Ministerial meeting in bid to resolve squatters' shacks problems

11/7/94

Transport Minister and National Party MLC for the Agricultural Region Eric Charlton said today he would meet Attorney General Cheryl Edwardes and Lands Minister George Cash in a bid to resolve problems which had surfaced in relation to the clearing of squatters' shacks on the mid-west coast.

In the late 1980s, the previous government initiated policy which allowed local authorities to enter into legal arrangements with the owners of beach shacks to have them dismantled after a maximum of six years, or sooner if the owner died.

"The Coorow Shire Council was one of the first local authorities to set up a series of these agreements with squatters, and the sunset clause is now being activated," Mr Charlton said.

"However, a number of shack-owners are now challenging the interpretation of the agreement in an attempt to extend the life of the arrangement.

"This goes against the intention of the agreements - an intention that was clearly understood by individuals when agreements were struck with the council.  Individual shack-owners entered the agreements knowing full well the implications and some are now trying to side step the issue by challenging the legal interpretation of those agreements.

"I intend to meet with Mrs Edwardes and Mr Cash to see if this anomaly can be resolved quickly before sunset clauses are activated in other similar agreements between squatters and local authorities."

Mr Charlton described the presence of beach shacks on the coastal strip.

He said they were relics of a past era when that particular area was isolated and few people travelled there.

"That is all changing now with the growth of the tourist industry and the opening up of the mid-west coast to tourism," he said.

"We will see more people visiting the area as the coastal road between Lancelin and Jurien is progressively upgraded.  It is a road I have asked Main Roads to give high priority in upgrading, in particular the section between Greenhead and Jurien.

"The last scene visitors to this splendid area want to see are unsightly beach shacks dotted along the coastline."

Media contact:  Dean Roberts 321 7333