Chair's update - August - Peel Development Commission

Support for our local businesses is paramount to the recovery of our region right now. This is a long road and there are no easy or immediate answers, but with a collaborative approach, we can help drive both economic and social recovery – the jobs and wellbeing of the people of the Peel region.

The Commission has been busy working with stakeholders and continuing to advocate for government to focus on those areas that will do most to lift our economy and generate jobs.

I was pleased to hear of the government’s recent funding announcements with $8.65 million allocated for roads and drainage in East Keralup to help attract private industry, and the $9.17 million to South Metropolitan TAFE’s Mandurah Campus for a new Hospitality and Tourism Training Centre.

The Commission has been advocating for these facilities for several years and it will mean a lot to the region to have these training facilities available.

Loyalist College of Applied Arts & Technology CREDIT 2

Australian National Phenome Centre (ANPC)

Commission staff and the Transform Peel Committee had the privilege this month of being invited by Murdoch University for a tour of the National Phenome Centre housed in the Harry Perkins Institute.

Our thanks to Professor Jeremy Nicholson, an internationally-renowned pioneer in metabolic phenotyping for his presentation and explanation of the work the ANPC is doing. As the only facility of its kind in the southern hemisphere, the ANPC brings together all five Western Australian universities and leading health and medical research institutes. The ANPC will position Perth and WA as a global leader in precision medicine, and enable quantum leaps in predicting, diagnosing and treating disease.

Find out more about the ANPC here.

Community Cabinet Luncheon

On invitation by the Premier, I attended a State Cabinet Minister luncheon in Byford which was held with a range of local business and community leaders.

It was great to see the variety of representation at the event which really underpins the strength of this growing community. I was encouraged to see the announcement by the state government on the Metronet Byford Rail extension. The Metronet team has worked closely with the Shire of Serpentine Jarrahdale on the project with community information sessions to be held in coming weeks providing more information on works.

Also great news for the Serpentine Jarrahdale shire with $20 million funding committed to kick-start the Keirnan Park Recreation Precinct. These investments will really bring benefits to this fastest-growing part of the region.

Board Meeting – Shire of Murray

The Board of the Commission rotates its yearly meetings throughout the five different shires and this month we met at the Shire of Murray where lots of exciting projects have been happening and soon to be opening.

The Board was lucky enough to be taken on a tour to see the location of the new Bushfire Centre of Excellence being built, the site of the new WA Food Innovation Precinct and then headed out to Dwellingup to get an early look at the completion of the Dwellingup Trails and Visitors Centre which has its official opening on 10 September.

We also got to see the great renovations recently done at the Forest Heritage Lodge and then finished the tour with a visit to the Exchange Hotel in Pinjarra to inspect the new Foreshore development. Following are a range of photos from the tour.

Read more about the range of activities and initiatives the Commission has been involved with in our August e-news by clicking here.

Paddi Creevey OAM
Chair