Once a sleepy holiday hamlet within Mandurah, Silver Sands is about to undergo some major redevelopment following the adoption of a new precinct plan.
Once a sleepy holiday hamlet within Mandurah, Silver Sands is about to undergo some major redevelopment following the adoption of a new precinct plan.
The plan, which is awaiting approval by the WA Planning Commission, outlines the City of Mandurah’s vision for Mandurah Terrace and its surrounds – a road linking Silver Sands with the old part of town.
According to council minutes, the intention of the plan is to create a revitalised tourist area around Grand Mandurah Terrace Boulevard, including high-quality tourist accommodation and mixeduse development.
Those sites falling within the Mandurah Terrace precinct include the Silver Sands Timeshare Resort, the adjacent Silver Sands Tavern, the Belvedere Caravan Park and the Atrium Hotel.
Both the hotel and the resort have been pegged for development of eight to 12 storeys, forming nodes of highdensity development at each end of the precinct.
Buildings of up to six storeys would be allowed along the road in between these sites.
Silver Sands Timeshare Resort general manager Ivan Hill said while there were no firm plans for redevelopment, several developers had made approaches to the resort and discussions were being held regarding the future of the site.
Mr Hill said any development of the 22-year-old resort would involve a significant increase in density, and would most likely involve the construction of more self-contained units.
“Currently, there are 52 units over 2.5 acres, which is nowhere near enough.
There should be 150 to 200 units on a site of that size,” he said.
“The site also lends itself well to underground parking.” Next to the resort, the Silver Sands Tavern has attracted the interest of Nedlands-based developer QUBE Property Group, which is planning a joint venture with the tavern’s owners.
QUBE is in the process of finalising a deal with the owners and is yet to lodge a development application for the site with the council.
Belvedere Caravan Park owner Joe Gangemi said his plan was to retain the site as a caravan park at this stage, although that could change.
He said a redevelopment of the area would help to improve amenities and connect the old part of town with Silver Sands.
“I think the precinct plan is positive because the area has been relatively under-developed up until now,” Mr Gangemi said.
“I think if it’s done right, it can be a real asset.” There are no plans for a development of the Atrium Hotel site as yet.
The Mandurah Terrace Precinct Plan was adopted by the City of Mandurah in December.
City of Mandurah Mayor Paddi Creevey said the council had developed its precinct plan to prevent development occurring in an ad hoc fashion.
“We were aware that people would be coming in with plans to redevelop the area and we wanted to have something in place, up for public comment,” she said.
Ms Creevey said the council wanted to keep a diversity of residential, commercial and tourism users in the area.
“We were concerned that residential development was a more lucrative means of development than others, and we were really keen to ensure we got a good mix of commercial and residential use,” she said.
“If we don’t have a mixture of business and tourism activity, then we lose an enormous opportunity.
As the city gets redeveloped, we also need to ensure that there is both amenity and that it fits with our planning principles.”
