Vocus Communications looking for revised rental terms for land in Mullewa for optic fibre cable link

The City of Greater Geraldton is set to vote on whether to change the rental terms on land in Mullewa for a telecommunications carrier to fulfil its optic fibre promise throughout WA.

Vocus owns and operates more than 25,000km of optic fibre network and planned on creating a 2000km link between Perth and Port Hedland through Mullewa.

Project Horizon would be the first “competitive fibre backbone” in WA, according to Vocus.

The proposed land in Mullewa is owned by the city, and is on the same site as the Mullewa Caravan Park, Pilbara Resource Group’s workers accommodation camp and the CSIRO communications facility.

The council had previously voted in favour of the rental agreement proposed in March last year, but Vocus asked the city for adjustments.

Under the revised proposal, the contract would run for 20 years instead of the original 10 which included a council option to extend for another 10.

The area to be leased would also increase, from 230sqm to 395sqm, but an increase in rent from $5000 per annum to $8000 has been put forward.

Mayor Jerry Clune said the extension of the area to be leased was to help Vocus with fulfilling its needs.

“There’s no big towers or anything as such to go there, but it’s on council land and the lease fees that were renegotiated need to be re-signed,” he said.

“It’s coming back to council to give it a tick of approval so that it can roll on from there.”

According to the council agenda forum documents, Project Horizon requires the full 20 years for its venture, while the land area reflects the true size of the organisation’s plans as opposed to estimates.

Councillors will vote on the motion on Tuesday, July 30.