Published on Friday, 15 November 2024 at 9:12:19 AM
The Shire is proud to contribute to our healthy local economy, helping attract further agricultural, fishing, mining, and tourism businesses and industries to contribute towards the region’s $1.27 billion annual GDP. Council and the Shire prioritise key projects, developed to help secure State and Federal Government support for improved education, transport, and amenities to enhance liveability and attract people to the region. These key projects include proposals that come under the roles and responsibilities of local government, as well as those where Council and the Shire work to influence outcomes in the best interest of our community. Some of these are:
Esperance Senior High School Redevelopment - the Shire has consistently advocated for and sought state government investment to rebuild the Esperance Senior High School, which is no longer fit for purpose. The facility is piecemeal, composed of a disjointed collection of add-on infrastructure surrounding a central hub of leaking, crumbling, prison-like buildings designed for 400 students (over 800 are now enrolled) and 1960s learning methodology. Our students and teachers deserve the same standard of safe, modern learning environment enjoyed by metro populations. Besides the obvious educational and workplace benefits this investment will attract and retain families, injecting funds into and expanding the local economy with household spending and additional workforce availability.
Esperance Key Worker Accommodation Project - accommodation is not a function of local government, however in response to overwhelming long-term community need the Shire partnered with other stakeholder organisations, commissioning studies on options to help address the continued lack of accommodation. Supported by professional, specialist data and advice, the Shire’s Esperance Key Worker Accommodation Project came into being. The Shire committed $1.5 million in land and capital funding and is vigorously chasing an additional $6.44 million from State and Federal Governments to get the Project off the ground. Realisation of this Project will bolster local workforce attraction and retention, and enable further economic development
James Street Cultural Precinct - Stage 1 of this project is a new Cultural and Tourism Hub, bringing our Museum, Library, Visitors Centre, and retail and commercial facilities together into one beautiful new building over the road from our award-winning foreshore, with views over Esperance Bay. Our current Library is nearing the end of its life and a new home for this vital facility, the only public Library for hundreds of kilometres, is required urgently. The Shire will meet the precinct’s ongoing maintenance and operational expenses, has committed $7.5 million towards the estimated total of $30 million needed to complete Stage 1, and is currently seeking $7.5 million from the State Government and $15 million from the Federal Government’s Growing the Regions program to complete this exciting new Hub for our community.
South Coast Highway Upgrade - the South Coast Highway is a strategic freight, tourism and local travel route for our region. Our population are dependent on the Highway for road travel to Perth for education, health, business and social needs. This road carrys more traffic each year as agricultural advances bring larger harvests, mineral exploration for rare earths and other ores accelerate and tourism traffic continues to grow. The Highway’s infrastructure is aging, with approximately 350 kilometres of pavement more than 40 years old and no longer fit for purpose, bringing significant safety issues and high operating and maintenance costs for the State Government and road users. On behalf of the community, the Shire of Esperance urges State and Federal Governments to fund urgent and extensive upgrades of the South Coast Highway. A safe, reliable road meeting the needs of users and stakeholders is clearly in the best interests of all levels of government and community.
Esperance Port Access Corridor Stage 2 – covering three heavily trafficked intersections along the Main Roads WA (Main Roads) managed Harbour Road, the Shire understands that Main Roads has commenced preliminary concept design work for the much-needed Stage 2 of this project. Serious safety concerns surround the Harbour Road/Pink Lak Road intersection, which is complicated by an immediately adjacent railway level crossing, and interaction between heavy and light vehicles and pedestrians; many of them children on the way to and from the local primary school and the only public high school in Esperance. The other two intersections, of Harbour Road with South Coast Highway and Harbour Road with Coolgardie-Esperance Highway, also require improvements. These intersections are key entry and exit points providing traffic flow east, north and west, and have high interactions of heavy vehicles such as road trains with light vehicles such as family cars delivering children to school and workers to their place of employment. All these intersections naturally cause our community severe concern. The Shire continues to advocate to both State and Federal Governments on behalf of our community, representing their fears and concerns not only for loved ones, but also for businesses and travellers, agitating for action to fund this critical transport infrastructure.
Our community can be confident that the Shire will not only fulfill its core local duties but also actively champion the community’s interests in areas beyond its direct control. We will persist in advocating for enhanced safety, education, transport, and amenities by engaging with State and Federal Governments to put matters of concern firmly in front of them.
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