SCARBOROUGH MLA, Liza Harvey has hit out at the City of Stirling’s rhetoric about ‘big plans’ for Scarborough saying that it’s time to stop the never-ending planning, make a decision and get on with it.

Mrs Harvey said the public was frustrated at where the Council was up to in its latest ‘big plan’ for Scarborough.

“You have the Planning Director telling the West Australian it requires another 12 months of detailed planning, the Chief Executive Officer saying it’s waiting on Tourism WA’s okay and the Council’s advertising saying it is going to Council for approval on 2 August,” Mrs Harvey said.

Mrs Harvey said the Council didn’t appear to be serious about developing a vibrant Scarborough.

“Developers have told me that they have reduced cafe, restaurant and small bar space from potential developments because it adds hundreds of thousands of dollars to cash-in-lieu contributions,” Mrs Harvey said.

“The City should be encouraging cafes, ice-cream shops, restaurants and small bars, not providing a significant disincentive.”

Residents, businesses and developers all know what is holding back Scarborough and it’s not the lack of a water playground – it is a Council that takes too long to make decisions and then places excessive conditions on approval that make developments economically unviable.

As a recent example, Council and Committee Minutes show that even a small gym development in Scarborough has taken months to approve and will likely be asked for nearly a million dollars as a cash-in-lieu contribution.

Mrs Harvey, who recently hosted the Tourism Minister, Dr Kim Hames, to discuss local tourism issues, said the State Government was hoping to spend millions of dollars bringing events to Scarborough over the next few years – yet events are difficult to secure without the supporting private infrastructure.

“We want to bring the Aussies Surf Lifesaving Championships back, but Scarborough needs some decent developments off the beach to maximise the opportunity.”

Mrs Harvey said it was incredibly frustrating that the City was attacking the State Government for not handing over money when they haven’t even asked for it.

“The City of Stirling, who will get a rates bonanza when Scarborough reaches its potential, is yet to ask the State Government for assistance – assistance the Premier says is likely to be available,” Mrs Harvey said.

Declaration: Liza Harvey and her family are local residents of Scarborough and her husband’s business Bluewater Tackleworld is located within the locality on property owned by her husband’s parents.