Cossack Owners Appeal To Parliament
COSSACK landowners today called on WA parliament to explain why they cannot develop their freehold properties after two decades of promises to repopulate the historic town near Karratha. Greens Mining and Pastoral Region MLC Robin Chapple, in questions to Regional Development Minister Alannah MacTiernan, asked whether restrictions on development at Cossack penalised remaining landowners who still pay annual rates, charges and fees for land they cannot touch.
Freehold owners including Terry Patterson, Alan Wilson (William Shakespeare-Hall descendant), Vikki and Shane Donovan, Jim Davies, Jim Mentesana, Geoff Van Waardenberg and Beryl Quinlan say local and state authorities have stalled efforts to revive the 157-year-old town site.
There are 21 blocks owned by 14 people at Cossack 1500km north of Perth. As reported in the Christmas edition of StreetWise, many owners are now too old, ill and dying trying to fight for their right to develop their properties; the Shakespeare-Hall family having held their titles since the 1880s. Established as WA’s first North-West port and pearling centre, Cossack was dissolved as a municipality in 1910 after the pearling fleets moved to Broome. People lived here until after WW2. Mr Patterson, who is battling aggressive prostate cancer, has spent the better part of 20 years trying to develop land he hopes to hand down to his family.
“We just want to be able to do what we want on our properties,” he told StreetWise during a visit to Cossack today. Standing on his block overlooking the mouth of the Harding River, Mr Patterson said it was a tragedy landowners had died and gone bankrupt waiting for progress.
Mr Chapple referred the Government to its 2017 WA Labor document ‘Plan for the Pilbara’ and the City of Karratha’s local planning scheme No.8 Amendment No.44: “Can the Minister please advise what progress, in a general sense, has been made in revitalising the town, specifically in relation to the lands’ designation with a view to development and specifically in relation to the ability of landholders to develop their freehold properties?”.
Mr Chapple asked how much of the $425 million committed under ‘Plan for the Pilbara’ had been budgeted for Cossack and how much has been spent to date (Notably, Minister MacTiernan has overseen the expenditure of at least $2 million on heritage buildings in nearby Roebourne).
But, importantly for landowners, why did the Government knock back a City amendment last year that would have allowed small-scale developments such as glamping and caravan stays (though how much development would be allowed on the freehold blocks remains unclear). “Can the Minister confirm the proposed amendment was sound in regard to administrative procedures and environmental considerations?”. Additionally, “does the Minister agree that a lack of private development places the onus of preserving Cossack onto the State; can the Minister comment on the viability of the town of Cossack coming under the administration of the National Trust (WA), or similar heritage entity; at present, can Cossack landowners apply to construct small-scale temporary facilities such as caravan parks and campsites?”
Mr Chapple asked the Government whether it intended to permit such developments in the future and, “does the Minister agree the restrictions on development represent a sizeable opportunity cost for persons who invested in land in Cossack?”
He said landowners wanted to know whether the Government intended to buy back or replace the private lots if they cannot develop so that the heritage sites at Cossack are State-owned and, “has the Department liaised with local Indigenous representatives to discuss the future of Cossack?”
The Government has 11 sitting days to respond.
