Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Hamersley Project?

The Hamersley Project seeks to:

1. Prepare Lot 802 (12.4ha) for residential subdivision and development by:
   • rezoning the land from ‘Public Purpose – Commonwealth’ to ‘Development’ zone under the City of Stirling Local Planning Scheme; and
   • preparing a Local Structure Plan, which will show the detail of future residential development, including local roads, lot sizes and the placement of public open space.

   These local planning processes require federal, state and local environmental assessment.

2. Ensure that the local and regional biodiversity values are managed appropriately as determined through environmental assessments undertaken by WA’s Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Agriculture Water and Environment at the Federal Government.

When did The Hamersley Project start?

In 2017 the landowner, BAI Communications, identified that a portion of the 42ha at 179 Erindale Road Hamersley was not being utilised for operational purposes.

BAI Communications applied to the City of Stirling, to have this piece of land subdivided and the application was approved in 2018.

The land at 179 Erindale Road Hamersley now consists of Lot 802 [12.4ha] and Lot 803 [24.8ha].

Lot 802 is the site of The Hamersley Project.

Who is running The Hamersley Project?

The Hamersley Project is run by the landowner, BAI Communications. In Australia, BAI Communications is at the forefront of broadcast transmission, delivering 126 million broadcasting hours, reaching 99% of the Australian population.

They have a local team who are managing the environmental and planning assessment processes at a local, state and federal level.

Why are there applications to have this site rezoned?

The land is currently zoned ‘Urban’ under the Metropolitan Region Scheme and zoned as ‘Public Use: Commonwealth’ under the City of Stirling Local Planning Scheme No.3 (LPS3).

The land is surplus to the operational requirements of BAI Communications and as such there is the opportunity to request to rezone the land for a better use. A Local Planning Scheme amendment is therefore required to allow the land to be used for other purposes.  An application has been lodged with the City of Stirling to introduce a new ‘Development’ zone on Lot 802.

The Development zone would allow the site to be used for purposes such as housing and public open space.

What stage is the project at?

The project team are working with the City of Stirling’s planning and environmental officers to ensure that the next stages of the Local Planning Scheme Amendment Request address their policies and guidelines.

The team is also working with the Environmental Protection Authority and Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment to work through any environmental matters of state and national significance.

These environmental surveys are assessing the significance of flora and fauna at 179 Erindale Road, so that a responsible and sustainable approach based upon statutory assessment processes can be achieved.

In addition to the above, the project team are keeping the Western Australian Planning Commission and the Department of Planning Lands and Heritage informed about the project progress.

What are the next steps in the project?

In the second half of 2021 The Hamersley Project’s applications with the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) and The Department of Agriculture, Water and Environment (DAWE) should become available for public comment.

The EPA and DAWE will publicly advertise for comment when the applications are ready.

Has the local community been involved in The Hamersley Project?

Yes. The Hamersley Project team held two consultation sessions with the community in 2019. To read more about this process, visit the local community section of the FAQs to read more about this process.

When will this site be developed?

As this site is yet to be rezoned, there is no development construction schedule.

If the rezoning application is successful, Lot 802 will be sold to a land development company to pursue additional approvals to enable development and then construction.

The community will have several opportunities to provide feedback throughout those subsequent stages.

Who will develop this site?

Cedar Woods Properties, has been selected by BAI Communications as its preferred property development partner to develop Lot 802 for residential purposes, if planning and environmental approvals are granted.

Cedar Woods is a national developer of residential and commercial developments. With award-winning projects in Western Australian, Victoria, Queensland and South Australia, the company has grown to become one of Australia’s leading property companies with a portfolio diversified by geography, price point and product type.

Cedar Woods, has won numerous awards for its environmental excellence and has a strong reputation for being an environmentally and socially responsible developer in Australia.

What is going to be built on this site?

If the rezoning application is approved, a mix of new housing and new public open space could be developed on the site.

After the sale of the land, the new landowner will undertake subsequent planning approvals to determine what can be built on the land.

At present, the application is only to rezone the land.

How many homes will be built on the site?

Before determining the number and types of homes which can potentially be built, the amount of land which can be available for housing will be determined by the outcomes of the current environmental assessment.

Subsequently, the new landowner will have to undergo further statutory planning approvals with the Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage and the City of Stirling.

This process will include additional consultation with the community.

Will the roads around 179 Erindale Road change?

Traffic flow generated from the Hamersley project will depend on the number of houses approved, which is not known at this time.

Any future planning process will require a traffic management strategy which adequately address future traffic requirements to the satisfaction of the Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage and the City of Stirling.

Where is The Hamersley Project located?

The site is located at 179 Erindale Road, Hamersley, Western Australia.

How large is the site?

The Hamersley Project site (Lot 802) is 12.4ha in size.

In 2018, 42 ha of land at 179 Erindale Road was subdivided to create Lot 802 (The Hamersley Project) and Lot 803.

Who owns the site?

BAI Communications is the current landowner.

The land is held by Digital 4 Pty Ltd which is a subsidiary entity of BAI Communications Pty Ltd, that is used for holding its surplus land assets.

How long has BAI Communications owned the site?

BAI Communications acquired 179 Erindale Road in Hamersley, which consists of 42 ha of land, in the 1930s.

