FAQ
given the rapid expansion of the City to the east and south, moving the Civic Centre to Cockburn Central will put us in the centre geographically of our City.
by locating the City’s leisure centre, Success Library, Cockburn Health and Community Centre (GP Super Clinic), Cockburn Youth Centre, Cockburn Gateway Shopping City and our Civic and Administration centre in the same precinct.
with a new Seniors Centre, Library, provision of children’s services, and some residential development. Also the slowing down and landscaping of Phoenix Road. It is envisaged the hub will draw more people, becoming an attractive space for all needs and ages.
building costs are constrained, interest rates are extremely low and the current administration site will not meet staff accommodation needs into the future
Why does the City need to move to Cockburn Central?
To be located in the centre of the City
To create a vibrant city centre in Cockburn Central
To reinvigorate Coleville Crescent into a vibrant community site
Now is a good time
How long has the move been considered?
The planning for a new administration building has been on the 'books' since 2006. It has been included in the City's Strategic Community Plan and Long Term Financial Plan with statutory reviews taken at two-yearly intervals. Those reviews have included community consultation, as required by the Local Government Act.
Will the Council maintain any presence at the Spearwood site?
Council is committed to retaining a strong civic presence in Spearwood. The proposal to Council will be to provide improved civic facilities on the site, for example, a bigger, purpose-built seniors centre (the current centre has outgrown its needs as its membership has substantially grown over the last ten years), a more modern library to meet the needs of the western suburbs, a new Early Years and Family centre, new youth activity areas and potential cultural activities.
Although an analysis will be done as to whether or not it is viable and cost effective to re-purpose the existing administration building, the City is committed to ensuring that these civic buildings will be more accessible and sustainable than the existing buildings.
What else is proposed for the Spearwood site and surrounds?
The re-development of the site, which is subject to Council approval, is likely to include some residential, potentially aged care, and commercial outlets, which will help to better connect this site to the community and to Phoenix shopping centre.
This, along with the proposed enhancements to Rockingham Road and the ongoing residential infill occurring in Spearwood, should all improve patronage of the shops. The Council is encouraging the owners of the Phoenix shopping centre to expedite the modernising of their centre so that it can better meet the needs of the growing community and its expectations of what a modern centre should offer the community.
Will this increase my rates?
The construction of the new administration centre is being planned so that it should not impact on the provision of services to the community nor should it increase rates. As a point of difference the City will also consider developing commercial tenancies such as a café and commercial office space in the complex, which could also be available for government agencies to occupy.
How long will this take?
At this stage the City has only embarked on the first steps of this process, that is the acquisition of the site in Cockburn Central and the commencement of feasibility studies into the redevelopment of the current site. The development of the new Administration Centre and the redevelopment of the existing site will take a number of years to progress and is subject to further public consultation and Council approval.