Katanning Supertown Heritage Centre Project (KSHCP)

The KSHCP: Housing and Community Development Project for Community Growth was awarded funding of $15.72m from Royalties for Regions (Growing Our South) and $2m from Lotterywest  in May 2016. The Shire of Katanning has committed a minimum of $630k to the project.

Project Components

The KSHCP is composed of the following sub-projects:

  • Master Plan
  • Welcome Precinct (incorporating Changing Places facility)
  • Town Centre incorporating;
    • Cultural Precinct (Austral Terrace North)
    • Austral Terrace South
    • RV Overnight Parking and Dump Point
  • Piesse Lake Residential Sub-Division
  • Piesse Lake Park
  • Relocate Bowling Club

Current Sub- Project Status

Master Plan:

The master planning process has now concluded. The first draft of the Master Plan was completed by Hames Sharley by 27/6/2017 with the final version adopted by Council at the OC Meeting 31/10/2017. A final version was completed in December 2018 and circulated in January 2018

Hames Sharley are also commissioned to develop briefs for the component sub-projects as well as review and advise on concept plans produced for each sub-project.

Welcome Precinct:

Welcome Precinct & All Ages Playground

Following a Request For Tender process Plan E has been engaged by the Shire of Katanning to undertake the Design Development, Construction Documentation and Tendering, and Contract Administration of the Welcome Precinct project. The Design Development Phase commenced in March 2018.

The project team worked with members of the Welcome Precinct Working Group as well as members of the KSHCP Project Advisory Group to develop the detailed design. Council approved the detailed design at the Ordinary Council Meeting on 26/7/2018. Work then commenced on the tender drawings with tenders for the construction of the Welcome Precinct & All Ages Playground called in mid-October and closing on 14/11/2018. Following the evaluation of the tender responses Council accepted the tender from Environmental Industries as the best value response for the Shire.

Work has already commenced on relocating the children's playground equipment. The construction of the Welcome Precinct is scheduled to finish by August 2019.

Changing Places

The Changing Places facility has been fabricated by Modus. Modus are waiting confirmation of the site location as per the Design Development Report. Construction on site will commence following Modus obtaining Building Approval.

Town Centre Precinct including the RV Dump Point and Overnight Parking:

Workshops have been held on:

Workshop #1 26/2/2018 – General introduction to the project

Workshop #2 28/3/2018 – Establish a draft priority list of sub-projects

The priority list approved by Council is:

  1. Austral Terrace footpath and Dome corner.
  2. Signage and arrival points.
  3. Trees and planting.
  4. Austral Terrace parking areas from Clive St roundabout to and including the Railway Station.
  5. Tourism- strategy to service tourism.
  6. Aberdeen St – RV overnight parking and RV dump point.
  7. Roundabout- improve RV negotiability.
  8. Paving Strategy and Street furniture.
  9. Austral Terrace carpark south of the Railway Station.
  10. Improve landscapes to the four parks and links at the Clive St/ Austral Terrace/ Railway node.
  11. Katanning Stories – heritage trails
  12. Taylor St pedestrian and lighting upgrades

 The Dome corner sub-project is substantially completed.

Concept plans have been developed for:

  • Austral Terrace parking area Clive St to Railway Station
  • Aberdeen St RV overnight parking
  • Improve landscape to the four parks – RSL Memorial Park & Rotary Wishing Well

These plans are being developed with the Townscape Committee.

Piesse Lake Residential Sub-Division:

The Piesse Lake Residential Development project is a medium density residential development adjacent to Piesse Lake and the Piesse Park development. The Katanning SuperTown Heritage Centre Project Business Case (2014-15) stated that:

For regional towns, such as Katanning, an attractive visual amenity couple with a variety of recreational areas offering a variety of experiences is crucial to being able to attract and retain people to live, work and invest. Further, in order to reach its growth potential, it is important for Katanning to be able to offer a diversity of residential options. Though currently not experiencing housing demand, the Great Southern Housing Needs Analysis [1] has identified that future demand will soon outstrip supply.

To address this housing need and to value add to revitalisation projects already undertaken through the SuperTowns program, the Shire has identified the Piesse Lake Development as a key project component. This will be a transformational project offering medium density, high amenity residential land options adjacent to a unique community recreation area east of the CBD, which will assist in the attraction and retention of population.

In addition to servicing local residential need and delivering social and economic community benefit through amenity improvements, the development will also contribute a substantial return through the tourism activity associated with the development’s Botanic Garden element. 

Hames Sharley were appointed to produce the concept plan for the Piesse Lake Residential Development after a Request For Quote was conducted on WALGA EQuotes. Wood & Grieve Engineers (WGE) has also been appointed to carry out the civil and service engineering design work. The scope of these commissions includes producing a business case for a major land transaction to satisfy the Local Government Act 1995 and to submit plans to the WA Planning Commission for planning approval and obtain approval.

It must be noted that this business case is a Local Government requirement under the Local Government Act and was not part of the decision making process to determine the viability of the Piesse Lake residential development. The business case is being undertaken to ensure the Shire of Katanning complies with the Local Government Act. The development is not a financially viable proposition for a developer hence the funding was secured through the Growing Our South Fund.

Hames Sharley recommended a mix of blocks from 3 to 4 dwelling single title sites and “4 packs” – a group of four strata-titled lots (refer to the Concept Plan Report pages 18-21). The Concept Plan included 7 four pack lots (28 lots total) of 360m2 each.

The Hames Sharley Concept Plan was approved by Council at the OCM 28 November 2017.

Drafts of the revised plan, Design Guidelines and the Business Case (Local Government Act) were presented to the 8 May 2018 Council Forum. 

Piesse Lake Park:

Emerge Associates are developing two Concept Designs and then one Detailed Design for the Piesse Lake Park.

Workshops have been held on:

Workshop #1 9/3/2018 – Introduction to the project.

Workshop #2 27/3/2018 – Concept Design workshop #1 (including Prof Steven Hopper)

Workshop #3 – 15/3/2018 – Review of 2 preliminary concepts

Consultation with the Noongar Leadership Group is being organised for June 2018 as well as a public consultation session in late June. The two preliminary concepts, with feedback from Workshop #3, will be discussed at these consultation sessions.

DRAFT CONCEPT PLAN 1

DRAFT CONCEPT PLAN 2

If you are unable to attend the Public Consultation please send us your feedback.

Relocate Bowling Club:

The Katanning Country Club (KCC) membership voted to have the Katanning Bowling Club relocated to the KCC at a Special Meeting held on 10 April 2018.

The concept plan is being updated to include the revised location as agreed by the KCC Management Committee. Further development of the design will be undertaken with the Shire project manager working with the KCC Management Committee.