
Premier Colin Barnett and Regional Development Minister Terry Redman today officially opened the first section of the Esperance Waterfront redevelopment.
The James Street Precinct development will maximise the Esperance foreshore – one of the town’s greatest assets – and includes beach pathways, a lawn area and gardens, including a landmark sculpture of a whale tail.
“The James Street precinct is a key area of the Esperance Waterfront redevelopment, providing easy beach access and a plaza, at the centre of which is the community’s newest piece of public art – this magnificent whale tail sculpture,” Mr Barnett said.
“The Esperance Waterfront redevelopment is a dynamic project which will link the foreshore with the town centre, providing economic stimulus for businesses and adding to the dynamics of the Esperance town revitalisation project.”
Regional Development Minister Terry Redman said the $24.1million Esperance Waterfront project, scheduled to be fully finished by September, was made possible with $21million from the State Government’s Royalties for Regions program.
“The foreshore precinct will provide a vibrant community space for residents and tourists to enjoy recreational activities and will be an important part of the social fabric of the Goldfields-Esperance region,” Mr Redman said.
“This landmark project is testament to how Royalties for Regions, in collaboration with key funding partners, delivers its vision to modernise and transform regional communities.”
The waterfront redevelopment project also received funding from Lotterywest, Bike Network, Magellan Fund and round three of the Regional Development Australia’s Small Towns funding.
Further work on the foreshore is planned which is expected to take the total cost of the Esperance Waterfront refurbishment, when complete, to more than $46million.
Fact File