What is Lot 802 used for at the moment?

Lot 802 is currently private land, owned by BAI Communications. It is not accessible to the public and is not used for operational purposes.

Why are there applications to have this site rezoned?

The land is surplus to the operational requirements of BAI Communications and as such there is the opportunity to request to rezone the land for a better use.

The land is currently zoned ‘Urban’ under the Metropolitan Region Scheme and zoned as ‘Public Use: Commonwealth’ under the City of Stirling Local Planning Scheme No.3 (LPS3).

Any development to include housing and public open space requires rezoning.

Has the site undergone environmental surveys?

Yes. Seven comprehensive, independent environmental surveys of the site have been conducted since 2017.

Can the community access these surveys?

Yes. Information about The Hamersley Project proposal is available on the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) website .

More detailed information about the EPA’s referral is available on this webpage. The reference number is 2018/8324.

Who has conducted the environmental site surveys?

The environmental site surveys have been conducted by Strategen / JBS&G ; an accredited, independent environmental consultancy.

Is this a Bush Forever site?

No. The land is not, and never has been, designated as a Bush Forever site. It is privately owned land.

Are there any protected flora and fauna species at the site?

Yes. Some areas on site constitute Black Cockatoo foraging habitat of varying quality and some banksia species have been identified on Lot 802.

A range of environmental mitigation measures to meet and exceed statutory requirements are being proposed to the Commonwealth and State governments as a part of the environmental assessment process.

Is The Hamersley Project removing breeding habitat for the Black Cockatoo?

No black cockatoo breeding is evident from targeted Black Cockatoo surveys conducted on the site.

Specific environmental surveys have been undertaken to determine if tree hollows on site are suitable as Black Cockatoo breeding habitat.

One tree has been identified as having a hollow suitable for breeding. If this tree is determined to be healthy and structurally sound it will be retained as part of any future proposal on the land.

Will there be an environmental management plan for the site?

Yes.

We recognise the environmental features of this site and therefore a significant localised plan is currently being prepared. It will comply with the decision conditions under the Commonwealth’s Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) and relevant State law including the Environmental Protection Act 1986, the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016, Planning and Development Act 2005, and associated State and Local Government Planning Policies.

This plan will be made available for public comment via the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) and the Department of Water, Agriculture and Environment (DAWE) public advertising periods. The applications will publicly advertise for comment when the application is ready.

Is the new landowner going to maintain the environmental features of this site?

Yes. If the application for rezoning is approved, Cedar Woods will become the new landowner and the developer of the site and will be obligated to implement an environmental management response that is consistent with the conditions set by DAWE and the EPA.

Cedar Woods is a highly experienced, respected and environmentally and socially responsible developer in Western Australia.

Cedar Woods, has won numerous awards for its environmental excellence and has a strong reputation for being an environmentally and socially responsible developer in Australia.

Has the community been involved in The Hamersley Project?

Yes. The Hamersley Project team consulted with the community in 2019.

What consultation took place?

This consultation consisted of:

• Establishment of a dedicated website for the project.
• Letters were distributed by mail to more than 500 residents notifying them of drop in sessions on 17 June 2019 and 15 July 2019.
• Two face-to-face drop in sessions on Saturday 29 June 2019 and Saturday 27 July 2019 took place at the Hamersley Community Recreation Centre.
• Advertising of the drop in sessions was published in the local newspaper on 18 June 2019 and 19 July 2019.
• An online survey which was accessible via the project website from 1 June 2019 to 2 August 2019.
• A hard copy survey which was distributed at face-to-face drop in sessions.

The consultation sessions were well attended with 97 community members attending over the two dates.

The Hamersley Project also received feedback in the form of 86 completed surveys. 55% were completed online and 45% were completed in hard copy form at the face-to-face drop in sessions.

What information was presented as a part of the 2019 consultation?

The Hamersley Project team informed the local community about:

• The rezoning process
• The development process
• The site history and ownership
• The local context of the site
• The local movement around the site (roads and access)
• The environmental features of the site
• The town planning scheme amendment process (which was being undertaken in 2019)
• The Structure Plan (a future process the developer will undertake)

Why did The Hamersley Project consult with the community?

The consultation in 2019 was a voluntary process. BAI Communication chose to undertake this early elective consultation with the community to ensure any potential future development takes into consideration its views.

The feedback that was collected will help inform future decisions in relation to the Hamersley Project.

How has The Hamersley Project used this feedback?

There was a range of feedback provided and all items raised will inform future planning applications for the land. Of note was the following:

• Residents on Vickers St who would prefer to retain their existing cul-de-sac however pedestrian and cycle access for improved connectivity was suggested.
• Retention of some of the existing vegetation for mitigation of impacts to local bird species and also for local aesthetics.
• Desire by local residents to ensure a future development would be residential (not commercial) with a mix of detached dwellings and town houses which included adequate areas of public open space.
• Adjacent residents highlighted existing traffic flow and management issues and identified that the impact of this development on local traffic would be very important.
• Local walkability and connectivity were identified as very important and thus the project may provide opportunity to improve connectivity in subsequent detail design stages.

The community will continue to have further opportunities to have their say when the details are worked out as part of subsequent planning processes.