Industrial Lands Study FAQs
What is the Industrial Land Study?
Why is the City doing this project?
What is the City hoping to achieve through this Study?
How is the Industrial Land Study being undertaken?
What will you do with my comments on the Industrial Land Study?
What happens next?
Is the City rezoning my property?
Where can I get more information?
What is the Industrial Land Study?
The Industrial Land Study is a City of Greater Geraldton research project that will help shape Council’s position on future industrial and alternative energy proposals in our broadacre farming regions. We have engaged consulting firm LK Advisory to assist us with this project. Back
Why is the City doing this project?
Because we want to be well prepared when responding to industrial and alternative energy projects in future.
Currently, the City doesn’t have any formal position on what we think about industrial and alternative energy projects locating in our broadacre farming regions. On the one hand, we know these projects can bring investment, employment and economic diversity to the City and the Mid-West, and they could also be financially rewarding for our farming communities. But on the other hand, they might have some undesirable impacts and could also remove viable farming land from future production. Back
What is the City hoping to achieve through this Study?
Through the Industrial Land Study, we’re hoping to understand why these industrial and energy projects want to locate in our broadacre farming regions, what our farming communities think about this, and how we can formulate a balanced position to respond to these projects in future, so that we gain the greatest possible benefit for our community with the least possible impact.
Some of the questions the Industrial Land Study aims to answer are –
- Why are our broadacre farming regions are so attractive to large-scale industrial and energy projects?
- What do our farming communities think about these types of projects locating in their region?
- Which parts of our farming regions might be more or less suited to these types of projects and why?
- How can the City protect the interests of our farming community while being open to attracting new industrial and energy projects?
- What controls and conditions should be introduced if industrial and energy projects develop in our farming regions in future?
The answers to these questions will hopefully also assist landowners in making decisions about their own properties and providing feedback on any industrial and energy projects in future. Back
How is the Industrial Land Study being undertaken?
We have done a significant amount of research, mapping and are holding detailed conversations with landowners, government agencies, and industry stakeholders to gain a broad and balanced understanding of everyone’s ideas, preferences, priorities and concerns.
All of this research will be summarised and incorporated into a report that will be presented to Council early next year (2025). Depending on Council’s decision at that time, our intention is to then use the recommendations from the report to develop decision-making tools (like planning policies and any required changes to our Local Planning Scheme) so that we can effectively respond to industrial and energy projects in future.
Importantly, these decision-making tools will be advertised for public comment and feedback before they are implemented, so that they appropriately address the community and stakeholder feedback we’ve received through the Industrial Land Study. Back
What will you do with my comments on the Industrial Land Study?
All feedback provided during our consultation on the Industrial Land Study will be handled with care. Individual responses won’t be published, and any comments included in reports will be de-identified and combined with others to ensure anonymity and privacy. Back
What happens next?
The City will work closely with LK Advisory to analyse all survey responses and feedback received so that we can finalise the Industrial Land Study report and present it to Council for further consideration. Back
Is the City rezoning my property?
The Industrial Land Study is a research project that will help Council decide what, if any, changes should be made to our planning framework in future. The Study will provide some clear actions and recommendations for Council to consider.
If any changes are proposed to the zoning of any properties in future, then we will first engage directly with those landowners, and then publicly advertise any proposed changes before they occur. Back
Where can I get more information?
If you’d like more information about the Industrial Land Study, please contacting the City’s Coordinator Strategic Planning, Karrie Elder on (08) 9956 6914 or by emailing council@cgg.wa.gov.au. Back