Opening of Broome Boulevard a development milestone
WA Government, 1996
Premier Richard Court today said the opening of Broome Boulevard was yet another milestone in the development of one of Western Australia's most treasured tourism destinations.
The Premier said the $12.5 million shopping centre was testimony to Broome's reputation as a thriving tourism centre for intrastate, interstate and international visitors.
"Broome is well-renowned for its holiday atmosphere, magnificent beaches and friendly hospitality," he said.
"The Broome Boulevard, which has retail space for 22 outlets, will only add to this as well as stimulating small business and generating new employment opportunities for the region - Action Foodbarns alone will employ 75 people in its store."
Mr Court said joint venture owners Airport Engineering Services and Foodland Associated Limited were to be congratulated and commended for their vision and community-minded attitude, which resulted in much of the architectural design work and construction work being undertaken by Broome based people.
"The Boulevard developers have encouraged a mix of retail shops that will complement rather than compete with the Chinatown precinct of Broome," he said.
"The result is a modern, fashionable and `user friendly' retail centre that will provide an important new service to not only residents, but also those visitors who are increasingly expecting to find quality shopping when holidaying in this part of the State."
The Premier said Broome's unique environment and envious lifestyle continued to attract more and more people to the region and with it the need for greater infrastructure and services.
"The Government is committed to ensuring that further development of the region occurs in a measured way which benefits the people of the region and the Western Australian community as a whole," he said.
The Premier said this commitment was evident through the 1996 Budget allocations directed towards assisting regional communities in the Kimberley.
He said key initiatives for the region included: + $800,000 to be expended in 1996-97 on the Broome Hospital as part of the Stage 3 redevelopment;
+ $1.9 million to continue the development of the Second Stage of the Ord Irrigation area;
+ $2.6 million for the `Kununurra Lakeside' project Stage 5;
+ $2.8 million for the continued construction of the new police station at Kununurra;
+ $250,000 to the Kimberley cotton project to escalate research and development activities; and -
+ $700,000 for Kimberley ports maintenance expenditure.