The City of Greater Geraldton’s innovative way of giving residents direct involvement in the planning of their suburb has paid dividends, with Council’s adoption of the Draft Sunset Beach Precinct Plan at its March meeting, opening it up for public comment.

Last year Sunset Beach residents were invited to take part in three planning workshops allowing participants to assist in developing design principles based on their own community values and aspirations.

Mackay Urbandesign and Curtin University Sustainability Policy Institute (CUSP) were commissioned to prepare the precinct plan using feedback from workshop participants and incorporating the participants’ design principles to guide the planning and creation of the Draft Sunset Beach Precinct Plan.

City Director of Sustainable Communities, Phil Melling, said this was a different way of approaching planning for existing suburbs in Greater Geraldton.

“Traditionally an urban designer would look at the suburb, review existing town plans and produce a design that they thought would work well for the area,” he said.

“This time the City approached it from the other way around, letting residents and workers share their aspirations and needs with the designers and have input into the planning.

A full copy of the Precinct Plan is available for inspection during office hours at the Council Civic Centre, 63 Cathedral Ave, you can head to the City's website or you can click here to download it.

Submissions on the plan can be made in writing and lodged with the City of Greater Geraldton on or before Friday, June 20 2014.