The WA Appeals Court has upheld the appeal to a Supreme Court decision that gave the green light to a Puma service-station development in Dunsborough.
Last May, the Supreme Court ruled that the Puma development could go ahead. But the Joint Development Assessment Panel (JDAP) appealed the decision.
Puma tried to stop the appeal through a Directions Hearing. But, last Friday, WA judges upheld the appeal.
So the legal battle between Puma and local pressure group Puma2Go continues.
‘Very pleased’
“We’re very pleased with the outcome of the decision to uphold the appeal,” Puma2Go spokesperson Jenny Fletcher said outside the courthouse on Friday.
“Putting a petrol station, on a busy intersection, in the middle of our main street, 300m away from two other petrol stations, is wrong on so many levels.
“We’re urging the local developers, DCSC (Dunsborough Centrepoint Shopping Centre) and Puma, to listen to the community and put the development on the edge of town.
DCSC will be leasing the land to Puma if they build the new development.
“The City of Busselton does not want this development,” Ms Fletcher went on. “Over 99 per cent of the residents surveyed do not want this development in the centre of town. DCSC and Puma are putting their own profits ahead of the people of Dunsborough.”
Friday was the third time in the past 18 months that Dunsborough residents travelled to Perth. They did so, they said, to show their support for JDAP and its fight to preserve Dun Bay Road, which they describe as the holiday town’s main street.
‘Strong community feeling’
In an earlier statement, Ms Fletcher said, “We think it’s very important both the judicial system and the politicians realise the strong community feeling there is against this development.
“The only reason this development is going ahead is due to the developers’ lawyers exploiting a legal loophole that has subsequently been closed. The town is united in its fight against the development going ahead in this location.
“We have identified other viable locations in Dunsborough to Puma but it continues to ignore the will of the community.”
