Industry accolade for The Village at Wellard

More than 500 development industry professionals were on hand to witness The Village at Wellard receiving the Judges’ Award at the Urban Development Institute of Australia’s WA Awards for Excellence at Burswood last weekend (Saturday 30 August).

The Award, which is presented at the judges’ discretion, recognises outstanding achievement or innovation in a particular aspect of development.

In awarding the honour to The Village at Wellard the judges recognised the innovative community enterprise that Peet and its partners have established in the Ngulla Community Nursery.

Peet Limited Managing Director Brendan Gore said it was a great honour to receive such an accolade for the joint venture project being undertaken with the Western Australian Department of Housing and Works.

“It’s an exciting project, demonstrating how philosophy can translate to reality with very encouraging results. We know we are setting an example for future developments and particularly those in environmentally sensitive areas.”

The Nursery, which was launched in August 2006, provides much-needed plant stock for the growing estate, as well as horticulture, natural resource management education training for local youth and the community.

A key motivation for establishing the community nursery was to grow plants native to the local area and generate training opportunities for local Kwinana youth.

The project is a joint initiative of the Department of Housing and Works and Peet Limited in conjunction with Bridging the Gap, the Medina Aboriginal Cultural Community, Town of Kwinana, and BHP Billiton Nickel West.

It is now producing up to 100,000 native seedlings each year for use both within The Village at Wellard and other projects on a commercial basis.

The Village at Wellard’s commitment to planning and sustainability has already been recognised with seven industry awards including the Planning Institute of Australia’s Award for Excellence in Environmental Planning and Conservation WA, the Housing Industry Association’s GreenSmart: WA Development of the Year and the Landscape Industries Association’s Best Environmental/Rehabilitation/Conservation Project (WA).

The Village at Wellard community continues to grow, with more than 630 lots now sold. It will eventually be home to 2,700 households, living on 320 hectares including 28 hectares of landscaped parks, 17 hectares dedicated to a Bush Forever site and 10 hectares of conservation wetlands.

To find out more information or register your interest in this award winning estate, please visit The Village at Wellard Sales and Information Office on the corner of Runnymede Gate and Cliveden Avenue or www.thevillageatwellard.com.au.