Hmm. The needs and aim of the council and the few private landowners is to
make money. There is no actual demand for development other then that. The
planners think they will be able to sell the lots to people retiring to the
area, although its not such a great place to live during the summer. Too hot
and in the way of cyclones.

There are only about seven buildings standing, all stone built during the
declining years of the town and now restored. All but the school have some
sort of use. There is a shop/cafe in the customs house, the bond store is
used occasionally for functions, art gallery in the post office, arts
workshop in Galbriath's store, museum in the courthouse and the police men's
quarters are the caretakers and backpackers. The Gaol is for display. All
very nice but low to non existent income earners for the council.

They are not selling off any standing buildings just the lots where the
colonial population actually lived. Which are full of archaeology but not
standing structures as there are no wooden buildings left. Except for the
aforementioned stone buildings the town was built of wood. There has been
surveys, some test pitting but no formal excavation in the areas they wish
to sell.

They wish to sell because planners have just done a report telling them that
is the only way to make money out of the place. To be fair to the council it
costs them about $200,000 a year to maintain and they don't get much of it
back. They do need to find a way to make the place not such a money pit in
the medium to long term, better yet an income earner. They are looking to
the heritage and tourism to do that but selling off two thirds of the town
for a housing estate is going to put a major crimp in its appeal in that
direction. not to mention what the bulldozers will do to the archaeological
heritage. I just want to give the shire and the heritage council some other
options rather than the standard, sell the heritage off for housing, option.

I have had some interesting feedback off list. There is probably a good case
to be made for developing the general area as a gateway area for tourists to
the Pilbarra. It's about an hours drive from the airport and just off the
main road connecting the north and south of the state. It's within a days
outing of all the major Pilbarra attractions. Cossack is an abandoned port
but the port which took over from it is now a little fishing village just up
the road, 14 kms away is a modern iron ore town with the facilities of such
and 12 kms away is the, still just about living, historic town of Roebourne.
I don't think there is anywhere else in WA where places are so close
together but which still presents as a wilderness. There should be scope for
developing Cossack into a heritage/research attraction for the area while
the more inappropriate sides of such developments occur in the surrounding
places. But the housing development is being pushed by the couple of private
landowners who are frustrated that heritage has so far stopped them from
making money on their lots. The land exchange idea could be useful there.

Thanks Denis. Could you please solve the problems of red tape, pig headed
planners and world peace next.

Cheers Gaye