Labor misleading over Bunbury land sale

24/3/00
Labor Party claims that the State Government sold a parcel of land at Bunbury for half its value are false and misleading, Regional Development Minister Hendy Cowan said today.
Mr Cowan said that the bid submitted by BGC for $506,000 was the highest of four bids received and the sale had proceeded after advice was received from the Valuer-General's Office.
He said the land was still zoned rural when sold by the South West Development Commission (SWDC) in 1999, giving the property lower value than if zoned for industrial use.
"The Labor Party is basing its claim on the property's value as industrial land, but that is not what we were dealing with at the time of sale," the Minister said.
"Bunbury City Council initiated rezoning of the land after the sale had been completed.
"The town planning scheme as it existed at the time clearly identified the property as rural land and there was no certainty that rezoning would be approved for industrial land use."
Mr Cowan said the land in question had been purchased more than ten years ago, under the former Labor administration, when it was considered necessary for realignment of the Preston River as part of long-term plans for expansion of Bunbury port.
In early 1999, Bunbury Port Authority undertook a study to examine its land requirements and decided that this land was no longer needed for expansion. There was, therefore, no further need for the SWDC to retain the land.
The SWDC was authorised to put the land out to sale by tender, with a wide public advertising process. Tenders were considered by a panel comprising SWDC, Landcorp and an independent chair, Christie and Associates (land valuers and property consultants).
"The process was entirely correct and taxpayers have virtually recouped the purchase price, which would not have been the case had the land been used as originally intended," Mr Cowan said.
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