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Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Experts to Back Up Walker’s Key IIS Findings to RPDC panel

Walker Corporation will present 19 independent technical experts to back up the key findings in its Draft Integrated Impact Statement during the four weeks of public hearings into its Lauderdale Quay project which begin today.

Besides the enormous social, infrastructure and lifestyle benefits of the project to the local and wider community, Walker’s State Manager Lia Morris, says if approved, the project will bring vital jobs and investment to the region.

“The project will create around 1000 jobs in the reclamation stage, 4245 jobs during construction and an ongoing 178 jobs for its entire operation. Most importantly, it will provide a continuity of employment for construction workers during a period of decline for the Tasmanian construction sector,” Mrs Morris said.

Walker is currently developing more than $12 billion of property across the country but it is the area of waterfront development that Walker has particular expertise, including one of Sydney’s most iconic waterfront destinations Finger Wharf, Woolloomooloo, Rhodes Waterside, NSW, and Hope Island Resort, Qld.

“Walker has a long history of developing economically sustainable and environmentally sensitive projects and we are very much looking forward to the next phase in the assessment process beginning,” according to Lia Morris.

“We have demonstrated our commitment to the RPDC process time and again and we look forward to further review of our expert studies,” she said.

Mrs Morris said Lauderdale Quay was a reclamation project – a first for Tasmania and designed to suit Tasmania.

“It will not be a traditional canal development but rather a reclamation project where land forms are created surrounded by waterways.”

There will be expenditure of about $132 million during the reclamation phase, resulting in a net increase in the Tasmanian economy of around $46 million in Gross State Product.

The unique development in Ralphs Bay will be the first fully integrated master-planned development of its type in the State’s history and will open up a new lifestyle opportunity currently not on offer.

“We hope to allay concerns that just because it is the first of its type in Tasmania, that it shouldn’t proceed. We believe we have, and can address all valid concerns,” Mrs Morris said.

It will feature a total of 471 residential lots of which 248 will be waterfront with their own mooring facility. It will also offer the local community 18 hectares of new landscaped and revegetated parklands, nearly 4 kilometres of waterfront and parkland cycleways and walkways, and a 140-berth marina precinct.

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