Preston River Blocks, South Western Highway, Bunbury

The Preston River Blocks project is located on South Western Highway, Bunbury. Harley Dykstra facilitated all planning approvals, subdivision approvals and also project implementation for this unique land site.We worked alongside our clients throughout the whole process that involved quite a few showstoppers, however, we have managed to overcome these challenges in a professional manner. The site, being five existing freehold titles, was constrained by no road access, no existing services (water, power, sewer) and fronting the Preston River, which comes with the usual environmental challenges.

One of the main challenges we tackled was negotiation of setbacks to the Preston River to be able to have an acceptable footprint on all of the proposed lots. Given the South Western Highway/Dodson Road intersection, a major challenge faced was giving access onto the South Western Highway. Initially the authorities wanted our clients to contribute payments towards installing lights at Dodson Road and South Western Highway to facilitate access to the site. The Dodson Road lights would have made the project unviable. However, after substantial negotiations this requirement was revised to create more of an individual entry road off the highway, a little bit removed from the Dodson Road intersection. These negotiations and associated outcome made the project once again viable. Another challenge faced was that of the existing road reserves and seeking partial compensation and closure of those roads. Substantial fill and geotechnical work had to occur. Existing drainage had to be negotiated with the relevant authorities for solutions. In terms of environmental challenges, there were quite a few existing trees and features on the site that needed protection.

The abovementioned land was previously seen as unviable for development. The outcome of this project is one that financially could work for our clients, and that created land with its own private access and facing the Preston River for amenity and enjoyment.

The project provides a good benchmark by which unique constrained undeveloped sites can be developed with positive outcomes, and workable solutions that underpin living spaces and buildings in the existing urban environment.