11 February 2022
Whyalla Mayor Clare McLaughlin is calling on South Australia’s major political party leaders to make a once off, $20m funding investment to help revitalise the Whyalla foreshore and, in turn, the entire city.
Whyalla City Council recently adopted its Foreshore Master Plan – the result of extensive public consultation, which attracted close to 2000 responses and helped shape the direction of the plan.
Mayor McLaughlin said it was great to see so many local individuals, businesses, community groups and organisations contribute to the plan.
“The people of Whyalla have spoken, making it clear the Whyalla foreshore area is of significant importance,” Mayor McLaughlin said.
“This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity. If we get this right by making the investment needed now, we will see returns on this investment for the next 50 years.
“This is not something our ratepayers can afford alone, so we are seeking a commitment for a major investment by both sides of South Australian politics to help make it a reality.”
Mayor McLaughlin said Whyalla’s success was critical to the broader State’s economic prosperity, with over a billion dollars of private sector investment earmarked for development in the city, as well as hundreds of millions of dollars in exports from the Whyalla Port and domestic steel production from the Whyalla Steelworks.
“The pipeline of major projects expected to start in Whyalla this year are moving with significant momentum,” Mayor McLaughlin said.
“The city needs to provide and maintain high standards of amenity to support this private sector investment and residential growth. This project is therefore critical to improving the liveability of the city, as well as helping entice more families to relocate to Whyalla, while attracting more tourists into the city.
“We’ve had unprecedented visitor numbers since the opening of our unique jetty, so this plan will further capitalise on that and create even more reasons for people to visit, stay and spend their hard-earned money in Whyalla – helping the broader State’s need to stimulate the local tourism industry.”
Find out more about City of Whyalla’s South Australian election priorities here: https://bit.ly/34u5pdK