Local businessmen have given up on the restoration of a former Gunns timber mill in Collie, Western Australia, which was closed in 2007. Source: Collie Mail
The plan had been to restore the mill so that it could be a tourist attraction, displaying such attractions as restored mining equipment, while using the back of the 18.9 hectare site for their own industrial purposes.
Terry Massara, of Coalcliff Plant Hire, Nick Smargiassi, of Collie Steel and David Churches, of R32 Construction, are businessmen who had intended putting in money to fence the site, employ a caretaker and restore buildings and equipment.
“There’s just too much red tape,” Mr Massara said. “You just waste your time trying to do something but that’s what happens when too many bureaucrats are involved.”
The trio had formed an alliance with Collie Mining Heritage Group (CMHG) president Kevin Dyer to lobby government authorities and the Collie Shire Council to get permission to occupy the site, restore it and use some of it for business.
The CMHG and the Collie Historical Advisory Committee, which was formed after the council proposed selling the locos, went to the Department of Environment and Conservation with their plan.
The three businesses had the money and were prepared to do the restoration but they wanted permission to use the back of the site for their own purposes.
What Mr Smargiassi, Mr Churches and Mr Massara wanted to do on the site “can’t be done legally” according to DEC Wellington district manager Drew Griffiths.
“There is no room to move unless the law changes,” he said.
The department could put another lease in place but the activities had to be legal under the Conservation and Land Management Act. Lessees’ activities must be compatible with conservation, recreation, sustainable timber production or water catchment protection.
