State Government hits back at Frenchman Bay resort developer Paul King for dropping plans over “absurd” clause

The State Government has countered claims from a developer that the conditions it imposed on a Frenchman Bay resort were “absurd” and “unworkable”, stating the conditions are “standard”. A government spokesperson hit back at Seashells Hospitality Group managing director Paul King, after he dropped his plans for a $5 million luxury resort on a pristine stretch of Albany coastline on Monday. Mr King cited the City of Albany’s and State planner’s refusal to remove a condition that would require him to return the land for free in the event of coastal erosion as one of a “a number of reasons” the project has been mothballed. The spokesperson said the conditions of the development approval were standard for that sort of project and are there to “protect WA taxpayers from any future liability”. “In line with State planning policy, the proponent prepared the necessary coastal management plans which were considered by the Regional Development Assessment Panel and informed the conditions applied to the approval,” they said. “The proposal is compliant with State Planning Policy 2.6 Coastal Planning and the proponent did not raise any issues at any stage with those related conditions to suggest they were either unreasonable or unworkable.” Mr King also flagged the Water Corporation’s proposed desalination plant that, if approved, would deposit briny effluent into the basin of Frenchman Bay adjacent to the site as a reason for putting the resort on hold indefinitely. The spokesperson said Water Corp. was “still a way from a final decision” on whether a desalination plant in Frenchman Bay is the region’s solution to a new drinking water source.