Parts of Dewar and Edwards streets will need to be permanently closed prior to their inclusion into a consolidated caravan park reserve if the Shire of Gingin proceeds with an agenda item listed for Tuesday, April 19.

The item also refers to the portions of Edwards and Dewar streets proposed for closure being combined with the adjoining Lot 425, which is the Guilderton Café lot.

Item 13.3 is titled Land valuation for road reserve closures Guilderton foreshore and the officer’s recommendation is that the council approve purchase of 362sqm of the Edwards and Dewar streets road reserves.

The officer’s report said the relevant portions of Dewar St and Edwards St were dedicated local roads, so they would need to be closed before they could be included in a consolidated caravan park reserve.

“Landgate’s Valuation Services has recently provided an unimproved market valuation for the 362sqm portion of Edwards and Dewar streets proposed for closure, the officer’s report said.

“On the basis that the land will be amalgamated with adjoining Lot 425 on Deposited Plan 192419, the valuation is $70,000 exclusive of GST.

“If the shire is satisfied with this valuation, the Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage (DPLH) can prepare a land sales memorandum to be presented for executive approval.”

The officer’s report said investigations in 2013 found that portions of the caravan park were located on seven separate Crown reserves (Reserves 21473, 25006, 25007, 25009, 25751, 31353 and 36048) and the road reserves for both Dewar St (Polygon Number 11432390) and Edwards St (Polygon Number 11432375).

“The shire currently has power to lease over just Reserve 25007, which covers a small portion of the caravan park.

“Both the shire and DPLH would consider it ideal for the caravan park to be consolidated into a single Crown reserve with a power to lease provision.’’

The report cites the Shire of Gingin Strategic Community Plan 2022-2032 with the aspiration of planning and sustainability for future generations and the strategic objective of planning the use of the land to meet future requirements incorporating economic development objectives and community amenity.

The officer’s report said closure of the roads would be subject to the requirements under Section 58 of the Land Administration Act 1997 (LAA) and Section 9 of the Land Administration Regulations 1998 (LAR), involving advertising of the proposed road closure for public comment and referral of the proposal to public utility providers (Water Corporation, Western Power, ATCO Gas, Telstra etc.

According to Landgate public roads are closed in the following ways:

• by registration of a Ministerial Order under s.58 of the Land Administration Act (LAA)
• by a taking of all, or part, of a road for a public work under the LAA
• by the passage of an Act of Parliament

Shire of Gingin President Wayne Fewster said only the parts of the roads, which protruded into the caravan park would be closed.

Cr Fewster said their closure would not limit public access to the Guilderton foreshore or the foreshore car park, the boat ramp and the finger jetty.

He said once the lots were tidied up into a consolidated caravan park reserve it would give the shire the option to lease the caravan park to a private caravan operator instead of the situation now where they were limited to having someone manage the caravan park.

He said the portion of road reserves to be closed and amalgamated within Lot 425 (Guilderton Café) would allow for expansion of the café if required.

This article appeared on Yanchep News Online on 18 April 2022.