LOCKE ESTATE
By Dave Roberts
The percentage of West Australians who’ve been to a camp on Geographe Bay, Busselton on what’s become known as the "Holy Mile" must be pretty high.
About 10 km out of town with direct frontage to Geographe Bay are a series of campsites leased almost 50 years ago to a bunch of Churches and Community groups who have since then delivered low cost camping facilities to tens and probably hundreds of thousands of campers.
It’s true that the leases are to groups who may not have any religious affiliation, and that the tag may offend some people, so as a sign of respect we will refer to the area from here on in as Locke Estate.
In 2011 the leases on what have been vitally important resources for so many will be up for renewal. Fifty years is a long time and the way we holiday, use land, and care for our environment has changed. There is a commitment that the area will remain available for the campsite use, but how to best deliver that is up for discussion. Consultants Connell Wagner have been retained to run a consultation on the issue and here’s a quote from their website:
“The Locke Estate is a unique beachfront location on Caves Road, incorporating 15 leases that will expire in 2011. The agreements are with religious and community groups operating recreational campsites. The site is state land under the management of the Shire of Busselton. |
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Key criteria in the future planning of the Locke Estate will be that:
• The reserve will remain an ‘A’ classification and be retained for community/public benefit
• The land will remain Crown land and will not be sold as freehold land or developed for housing
• Environmental values of the site are identified and managed appropriately to ensure their preservation
Locke Estate comprises some important remnant vegetation and provides one of the last stands of peppermint woodland. It is a habitat for the endangered Western Ringtail Possum.
The Locke Estate foreshore and beaches are a valuable recreational asset; however, there has historically been a loss of amenity due to coastal erosion and the recession of the vegetation line. This has impacted on some campsite infrastructure and will need to be closely assessed in any future plans for the site.”
So to get the best out of it they’re looking for people to feed back on the things they hope for and expect. I’ve used and enjoyed a number of the sites, and I love that they’re there. Meanwhile I worry about how degraded some of the land form is becoming. Plans for the future really could include that we do more to look after the sites, maybe even learn something from them. An open day was held recently, and there are a series of workshops being planned.
Meanwhile those who want to have their say could download this public comment form http://www.conwag.com/cwagner/uploads/documents/ProjectFeedback/locke-estate/Public_Comment_Form.pdf and submit it to Connell Wagner or the Shire of Busselton. We’ve begun to talk to the consultants and hope to be able to keep you up to date on how the consultation is running.
With 2011 being the date for the new leases, we’ve also got to say congratulations to Busselton Shire for involving the people, and for giving us a timeframe to really be heard.
More information can be found at www.conwag.com/project_feedback/locke_estate.asp and
www.busselton.wa.gov.au.
February 2007
