Millions of dollars worth of investment is currently on the cards for Dunsborough with a number of proposed developments underway.
In August 2019 the City of Busselton council approved the development of a multi-use five storey building on the corner of Dunn Bay Road, Seymour Boulevard and Chieftain Crescent.
A building permit has not been lodged for the development as yet but it proposes to include two commercial levels, two residential levels and one car park level.
In October 2020, the Mail reported that a tourism development was given conditional approval by Regional Joint Development Assessment Panel (JDAP) to construct 58 chalets on Caves Road.
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The latest project to be proposed aims to create a new entry statement into the town centre from Cape Naturaliste Road.
A multi-use complex at 59 and 61 Dunn Bay Road, on the site where Peko Peko is located, will set out to support multi-function events, bring morning through evening activation to Dunn Bay Road and promises a high interaction with the streetscape.
Place Development is the team behind the project who are working with the City of Busselton to meet the city and state's planning guidelines prior to public consultation.
All going well, the team hope to begin construction in quarter two of 2021 and complete the development in early 2022.
Place Development Australia director Rob Bates-Smith said the project included 18 boutique cabins located on the western side of the property which standalone with private outdoor decking to provide unique and experience-led stays.
Mr Bates-Smith said the accommodation side would be supported by a micro-brewery, coffee roastery, kitchen and relaxed dining.
He said the project would assist the shortfall of accommodation within Dunsborough's town centre.
"We are bringing together some of Western Australia's best operators to ensure a highly activated, interactive and relaxed social hub that celebrates the local South-West culture," he said.
"The level of support from the local community and the City to date has been extremely positive and we look forward to delivering a highly-considered outcome for locals, visitors and operators alike."
The vision behind the project is to deliver an aspirational development that celebrates local culture and embraces the native environment surrounding the property.
The development has been designed to ensure a light-touch approach to the existing Dugelup Brook creek line and the substantial retention of trees, native landscaping and solar optimisation.
Another large scale project for Dunsborough went before the JDAP on December 5.
The development proposes to construct a partly three and partly four-storey apartment building on Geographe Bay Road.
The applicant DMG Australia has proposed building a mostly residential complex valued at $12 million over four lots on Geographe Bay Road and Lorna Street, bordering Seymour Park.
The proposal includes a building comprising of a restaurant on the ground floor, 28 residential apartments, a gym, 44 secured undercover car parks, five motor cycle bays and four on-street parking bays along Geographe Bay Road.
There were 121 submissions received during public consultation with 105 people objecting to the development.
Residents who made a submission were mostly concerned about the scale and height of the proposed building.
The applicant DMG Australia declined to comment on the application before a final decision has been made, which was deferred at last week's JDAP meeting.
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City of Busselton director of planning and development services Paul Needham said JDAP deferred the decision to allow further consideration of car parking associated with proposed café and issues relating to how the proposed development related to Seymour Park.
Mr Needham said as per the city's recommendation in the responsible authority report, the proposed building height (which was partly three and partly four storeys) was considered reasonable in the context of the area.
He said the application broadly satisfied the planning controls (both within the City's Local Planning Scheme No. 21 and State Planning Policy 7.3 which allowed up to four storeys in R80 coded areas) that related to the land.
"It is noted that the JDAP has not required further consideration of building height as part of the deferral proces," he said.
