Scouts given new Busselton home

Another hurdle to the Busselton foreshore redevelopment has been removed after the City of Busselton struck a relocation deal with Scouts WA.

Under the proposal passed by Busselton City Council on Wednesday, the existing Scout hall on Scout Road will be demolished and a new facility built on Margaret Street between the Geographe Bay Yacht Club and the Busselton Fitness Club.

The City of Busselton has requested the Lands Minister create a crown grant on Margaret Street and also agreed to contribute $175,000 to Scouts WA's relocation costs.

Scouts WA chairman Peter Walton said the organisation was very happy with the outcome.

"We're very pleased we've been able to firstly accommodate the City's need to vacate the site for the redevelopment of the foreshore," he said.

"We think the redevelopment of the foreshore is very important for the future of Busselton and we're happy to be supporting it.

"The relocation further down the beach is a good outcome for the Scouts, it will probably meet our needs better than the current location."

Mr Walton said the Scouts needed "a bit more elbow room" to conduct their operations than was provided at Scout Road.

He added the organisation had a challenge ahead to raise the funds required to relocate.

The cost to replicate the existing Scout hall was at least $400,000, he said, but they were hoping to build an improved facility.

"To build a good scout hall as a minimum is half a million dollars and we need to aim upwards to $1 million for a facility to meet our needs in the long-term," he said.

"We need to embark upon fundraising and applying for grants to help us get this off the ground."

· The council has also endorsed development of The Margaret River Region as the future umbrella brand for tourism marketing.

Independent market research showed The Margaret River Region had strong awareness and appeal, particularly in interstate and international markets, compared to Busselton and other brands.

The research, conducted by TNS for Tourism WA, also recommended the proposed sub-brands of Northern Bays, Bountiful Hinterland, Surf Coast and Wild South be scrapped.

Instead it recommended the locations of Busselton, Dunsborough, Yallingup, Margaret River and Augusta be used as sub-brands, which was supported by the council.