Kwoorabup Nature School jumps final council hurdle and retains 21-year lease previously granted

The Shire of Denmark council has voted in favour of the Kwoorabup Nature School and against the recommendations voted on at a special electors’ meeting attended by more than 430 people in June. About 30 people attended the council meeting on Tuesday night, some of whom made last-minute impassioned pleas during question time to stop the lease. All but one of the motions voted on at the electors’ meeting were considered to have no necessary further steps or actions. New provisions were made in the lease for the Denmark Lions Club, which received the first right of refusal to use the Station Master’s House outside of school hours and space within the building to display memorabilia. Acknowledging Denmark Machinery Restoration Group’s concerns about the school encroaching on its area in future, a formal peppercorn lease will be negotiated for a period of 21 years. Roy Mercer interjected with a simple “thank you” to the council. The creation of a heritage reserve fund for community group access was also put forward at the meeting, that either all or part of the $29,000 in lease money paid by the school goes to heritage projects. Cr Jan Lewis said the motion came as a result of “much concern on heritage assets within the school’s lease”. “I urge the community to be involved in the heritage area and the assets it contains,” she said. Cr Clare Campbell said she hoped the community could move on from the issue. “As a council, we’ve managed to navigate a pretty emotive debate,” she said. “This should help the school move forward, but also manage assets to bring the heritage area to life. “I hope we’re drawing a line and moving forward as a community.” Professor Andrea Gaynor said the next step in the school’s journey was to gain ministerial approval, which had a deadline of August 23. The school is seeking $1.2 million in capital grant funding to build three new classrooms to accommodate wait-listed children and offer single-stream classes. “I think we’ve got work ahead of us to work with all of the stakeholders on the reserve to produce those really good outcomes, but we’re looking forward to that,” Professor Gaynor said. “And we very much hope that we can put the division behind us now, that the whole community can come together and work for something good, rather than being divided. “We’re happy to listen to what people on the reserve, the other stakeholders, really want. “We know that the DMRG wants to preserve a village green effect between their building and the Station Master’s House, so in any future construction, we would try and accommodate that. “We want to have a look at how we can make those plans come to life with everybody’s agreement, and it will mean that there will have to be some compromises. “Not everybody will get everything that they want, including us, and that’s fine. “I think that there’s enough space and with enough goodwill, we can produce something that people find beneficial for everybody in the community.”