WITCHCLIFFE will be brought into a new era of sustainability after the Shire of Augusta Margaret River approved new plans for the development of an eco village.
Hulme Developments Ltd requested to change the shire's local planning scheme for the purpose of rezoning locations off the Bussell Highway from Priority Agriculture to Future Development.
Shire council voted 6-1 to approve the amendment at last Wednesday's meeting.
After three years of planning and purchasing, Hulme Developments owner Mike Hulme was excited to continue the next phase of the project.
"After studying eco villages around the world, I can say that his project has the potential to be in the top three in terms of absolute sustainability," he said.
However, the project has not come without opposition.
Witchcliffe resident Ken Collins said he opposed the amendment because there was not enough information.
"My wife and I are neighbours of the eastern and southern boundaries to the proposed eco village and have lived on the property for 32 years," he said.
"We accept that Witchcliffe is changing, but change should proceed methodically and follow the correct process from the start."
Mr Collins said the development had some good principals but he was shocked to see the size of the development and the extra dam. Mr Hulme addressed Mr Collins' concerns at the shire meeting and said the worry was unfounded.
"I certainly would not have built the dam if it wasn't sustainable," he said.
"I want to assure Ken and Robyn that we will do everything we can to work with them to ensure there are no downstream consequences."
The new development at the Sussex location 2807 and 2812 will see 300 strata titled lots surrounded by productive landscape held in common own e r ship.
There will also be solar passive housing, affordable houses to buy and live in, onsite employment opportunities, sev en hectares of netted orchard, six hectares of vineyard and eight hectares of olive grove.
Plans for the new development started at the shire in 2011 when council voted to consider amendments to the Witchcliffe Village Strategy.
Last year the WA Planning Comm ission approved a variation of the Witchcliffe strategy.
It was approved for location 2807 to become part of the eco village and location 2812 cha nged for a more conventional urban development.
The shire's minutes from November 26 shows Hulme Developments purchased both locations in order to develop the eco village.
The developers are hoping to be able to start on-site sales with titles available in April 2016.
Learn more about the Witchcliffe Eco Village here.