"I've spent ten years of my life on this," said Hands off Point Peron spokeswoman Dawn Jecks. "I am so delighted that the Minister has listened to the WAPC, the experts and the community at large who overwhelmingly want this land to become a coastal park as was always intended. "To become Kings Park of the South, a boon for the region. A coastal park in the way of the future; what communities need in these stressful times. "This was intended in 1964 to become an A-class reserve and that hasn't happened - the leases have now ended. There is no reason why this cannot now become an A-class coastal reserve. There is nothing to stop them now formally protecting this land for all time. "I call on the government to make it a priority to secure this land as an A-class reserve as was always intended."

Making the decision The WAPC had recommended to the Minister, it was announced on Thursday, that the development was large in scale compared to the overall reserve and that Rockingham Lakes Regional Park, including Lake Richmond, was an important link in a green corridor. Rockingham residents gather at a public meeting hosted by the Hands off Point Peron group. A total of 496 submissions were received, 403 being from nearby suburbs and objecting to the proposed amendment, citing environmental concerns, loss of recreational space, non-compliance with WAPC policies, regional road impacts, the scale and mix of land uses, and land tenure arrangements. Key environmental approvals for the proposal had been granted at both State and Federal levels.

As the proposal was a joint venture between LandCorp and Cedar Woods, the State Government will need to ascertain the commercial and financial implications of the decision. "The Mangles Bay Marina proposal has attracted significant interest in the local community and beyond," Minister Saffioti said. "While this State Government is keen to support new tourism projects across WA and will continue work to develop those, this proposal could not be supported given the Commission's concerns. "The State Government looks forward to working on alternative projects to boost jobs, and create new places for people to live and visit." The Minister's decision is without appeal rights and Cedar Woods announced the decision would likely end its involvement with the project.

Managing director Nathan Blackburne said he was disappointed with the decision given the project was state initiated and had previously attracted support. The company's interest in the project was at $6.3 million, and it will pursue recoverable costs from the government. Costs not recovered will be recognised as an impairment of no more than $2.6 million after tax in the financial statements for 2017-18 financial year. Years of resistance The community opposition to the development goes back years. In 2015 University of WA urban planning expert Linley Lutton said the marina would destroy a community asset and create continuous urban sprawl along the coast to provide boat penning facilities for a limited number of privileged individuals. He said canal developments had been outlawed in most developed countries and along Australia's east coast because they had proved environmentally and financially disastrous.

In 2016 community group Hands off Point Peron obtained information showing the proposed marina could cost as much as $1 billion to dredge, five times the size of the $440 million excavation undertaken for Elizabeth Quay. Loading In the lead up to the 2017 state election the group called on now-Premier Mark McGowan to clarify his stance on the project, a contentious one in his home seat. In February, scientists from across Australia published an open letter to the WA government warning the proposal could devastate precious marine life in the area.