Release of study on Darkan development

A detailed study of Darkan and people who live in and around the South West town suggests plans to spend $3.5 million on local industrial development are going to do far more than provide extra jobs.

"The investment will almost certainly lead to major improvements in lifestyle of each of the 1,056 inhabitants," Deputy Premier Ian Taylor said today.

"From shopkeepers to schoolchildren, all are likely to benefit in some way."

Mr Taylor was speaking at the Darkan Sports Complex, where he released the first copies of the new study: 'Darkan, a Community Profile'.

The study was completed as a joint project between the Shire of West Arthur and the Department of State Development.

It has been designed to give the local community a clear picture of itself as it prepares for the construction of the new Deras tannery and the 20 to 35 extra jobs the tannery will create in the town.

Construction of the tannery is expected to start at the end of the month.

The tannery is being established to enable the Swedish company, Asea Brown Boveri, (ABB), to meet some of its countertrade obligations to the State Government.

ABB has agreed to either spend or invest $74 million in the State as a result of winning the contract to build electric trains for the Perth rail network.  ABB introduced Deras to help it fulfill part of that commitment.

"The Darkan study is a fascinating document that should provide not only a tool but an incentive to make Darkan an even more pleasant place to live," Mr Taylor said.

"By highlighting some of the community's problems, the study has provided the first step in the planning process to work out solutions.

"It has pinpointed issues and opportunities for improving education services; it has shown the need to provide more residential and industrial building blocks; and it has thrown new light on the problems and opportunities for local businesses.

"But most importantly, the document is providing the people of Darkan with a new perspective of their town and shire which can be used greatly to their advantage in the years to come as they devise new ways to improve their social and physical infrastructure."

Mr Taylor said there was little doubt that the new tannery would put pressures on those services, but without the study it would have been impossible to gauge how much.

"The Department of State Development will now be adopting a co-ordinating role to ensure State Government assistance is available to help the Shire meet those demands," he said.