-profile campaigns to stop developments have included the Puma petrol station being built in the CBD, and more recently, a five-storey development planned for the same block of land. In 2021, neighbours of a multimillion dollar four-storey apartment complex approved for the Dunsborough foreshore took their complaints to the Supreme Court of WA, however their bid ultimately failed. The group is now calling for volunteers to have a seat at the group’s table, nominations of which can be made at www.dunsboroughrefgroup.com.