An impending multi-million dollar Australind community precinct is being put to vote tonight

Australind residents could soon have their say on where an impending multi-million dollar community precinct will be built within the South West town. Shire of Harvey councillors are tonight expected to vote to open the landmark $15 million project to public consultation from next month, with a popular vote set to decide where the centre would be constructed. Plans for the precinct — which would consist of a library, administration centre, art and cultural gallery, tourism information desk and Indigenous Elders meeting area — were first unveiled last year as part of the council’s 2020-21 budget. The three potential sites for the project highlighted in Shire documents are the existing administration site in the town, the Leschenault Leisure Centre and Treendale. If the motion is passed at an ordinary shire meeting tonight, the public would have six weeks from next month to have their say on the proposed locations. Shire documents state the needs of the community and polling of location options would be assessed for input into a feasibility plan, which is due to go before the council in September. The project comes after a Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage WA Tomorrow population estimate, which says the number of residents within the local government area would grow to about 58,000 over the next three decades. Shire staffers state within the council agenda a large portion of this growth is expected to come from Australind and appropriate facilities were essential. “Population within the Australind area has grown rapidly over the last period, up to four times that of the rest of the shire,” documents read. “This will be exacerbated by the new land opened for development and with the construction of the Bunbury Outer Ring Road. “The need to develop an appropriately sized library, administration centre and community facilities fit-for-purpose within the Australind-Leschenault area has been identified.” The community consultation and feedback sessions are expected to cost $10,000, which had been budgeted for the project.