Dunsborough community vows to fight SAT decision

Puma2Go community action group spokesperson Trish Flower said that while the decision was incredibly disappointing, the community would continue to let PUMA and DCSC know they were developing the wrong location on the corner of Dunn Bay Road and Cyrillian Way.

“Just because it’s legal, doesn’t mean it’s right,” she said. 

“It’s so sad that a handful of local residents who are in the DCSC landowner group along with well-known Perth property and business identities would put their own profit above the clear wishes of the community. It is also sad that flaws in the town planning scheme should allow this to happen.

“To pretend this is not a petrol station in the centre of our town makes a mockery of local planning and local planning laws.

“As the old saying goes, we might have lost the battle but we haven’t lost the war,” she said. 

City of Busselton Mayor Grant Henley said the city was dissapointed with the decision. 

“The city and the community have worked closely together over the last few years to make the Dunsborough Town Centre more attractive and pedestrian friendly, and there is further work to do, including a fourth phase of streetscape works due to commence in the next few months,” he said.

“Unfortunately, if this development goes ahead, as it appears it now will, then the opportunity to further develop the town centre along main street and pedestrian friendly lines at that end of Dunn Bay Road is lost for quite a long time.

“We will carefully consider the implications of this decision in terms of our future planning, and certainly be looking at ways of avoiding more car-based development of this kind in the town centre in future.

“I would like to thank the community for their support of the city through this process, and also thank the Southern JDAP for their support of the city and the community.”

Tony Sharp, a fellow Puma2Go campaigner said they were not giving up. 

“We have pledges and support from roughly half the town to boycott this development,” Mr Sharp said. 

“Whoever takes up the franchise is on notice. They should expect no sympathy a year from now when they say they are just innocent bystanders.

“Many in this community will not forget when we united against this development."

Ms Flower said one positive take out from the Puma2Go campaign was a strengthening of community spirit in the town.

“Our campaign started in earnest late last year and we have had two fantastic community rallies which each saw 700 to 1000 people attend to show their support.

“We’ve had thousands of signatures on petitions and pledges to boycott the Puma station if it was eventually built.

“We’ve presented at community forums, had wonderful support from tireless volunteers, retailers and local artists donating works to support the campaign.

“We can use this spirit to campaign to the City of Busselton into ensure this mistake in town planning cannot happen again.

“We will be pushing for the Council to provide a concrete character plan for our town centre and tighten up their planning regulations,” she said.

For Puma2Go, the campaign is not just about the construction of a third petrol station, but the location in question. 

RAC WA listed the corner of Dunn Bay Road and Cyrellian Place as WA’s seventh riskiest regional intersection in March 2017.

“The City of Busselton is in the process of trying to improve our town centre amenity and making it more pedestrian-friendly,” Ms Flower said.

“This development flies in the face of road safety, public amenity, walkability and traffic flow.

“There are so many better locations it could be but it looks like greed has won today.”

Pledges can still be made to boycott the Puma petrol station and convenience store online at www.change.org/p/puma-energy-boycott-dunsborough-puma-petrol-station and www.ipetitions.com/petition/stop-dunsborough-choking