[Greens-Media] Swan Valley review a disappointing exercise in futility: WA Greens

[Richards, Kirsten]

Following the release of the Swan Valley Land Use and Management Discussion Paper, WA Greens Member for East Metropolitan Alison Xamon this week in Parliament said the report left the Swan Valley community feeling ignored, disappointed and frustrated.

Speaking in Parliament, Ms Xamon said the Swan Valley was a significant agricultural, agri-tourism and heritage area.

"The Swan Valley has long been recognised for its significance and attempts have been made to keep it rural, despite its proximity to the city culminating with the Swan Valley Planning Act 1996.

"Viticulture and small family businesses are at the heart and soul of the valley.

"These people care passionately about the valley and what will happen in its future - which is reflected in the submissions they have made to the Swan Valley review process. 

"The concerns of my constituents in the valley include the volume and types of development that have been approved and will be approved; the area under productive vines; the amount of water available specifically for agricultural pursuits- this is an issue that comes up time and again; succession planning; the economic viability of agricultural businesses on small lots so close to the city; and the coordination of the regulatory bodies involved in the process. 

"These issues are well known and well understood and solutions have already been proposed, many of which have much in common regarding the valley's future.

"Residents want to keep it rural, protect the viticulture industries, promote agri-tourism and, ultimately, achieve economic success for the valley. 

"I have met with these constituent groups and all of them have very much the same concerns. 

"The stress that the current system and framework is putting on the achievement of those goals is stark and obvious. 

"This is why this most recent discussion paper has been such a disappointment to the Swan Valley community. 

"The report simply asks people to work together to provide a vision for the Swan Valley in the future. 

"We already have that. We know what people want for the future of the valley. 

"What people wanted from the review, and what is missing, was an articulation of the combined visions of all the parties. 

"The community wanted this report to assess the feasibility of the solutions proposed by stakeholders - those ideas where people agree and those for which a judgement call ultimately needed to be made. 

"And the community wanted the report to look at what was required to implement those solutions, their economic viability and whether they are likely to achieve the identified goal of a successful rural and viticultural region. 

"Instead, people feel as though they have not been listened to at all, despite the fact that so many of them are saying the same things and have been saying it over and over again. 

"This is a disappointing report that does not tell anybody anything that they did not already know. 

"My constituents in the Swan Valley, and those from other areas who value the region, deserve better and residents are entitled to demand answers as to what is planned for the future of the Valley because this report failed to shed any light on that."