THE City of Wanneroo has included some money in the 2022-23 Budget for an upgrade to the Yanchep Lagoon cafe and changerooms but it is unclear what works the city plans to undertake this financial year.
Back in February in Wanneroo considers renovation of Yanchep Lagoon café Yanchep News Online reported the city was proposing to spend an estimated $550,000 to $750,000 (plus GST) upgrading the premises with the current lessee, Orion Café, to contribute $30,000.
When the city’s 2022-23 capital works program was released in late June Yanchep News Online saw only $275,000 had been committed to the Yanchep Lagoon café kiosk and changerooms this financial year.
In mid July Yanchep News Online started seeking clarification from the city about the upgrade, which is scheduled to start in February next year.
The city said the information Yanchep News Online sought was publicly available but checking agendas and council meeting recordings did not result in any answers so clarification was sought again.
On August 8 the city said works were expected to be completed in the 2023-24 financial year, which meant a portion of the project budget would be applied in that year.
The same day the city also said detailed designs for the upgrades had been completed, with final approval happening in July.
As far as Yanchep News Online can ascertain there is no public knowledge available about who approved the detailed designs or whether they are the same designs included in the February 15 agenda.
One of the preliminary designs included in the February 15 agenda show the new toilets at Yanchep Lagoon being located inside the proposed new extension, which raises the question of whether the new toilets will be open to the public or only open to the café’s customers.
Will weatherproof access to the new toilets mean public access will not be available outside café opening hours?It is also unclear from the preliminary designs whether customers can place an order and then enter the dining area or whether they need to go back outside and enter the dining area from another door.
On August 11 Yanchep News Online confirmed with the city that more detail on what the $275,000 would be spent on was something clarification was sought for as the capital works program entry just said upgrade kiosk and changerooms and did not include any other detail.
On August 24 the city said the estimated project cost had not changed from that published in the February 15 agenda which said estimated project costs were $550,000 to $750,000 (plus GST), based on the current concept designs and subject to final project scoping and cost assessment of detailed design.
But still no information was provided about what works were included in the 2022-23, $275,000 allocation.
“As detailed in the previous response provided on August 8, in 2022-23, $275,000 has been allocated to upgrading the Orion Café and nearby changerooms at Yanchep Lagoon,’’ the city said.
“The detailed budget allocation for future years is not yet available.’’
On February 9 citing detail from the city’s briefing session agenda the day before Yanchep News Online reported that if the project was approved internal improvements included creating a new double-door entry to the dining room, weatherproof access to new toilets, a new doorway and servery (to the south elevation), extension of the existing cook top area and removing some internal non-load bearing walls.
