By PAUL MILLAR
MULTI-MILLION dollar investment is changing the face of Lara forever but councillor Tony Ansett says development will fail to kill off that “country-town feel”.
Time and new infrastructure had finally caught up with Lara, he said.
“We have to ensure that we retain our identity. We have to retain that semi-rural feel and not experience the ridiculous growth that other areas are experiencing.
“The town centre has caught up. We were a long way behind in infrastructure but we now have the shopping and the car parking.”
Cr Ansett said a revamped Austin Park would retain its community atmosphere after a $1.8 million overhaul, with council injecting $1.3 million and State Government $500,000.
“We’ve never had anything of this quality before and it creates a real sense of community in the centre of the town,” he said.
A new skate park in Austin Park, designed by local youngsters, was close to completion and would be a real attraction for a booming population of youthful residents, Cr Ansett said.
Coles opened a supermarket in the town last December, with Woolworths increasing its size from 1400 to 3200 square meters to meet demand.
