Housing crisis village plan for Margaret River town centre at old Water Corp depot on Willmott Avenue

A social housing developer is in early talks to switch its Margaret River focus to the disused Water Corporation depot on Willmott Avenue to develop housing for those most at risk of homelessness. If the project is supported by the Department of Communities, it could be a win for the town centre and some of the shire’s most vulnerable residents. The 2304sqm site was a key location identified by the Shire of Augusta-Margaret River in its lobbying efforts to the State Government and follows past rezoning to permit a medium-density project. Although the vacant site was previously said to feature up to 10 homes and as many as 50 residents, housing not-for-profit My Home hoped to develop up to 25 dwellings on the old depot. Perth-based My Home describes itself as “a facilitator for housing and land developments to accommodate disadvantaged people experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness”. The group was previously behind a planned social housing project on Clarke Road but chair and architect Michelle Blakeley said that vision proved unfeasible due to difficult planning conditions. However, that now opened the door for a possible even bigger development in the Margaret River town centre. “It is unfortunate the Department of Planning-owned land at 9 Clarke Road proved to be not suitable for residential use because of the impact of Environmental Protection Authority requirements,” she said. “My Home has been working with the shire, Just Home and Accordwest to provide homes in Margaret River for people who are homeless. “We are hopeful that when the transfer of the land at Wilmott Avenue is finalised, then there will be opportunity to build 25 homes for people who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless, based on the zoning of the surrounding residential land.” When the site was rezoned in 2023, some neighbours objected to the potential for increased density in the town centre. The Times previously reported problems at with the Clarke Road project were due to significant constraints including access to water and power. Ms Blakeley said the Willmott site was a stronger option. “The Willmott Avenue site is ideal for us because it appears to be free of latent conditions and is close to community amenities and retail which is important because some, likely many, of the residents will not have a car,” she said. Shire chief executive Andrea Selvey said the local government was yet to receive any updates from the Government. She said the project “will help to deliver the housing our community desperately needs”. “Housing affordability is a critical issue in Augusta-Margaret River so we’ll continue to urge the State to invest in solutions that will strengthen and support our community,” Ms Selvey said. A spokesperson from the newly-created Department of Housing and Works said it did not comment on transactions before land acquisition.