Brian Vidovich and the Hope Valley Wattleup Redevelopment, 1997-2022
When the State Government announced it would be rezoning Hope Valley and Wattleup, Brian Vidovich and his neighbours came together to protect their homes and livelihoods.
Wattleup in 2011, photo by Sam Wilson, Wikimedia
Brian Vidovich in 2025, photo Jo Darbyshire
In 1993, a report titled ‘Towards Optimising Kwinana’ proposed the towns of Hope Valley and Wattleup be relocated. Initially the government argued it was because of safety; saying the air quality buffer zone (measuring Sulphur Dioxide emissions) around the Kwinana Industrial area now included the impacted properties.
Brian and KABZ, argued that the air quality had improved since initial testing in 1989, and it was common sense to review the buffer zone, and continue to reduce the risk of pollution, rather than remove the residents.
Both the City of Cockburn and the Town of Kwinana supported this view. They highlighted the findings of the
Review of the Kwinana Environmental Protection Policy (1995), which found there was a clear lack of scientific basis for the boundaries of the buffer zone.
A sign protesting the proposed extension of the Kwinana Air Buffer Zone which would force residents in Wattleup to relocate, 2018, photo by Hannah Barry for Fairfax Media
Branco ‘Brian’ Vidovich (1952-) did not plan on becoming Chairperson of the
Kwinana Air Buffer Zone Committee (KABZ). However
, as a concerned resident and landowner in the Wattleup area, he felt it imperative to fight for fair compensation for the residents impacted by government plans to rezone the area from Rural to General Industry.
Brian’s father farmed land in the Shire of Cockburn after he emigrated to WA from Croatia in 1954. Brian and his six siblings grew up in the Spearwood area, and he went to school at South Coogee Primary School and John Curtin High School. He worked with the Department of Harbors and Rivers for two years before working with his brothers on his father’s farm in in Moylan Road, Wattleup. He diversified into turf farming on his own in 1992, creating Betta Turf. By 2007 he had expanded the 5-acre enterprise to 39 acres. He eventually sold the business in 2024.
Brian married Beverly Sherar in 1972. They brought up their two daughters, Mandy and Kelly, on the farm. At the time it was a quiet, friendly, rural area only 10 minutes from the beach.
Brian credits his father’s character trait of perseverance as the driving force behind his twenty-year battle with the state government as the leader of KABZ.
I think the thing that probably helped me is that I had a little bit of the old man’s staunchness, and I don’t really get intimidated. I don’t mean that in a smart alec way, but a lot of people have threatened me and all that. Some people might not have been able to sleep because of it. The only thing that kept me from not getting a good night’s sleep was not being able to get a fair deal for the people down there.
~ Brian Vidovich
The Alcoa Refinery in Kwinana's industrial area, 2022, Wikimedia
In 1997 a new discussion paper known as the
Fremantle Rockingham Industrial Area Report Strategy (FRIARS) proposed the relocation of 5,000 residents Wattleup, Hope Valley, Munster and Beeliar over a ten year period. If the relocation went ahead, the affected residents would be forced to give up their family homes, rural properties, and (in many cases) their livelihoods.
KABZ fought for proper consultation with local landowners. In 1997 and 1999 they raised over $30,000 dollars from concerned residents to commission two professional submissions to put forward alternative views, as the affected landowners. They were virtually ignored.
Despite the submissions from the City of Cockburn, Town of Kwinana and KABZ challenging the Government’s proposal, the policy to remove the Hope Valley – Wattleup townsite and rezone the rural areas to General Industrial was taken up again in 2000.
Graham Kierath, the Court Government planning minister, proclaimed ‘the Hope Valley, Wattleup Redevelopment Bill’ which effectively took planning power away from the two local councils and authorised Landcorp to plan and develop an industrial estate now called
Latitude 32.
We were devastated of course but we weren’t surprised. I felt a little bit let down by the system. We thought we had put up a pretty good argument. It wasn’t just a dozen disgruntled people writing a little letter on how they felt. We had a lot of professional people put a lot of time and effort into our submission and a good rationale was used as to why there could have been another option. But yeah, we had to face reality. What upset me the most is that they didn’t back it up with money to help the people to leave.
~ Brian Vidovich
A restricted residence inside the new Kwinana Air Buffer Zone, 2018, photo by Hannah Barry for Fairfax Media
Many properties were locked up and abandoned after the extension of the Kwinana Air Buffer Zone, photo by Hannah Barry for Fairfax Media
Consultant Angela Hazebroek was commissioned by Landcorp in 2001 to write a Social Transition Strategy for the communities affected. “
After ten years of government inaction, delays and uncertainty”, she wrote
, “the residents really want a clear direction so they can make the decisions which will enable them to move on”. However, when it was completed, Angela was asked to modify her report on the impacts of social dislocation, omitting the extent of grief impacting the communities.
Reference?
From 2000-2007, Brian represented KABZ on formal government steering committees and fought for proper compensation for affected residents. At the time, Government policy did not include the provision of financial assistance to residents forced to relocate. Moreover, the Government refused to allow private valuers and consistently undervalued the properties they bought.
KABZ was able to secure a change in government purchasing policy, by allowing the owners of properties to use private valuers, thanks to planning minister Allanah McTiernan. They also secured a $9000 relocation allowance that was of great benefit to the remaining landowners in the town sites.
