Inaction on Perth Waterfront will cost Western Australia millions

A prominent local businessman and chairman of the State’s peak convention marketing organisation says any further delays in the development of the Perth waterfront will cost Western Australia millions of dollars in lost delegate expenditure.

Ian Laurance AM – a former State Minister for Tourism who is chairman of the Perth Convention Bureau (PCB) - said that the last thing WA needed was further consultation and “possibly more years of inaction” in the wake recent opposition to the Government’s proposed foreshore plans.

“After 12 plans and 20 years of discussion we don’t need more consultation and more delays,” he said. “Let’s just get on with it.” Saying that a report prepared for the State Government showing that Perth needs 300 new hotel rooms a year for 10 years to cater for future demand, Mr Laurance warned: “Failure to build new hotels will cost the WA economy substantially in lost delegate dollars.”

Compared with other bureau around Australia, the PCB “punches above its weight” in attracting high yielding business events to Western Australia, he said. 


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