News & Events
Treechange the new seachange
Encouraging events for the
Horse & Pony Club
Small Farm Field Day a Big Hit
July 4th, 2008
Gidgegannup Showgrounds
Village News - June 2008
Small Farm Field Day
June 29th, 2008
Gidgegannup Showgrounds
Port Bouvard Ltd Supports Gidgegannup Events
Port Bouvard Ltd Seeks Gidgegannup Community’s Views
Workshop 2 Feedback
Following the April 5 community workshop to discuss the proposed development of the Gidgegannup townsite, a second workshop was hosted on 19 April. Participants were drawn from community members who had participated in Workshop One. This continuity of participants was necessary to provide consistency to the ongoing visioning for the town site.
The morning commenced with an introduction from Port Bouvard Ltd Development Director John Wroth, who outlined common themes that arose as a result of the April 5 workshop.
Workshop Two continued to focus specifically on the transect planning for the town site; how each transect would look; and sustainability options.
What is Transect Planning?
In town planning terms, a Transect Planning is a system of identifying a range of human habitats, from the most natural to the most urban. The SmartCode, developed by US firm Duany Plater-Zyberk and Company (DPZ) and used by town planners internationally is based upon six Transect Zones which describe the character of place, according to the density and their physical attributes. Therefore Transect Zones take into account aspects including building use, density, height, setback requirements and public streetscape . The generic zones used for Transect planning internationally are: T1 Natural, T2 Rural, T3 Sub-Urban, T4 General Urban, T5 Urban Center, and T6 Urban Core. In terms of planning for Gidgegannup, T1 Natural to T5 Urban Core are the applicable transects, which range from the existing reserves and bush areas (T1) through large agriculture lots (T2) and special rural two hectare lots (T3) to the core business district on Toodyay Road (T5). Zone T6 Urban Core which would be exemplified by the high density building seen in the CBD of Perth is not applicable to Gidgegannup.
View the Transect Model for Gidgegannup (1.1 MB)
Mapping Activity from Workshop One
George Hajigabriel of town planners Greg Rowe & Associates reviewed the six group maps that were produced in Workshop One (these can be viewed in on the Workshop One page) and presented an overarching map that encompassed all the common themes raised by the groups in Workshop One.
View the overarching map (4.6 MB)
View George Hajigabriel’s presentation (51.2 MB)
Development of Built Form Vision
Simon Youngleson of Simon Youngleson Architects and Urban Designers then presented a case study on the planning for the town of Witchcliffe in south Western Australia, to demonstrate the process used to develop the ‘built form vision’.
View Simon Youngleson’s presentation (22.0 MB)
Groups were then supplied with a Transect model for Gidgegannup together with a montage of images from around Gidgegannup and other similar locations within Western Australia. Group members were asked to choose three or four aspects that they would like to see applied to each transect. These aspects encompassed building materials, streetscapes, colours and styles.
View the Transect Model for Gidgegannup (1.1 MB)
View the montage of rural images (3.3 MB)
Features identified as a preference in the town centre included a common square, with shops aligned around the edge. The option of double storey premises, combining residential above the shop floor, was also popular. This design has the added advantage of creating 24 hour passive surveillance of the streetscape.
The workshop participants indicated that they would like to have wide pathways and verandahs on buildings, to act as protection from the sun and rain and support passive solar design. The community also reinforced a preference for denser housing in the town centre, radiating out in size until it reached the existing five hectare rural residential lots.
As a visioning activity, participants wrote about how it would feel and look to live in Gidgegannup in 2028. Responses resonated with the need to retain the natural feel and identity of Gidgegannup, while increasing the convenience in the daily life of residents. There was a strong focus on creating a town centre that would act as a social hub for all ages.
View the summary of peoples comments for each transect (72 KB)
Sustainability Options
The final activity for Workshop Two commenced with a presentation by Josh Byrne of Josh Byrne & Associates on the sustainability options available at the moment. Some of the options outlined included grey water reuse systems, passive solar design, photovoltaic panels and waterwise plantings.
View Josh Byrne’s presentation (30.63MB)
Groups were then asked to indicate sustainable concepts that they felt were appropriate for each transect once again. Of particular interest was the continuation of poultry and fruit and veggie gardens in the back yard, regardless of size. Consideration was also given to a community garden, located in the town centre.
Grey water reuse, returning energy to the grid and also passive solar building designs were common themes that the group reinforced during this session.
View pictures of sustainable options (827 KB)
View the sustainable options index (57 KB)
View the summary of peoples comments re sustainability for each transect (54 KB)
Feedback
Workshop participants gave the following feedback:
100 per cent of the respondents agreed or totally agreed their opinions were listened to during the workshop process, that the group’s opinions and views were listened to by the facilitator/s and project team and that facilitator/s managed the workshop in a professional manner. In addition, 94 per cent of the respondents indicated they were able to openly voice their opinions during the workshop, while 83 per cent found the background sessions interesting and informative.
Some of the comments given in the feedback included:
“I’m excited about the concepts presented - coherence of all elements in the development will benefit us all. I don’t see them as ‘restrictions’ but as benefits to the final desired outcome”.
“Loved Simon Youngleson’s design concepts presentation – heartening”.
“Building trust and good communication with the whole community is important but always a major challenge. Block sizes, water and sewerage are important issues that need to be discussed”.
Read the entire Workshop Two feedback summary (48 KB)
Next Steps
The next step in the consultation process will open up again to the wider Gidgegannup community, when a series of community forums will be held on a range of topics including:
- Older residents, seniors and retirees (including those that are considering downsizing from the family home)
Monday 19 May, 5:30pm - 7:00pm - Recreation and civic clubs
Tuesday 20 May, 5:30pm - 7:00pm - Eco-tourism and visitor retention
Wednesday 21 May, 5:30pm - 7:00pm - Environmental sustainability
Thursday 22 May, 5:30pm - 7:00pm - Abutting land owners to the proposed town site
Saturday 24 May, 1:30pm - 3:00pm - Farmers, small landholders and agriculture businesses
Saturday 24 May, 3:30pm - 5:00pm - Youth (parents welcome)
Sunday 25 May, 1:30pm - 3:00pm - Business owners and economic development (predominantly along Toodyay Road)
Sunday 25 May, 3:30pm - 5:00pm - Equestrian sector
Monday 26 May, 5:30pm - 7:00pm
If you would like to express your interest in taking part in one of these community forums, please contact us.