The state government has been urged to take the Peel Region more seriously, with the Peel Regional Leaders Forum (PRLF) stating Peel has been left behind and forgotten in terms of regional funding.
Peel Regional Leaders Forum executive officer John Lynch said the amount of funding Peel received through Royalties for Regions was misrepresentative of how much it put into the state.
“Of the nine regions, the Peel is the third highest contributor of royalties to Government. Yet, in the years 2008-2014, of $5.6 billion returned to the regions Peel received a measly $112 million, or two per cent,” Mr Lynch said.
“This was by far the lowest allocation to any of the regions. By comparison, the Wheatbelt and the South West received over $500 million each.
“This inequity continues. In 2014/15 Peel received $30 million, or three per cent of the $867 million allocated.”
Mr Lynch said the allocation was especially troubling as Mandurah’s unemployment rate hovers around 10.5 per cent, the second highest rate in Australia after regional Queensland.
The youth unemployment rate – those aged from 15-24 years – in the Peel Region is closer to 30 per cent.
“If this is not addressed it will have extremely serious social and economic ramifications for the community,” he said.
Many of the issues raised at the PRLF relate to the state government’s Perth and Peel @ 3.5 Million plan, which outlines the future development of the Perth Metropolitan and Peel regions.
Mandurah mayor and PRLF chair Mairna Vergone raised particular concerns over the adverse impacts of urban sprawl and unchecked population growth.
“We urge the Western Australian Planning Commission (WAPC) to take the concerns of the Peel Region seriously, and allow for more detailed planning, in a collaborative and open manner, before any final decisions are made,” she said.
Under the Perth and Peel @ 3.5 Million framework, the South Metropolitan Peel sub-region is predicted to grow to 1.26 million people by 2050, with almost 450,000 people residing in Peel.
This represents the largest growth sector in the whole of the greater Perth area.
“This scale of population growth for Peel could have serious implications on the ability of the road transport system to cope with increased traffic, adverse impacts on the consolidation of existing centres, and lead to the failure to address environmental and socio-economic issues – such as employment – that warrant special urgent attention,” Mayor Vergone said.
“Also, the State Government’s Perth Transport Plan for 3.5 Million and beyond has failed to address the future integrated public transport improvements required in the Peel sub-region, which is essential in dealing with the future population growth in terms of increased car dependency, restricted mobility and extensive traffic congestion.”
Ms Vergone also said the issue of social disadvantage affecting large groups of the community was especially urgent.
“These issues are of critical importance to our future community,” she said.
“As a region we consider it important that we raise these matters with the WAPC prior to decisions being made, as the leaders of the Peel Region fear that we have not been heard.”