Kelly Vidovich outside the family's business, Betta Turf, August 2018, photo by Hannah Barry for Fairfax Media
Eventually, almost all the Hope Valley-Wattleup families were forced to leave, as their town slowly died, market gardens were ripped out and houses were demolished around them. Those that stayed on were primarily rural people, who had three or five acre lots just outside of the townsite. Some of them were market gardens, others owned bush blocks with a house. However, those that stayed could not develop their land and were unable to sell to anyone except Landcorp.
In 2005 the government gave the rural landowners of Hope Valley 3 months final notice to vacate their property, as they were ready to resume the land to begin development. This was despite their rhetoric for five years that there would be no resumption.
You’ve been there for twenty or thirty years and then to try and relocate in three months- It was devastating news. I went into a slanging match with them with that. Luckily, they saw that the wrong of what they’d done, and they eventually gave us eighteen months to move. It’s not what the landowners really wanted but it turned out well and the majority got a reasonable price in compensation.
~ Brian Vidovich
LandCorp completed the acquisition of approximately 459 properties in 2010, which included 142 houses in Hope Valley and 317 houses in Wattleup, and 53 rural properties were also bought out.
Vidovich sign 2017, August 2018, photo by Hannah Barry for Fairfax Media
It was probably one of the saddest times of my life really, with all those people that I got to know. Some of them are crying in front of you and wondering what they’re going to do. So, yes. It was a pretty tough time.
~ Brian Vidovich
The next phase (between 2007 to 2013) saw Landcorp hold formal monthly meetings with the community, through the Community Liaison Group. During this period Brian was able to ease some restrictions on landowners with the introduction of ‘Interim land uses’ which gave permission for temporary use, such as hardstands. This eased the burden of having to wait for Landcorp to purchase (under the Hardship Clause) with only limited funds available each year for those wanting and needing to exit the area. Also, despite constantly seeking more government funding to purchase Hardship cases, a backlog of owners wishing to exit, saw several sick, elderly residents endure more stress unnecessarily.
In 2013 this situation became worse with the Barnett government removing these monthly meetings and leaving the community without a voice. However, approximately six months after the meetings were disbanded, Brian was grateful to Landcorp for agreeing to attend the ‘Latitude 32 Community Group’ meetings and the City of Cockburn for providing the meeting rooms. Brian chaired these bi-monthly meetings attended by landowners, council planners, a professional valuer, a private planner, a representative for developers and Landcorp representatives. This group met regularly until 2024.
My God! How many meetings did I go to and how many letters did I write. I don’t think there’s one Minister, Premier, Deputy Premier or Opposition Leader that didn’t get my attention in the twenty years that we were at it… we never would have been able to get though any of this without local Council support… I was aware we weren’t going to win too many battles. I knew we weren’t going to win the war. But my main battle was the welfare of the people, honestly…. If you have to move them on, do it with a bit of decency, a bit of respect.
~ Brian Vivovich
In 2008 Brian and his wife moved to Coogee and in 2025 to Mosman Park.
In 2017, the Latitude 32 Industrial Area was described as a failure by the incoming McGowan government. Only 10 lots had been sold from the initial 91 hectares, which had been released in 2010. Of another 28 hectares in Wattleup only six sites had been taken up, and another 100 hectares lay vacant.
Covering more than 1,400 hectares, Latitude 32 is now one of the largest industrial zones in Australia. Its proximity to planned major infrastructure, including the Australian Marine Complex, the proposed Westport Outer Harbour, and intermodal freight terminal, and planned regional road network probably means it will be completed as demand for industrial land grows over the long-term.
Local businesses in Wattleup, 2012, Wikimedia
A driveway in Miro Street in the abandoned Wattleup townsite, 2012, Wikiemedia
I just feel that if you feel strongly about something and either it affects you directly or your family or your friends or the way you live- start off with having a say. I think that’s what local communities are all about. I think that’s why Councils have meetings and that’s why States have elections. But if you’re not a little bit hardened in body and soul, it will take its toll. Especially if you’re really passionate about something. Yeah. Don’t let it get it the better of you. There’s always a bigger picture.
~ Brian Vivovich
Reflecting on his work with KABZ, Brian Vidovich said:
I would personally like to thank all members of the community who volunteered to be on the committees, with special thanks to Eva Ricci, who attended many meetings, taking minutes and help construct the letters to the relevant bodies. I’d also like to mention my daughter Kelly Vidovich, who helped type and re-type many letters and the minutes of our meetings.
Thanks also to Jeff McGuiness (Hope Valley Progress Association) for his commitment and for allowing KABZ to become a subcommittee of their Association; The Mayors and planning staff from the City of Cockburn and Town of Kwinana from 1997 to current; Cockburn Town Planners Allan Blood and Andrew Trosic (who were standout performers).
A special mention needs to be made of Jenny Le Fevre and David Tucker. Both put in endless hours of unpaid time after joining the committee in 2014, and were strong advocates, arguing for more fairness and transparency in the planning and valuation process. Nobody understood the difficulties involved in the valuing in this area better than Jenny and she was there from the start.
~ Brian Vivovich
KABZ Owners Action Steering Committee in 1999: Chairperson Brian Vidovich, Vice Chairperson Jeff McGuiness, Secretary’s Leonie Wade and Eva Ricci, Treasurer Darryl Kursar, Members: Horst Ruthrof, Hazel Duggan, Marianne Separovich. Help from Bill Evans a developer.
Latitude 32 Community group included: Chair Brian Vidovich, John Gandossi, Mario Antonio, Jenny Le Fevre (Valuer), David Tucker (planning consultant), Paul Redman, John McLellan, council representatives, Landcorp representatives.
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