Fini Group hybrid hotel proposal for Margaret River’s Fearn Avenue wins State appeal bid chance

The backers of a proposed hybrid hotel that stirred community angst last year have had their protest upheld by the State Administrative Tribunal and will go back for reconsideration.

Although WA’s Regional Development Assessment Panel last year approved the Fini Group’s plan for a 32-room mixed-use hotel on Fearn Avenue, the panel’s deliberations exposed major flaws in parking arrangements in the Margaret River town centre.

The Times understands the renewed bid aims to throw out the RDAP’s instructions to pay compensation for a shortfall in parking, with the hotel’s planners claiming many of its guests would come via bus and won’t need all of the bays normally stipulated under existing planning frameworks.

A Fini Group spokesperson told the Times they weren’t against cash-in-lieu arrangements despite seeking to have that condition removed.

The project team also didn’t want a stipulated lease on a small patch of adjacent crown land for the sake of six more parking bays.

“It is an unnecessary financial impost on the project,” a spokesperson said.

“The rationale is the same as for the lease, which is that the thinking about parking for future tourism development is dated and not good sustainable practice.

“The developer is focused on attracting small specialist group tourism to the South West and that should be encouraged, not penalised.”

The project stirred residents on multiple fronts last year, with CBD business operators incensed a major developer faced having parking requirements waived despite many of them paying private leases to meet requirements.

The project removing six rammed-earth homes from Fearn Avenue also sparked an outcry.

A Shire spokesperson said the local government would not comment in the hearing because it was now a matter between SAT and RDAP.