Waroona pumped after being a promised a ‘heart’

While the Peel town of Waroona may be filled with colourful characters, public art and facilities, long-time calls to establish a community “heart” that had previously gone unanswered have finally gained traction. The area looks set to benefit from political campaigning between the two frontrunners for the seat of Murray-Wellington in the upcoming State election, with both Liberal and Labor pledging $1.3 million to help the Shire of Waroona develop a town centre. The new design, which had been led by a Shire taskforce, would see a new picnic area, skate park, pump track, RV parking and overnight stays constructed behind the Waroona Cafe and would also link the public into the town precinct. The speed limit in the main street will also be reduced to 40km/h. It comes on top of the Shire last year investing in charismatic public murals to improve the town’s exterior and culture, but local leaders and community members believed a dedicated centre was the final piece of the town’s puzzle. Amenities are spread throughout the town of 3000 people — a resident hoping to post a letter at the post office and then pick up a pie from Waroona’s Pinjarra Bakery would have to walk for nine minutes to carry out the tasks which sit 600m apart. It is a far contrast from neighbouring towns such as Harvey and Pinjarra, which both boast bustling main strips filled with shops, cafes and other facilities. Harvey’s Post Office and bakery sit just 10m apart, directly across the road from one another. The town also peels off South Western Highway, dividing primary school students and elderly residents of the Quambie Park aged care facility on one side from the bulk of services on the other. Murray-Waroona chief executive Dean Unsworth said the town had been spread out everywhere because of “ad-hoc planning” and had “significant underinvestment”. “We are trying to get the Main Street activated,” Mr Unsworth said. “There is a lot of opportunity for Waroona, like the abattoir down the road and agriculture, but we need a strong heart in Waroona.” Mr Unsworth said the taskforce had helped to create a strategic, long-term plan. “The key was to create a heart as Waroona did not have a heart, it was just spread out everywhere,” he said. “The council bought land — we spent $660,000 and council put in $450,000; Alcoa put in $450,000 and even the Youth Group raised $50,000,” Mr Unsworth said. “Everyone in the community is saying this is the number one project by a mile. “With the $1.3 million it means this will go ahead.” With Labor tipped to win Saturday’s election, there had been no announcement by the party on the Waroona townsite until this newspaper probed both major parties about what it would do to rejuvenate the town centre. Regional Development Minister Alannah MacTiernan last week joined Murray-Wellington MLA Robyn Clarke for the funding announcement. Mrs MacTiernan said Mrs Clarke had been talking to her about the plan. “Robyn said this is a good plan and we have done a number of the other towns, and even some of the ones I was a bit sceptical about actually really worked and made some fairly plain towns look good,” Mrs MacTiernan said. “We have got to match the money here ... and our party believes it can win, unlike the other party that doesn’t believe it can win. “This is going to be good for this town.” Mrs Clarke said she had not forgotten about Waroona. Waroona Shire president Mike Walmsley said there was heavy consultation with the town to decide what was needed to carry Waroona into the future. “We have been working with the Waroona taskforce for 12 months to regenerate the CBD of Waroona,” he said. “In our community strategic towns, it comes up all the time that the middle of town is not functioning. “The heart is the first part, then the rest will be revamping shop facades, walkways, street verandas, more access for the disabled and a reduction in the speed limit.” It comes after the announcement that the mothballed abattoir in Hamel, just south of Waroona would be reopening — a move which is expected to create 350 jobs at full capacity. Mrs Clarke said she recently visited the facility after her Government gave the owners a regional development grant. “They are waiting for approvals with the water, they have built three massive dams and they will be working with Harvey Water,” Mrs Clarke said.