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the rich cultural history of Chinatown.
The area is marked as a heritage site
and is one of the many important eco-
nomic drivers that move the Shire of
Broome forward. With the main shop-
ping centre and CBD with many small
businesses operating out of it, it is vi-
tal to maintain and preserve the integ-
rity of Chinatown by considering every
possibility.
After careful and well thought-out
planning, the Shire of Broome submit-
ted a Business Case outlining a series
of development opportunities to the
State Government which resulted in
them successfully receiving $10 mil-
lion in funding injected into the pro-
ject, with the Shire of Broome footing
the remainder of the bill. The project
is an immense undertaking for a Shire
of this size and consists of a total of
10 sub-projects such as upgrading
the two main streets in Chinatown to
improve amenities by providing more
shading, water and seating.
We had a chance to speak with Sam
Mastrolembo, Shire of Broome Depu-
ty CEO and Director of Community and
Economic Development. Sam has 20
years of experience in related fields
and has held public sector positions at
several Councils. He started with Shire
of Broome over 4 years ago as Director
Corporate Services and in July 2015
took on the position of Deputy CEO.
“There will be physical and visual
changes, and improvements in the
public realm through streetscape en-
hancements and laneway activation
that will happen; in addition to some
feasibility studies that are also being
undertaken on a Cultural and Interpre-
tive Centre, a road connection, a pro-
tection wall for sea rise, and foreshore
development opportunities. We also