Mandurah Ocean Marina: Bid to enable carparks to be turned into luxury hotel

A new 4.5-star hotel could soon rise at Mandurah Ocean Marina.

TBB Planning, on behalf of its client WA Property Investors Pty Ltd, has applied to the city of Mandurah to change planning rules for two areas currently used for parking at the marina.

The sites are Lot 24 Breakwater Parade and Lot 107 Dolphin Drive.

The City of Mandurah currently has a 20-year agreement to use the 110-bay car park at Lot 24 until January 2039. He pays $1 a year and takes care of the maintenance.

There are no immediate changes to parking, but if a future development is proposed and approved the number of spaces will be reduced to 50.

The Dolphin Drive area is part of Seashells Resort. This facility, which includes outdoor parking, was the site of an approved but unfinished expansion of the facility.

These areas are some of the last undeveloped land in Mandurah Ocean Marina. They are close to Town Beach, shops and restaurants.

The applicants want to change planning rules for the sites so that they can be developed as a hotel or other tourist accommodation, small supporting businesses such as cafes, restaurants or shops, and a small number of residential flats.

The changes would allow buildings up to four stories along Breakwater Parade, up to eight stories in the remainder of Lot 24, and up to 14 stories in part of the Dolphin Drive area, which would be two times higher than the previously approved Seashells Resort expansion.

Land owners believe that this will make it possible to build a high-quality hotel. They have told city hotel groups such as Hilton, Marriott and Rydges that they believe a 4.5-star hotel would work well here and meet current demand.

Any future development would require a separate approval process and greater community consultation.

TBB Planning Director Rachel Chapman said in the application made to the city that the sites are very suitable for a hotel or tourism-oriented development.

“A hotel or tourism-style development would be compatible with the existing urban character of the area and enhance the area’s established function as a visitor and activity centre,” he said.

“The properties under consideration represent the last major tracts of land in the Mandurah Ocean Marina area that have yet to be developed.

“The change will provide certainty for landowners, decision-makers and the community through the application of appropriate development controls, while also enabling the delivery of a high-quality tourism development that strengthens Mandurah’s role as a leading coastal destination.”

Riptide resident Jacqueline Del Bravo asked at the council’s May 26 meeting whether the lease and restrictive covenant on Lot 24 would no longer be valid if the proposed land use and zoning changes go forward.

James Campbell-Sloan, the city’s director of strategy and economic development, said any changes to the agreement to allow for public parking would need to be considered by council before any construction begins.

“However, at this early stage of the process, the project proponent has agreed to provide 50 parking spaces to the public on a permanent basis within the project,” he said.

The city’s website says there are other free public parking options a short walk from the marina.

Ms Del Bravo also asked what types of entertainment venues would be allowed on the ground floor of the proposal, opposite the residences.

Mr Campbell-Sloan said uses such as restaurants, cafes, offices, shops, a brewery or tavern could be permitted as part of integrated tourism development.

“The current zoning plan highlights that non-residential uses must occupy the ground floor of a new development on sites with semi-active frontage, so there will be no housing,” he said.

“City officers have not yet completed their evaluation of the proposals and we need to ensure that the proposal results in an outcome that meets the strategic objectives of the area, while also bearing in mind regulatory requirements such as land uses and location, as well as zoning requirements immediately surrounding the site.”

Submissions City of Mandurah It closes on June 25th.