A large bushfire has gutted the site of a proposed $100 million luxury motorsport country club north of Perth.
Key points:
- The luxury country club was planned on a large rural block
- Aerial footage shows one property on the site has been destroyed
- A Formula-1 inspired race track, swimming lagoon and golf course were planned
Club Moolia was billed as Australia's first race car country club featuring an Formula 1-inspired 4.1 kilometre track and opulent country club aimed at attracting wealthy motoring enthusiasts from across the Asia Pacific.
It also claimed it would host a Dubai-style man-made swimming lagoon, restaurant, golf course and tennis courts and garage for owner's luxury cars.
The Mooliabeenee Road property, described as a "rich listers playground" offered premium memberships for a $150,000 joining fee, plus an annual $10,000 fee.
The progress of the project appears to have stalled, with the Mooliabeenee Road site recently listed for sale on luxury realtor Sotheby's, but that listing has now been withdrawn.
Aerial footage shows the bushfire, which started on Saturday 20 kilometres east of Gingin, has destroyed one major property on the site and appears to have damaged nearby tanks and shipping crates.
The Club Moolia website said construction commenced on the project in 2022.
Aerial footage shows what appears to be a partially built racetrack on the site.
The ABC contacted the only Australian-based director of Claire Davis Company Pty Ltd, which is listed as the property's owner.
Queensland-based Kylie Anne Dyson, appointed in May 2023, told the ABC she only acted as a nominee resident director in order to comply with the Australian Corporations Act.
She said she did not participate in the business of the company and therefore could not comment on the property, company plans or projects.
The email address she provided was associated with Australian Resident Director and Corporate Services, an Australian company which helps foreign investors navigate Australian corporation laws.
She referred the ABC to the company's Singapore-based directors but did not provide any way to reach them.
Claire Davis Company's other directors are Singapore-based Hartono Susanto Halim and Wei Min Neo.
Hartono Susarto Halim is also listed as a director of CM Luxury Pty Ltd, the other Australian-listed company associated with the project.
Ultimate ownership of the Bindoon property is unknown as Claire Davis Company is majority owned by offshore entity Kian Ing & Company, which is incorporated in the Cayman Islands.
Two homes lost
The fire had been burning at an emergency level warning for two days and was then downgraded to a watch-and-act on Monday after containment lines were established.
Authorities confirmed on Monday afternoon that two homes had been destroyed while one home was moderately damaged and a further nine outbuildings or sheds were destroyed.
Emergency services minister Stephen Dawson said firefighters had been battling "scorching conditions" in the past few days.
"We did see favourable conditions overnight and they have enabled firefighters to get a foothold on these breaks, but erratic wind conditions later today will certainly be the test," the minister said.
Mr Dawson said there had been 112 fire incidents across the state on Sunday, a 30 per cent increase on the day before.
WA has been enduring a heatwave with temperatures in the Perth metropolitan area soaring above 41 degrees on Sunday.
It's forecast to again hit 41 degrees on Tuesday in Gingin, while the city is set to see similar temperatures.
Mr Dawson said the combined Gingin, Chittering and Bindoon fires had burnt more than 6,000 hectares.
Some 80 fire tanks were deployed on Sunday, along with 23 aerial support assets that dropped more than 2 million litres of water from the sky.
He said the cause had not been determined for all fires at this stage but at least two were confirmed to have been started by lightning.
He urged the public to be cautious in the coming months.
"We still have a long way to go, as I said at the beginning of this fire season," Mr Dawson said.
"It will be a long one, it will be hot, dry and dangerous and we're certainly seeing that so far."
MP's home saved
Nationals MP Martin Aldridge, who has been a career and volunteer firefighter for the past 25 years, says he was able to save his newly-built home with the help of volunteer crews.
"We were only able to move into our home three weeks ago after a three-year building process," Mr Aldridge said.
"We've lost … fences, pumps, water pipes and the like but that is nothing compared to the many lives and properties that were saved yesterday."
Mr Aldridge said his thoughts were with his neighbours who sustained much worse losses.
Mr Aldridge said the conditions facing crews were extremely challenging and the forecast offered no reprieve.
"It's burning on multiple fronts and the terrain is nothing but challenging," he said.
"We simply don't have enough resources to manage a fire of this size in the conditions we are experiencing."
Farmers inspect damage
Avocado farmer Elaine Darby and her son Robert were on their way back to inspect their property, on Lennard Brook, after the worst of the flames had passed through.
"The fire's come up, eaten most of the brook, it's burnt through kind of the middle of the property," Mr Darby said.
"It's just putting out spot fires. If those trees along that creek are still burning, throwing up embers, on days like his you've got to make sure nothing flares up on your property."
Ms Darby said they were now focused on getting water to their surviving trees after the fire cut power to the area.
"We've got generators coming in, we're trying to get some up there today to get those pumps running," she said.
"There's some guys on the ground re-laying irrigation because obviously it was all burnt.
"Even though some of those trees have survived, it's keeping them alive."
Speaking after a community meeting in the town of Gingin, resident Graham Brown was full of praise for firefighters.
"The fact that they built this new command centre has been a godsend," Mr Brown said.
"They've done a wonderful job keeping it away from the majority of homes (but) I feel sorry for those few people who have lost property."
Fellow resident Peter Withers, whose home was not impacted, said his family had been ready to evacuate prior to the wind changing.
"It just sort of stopped all of a sudden (like) someone waved a magic wand … all credit due to the volunteers and firefighters, you can't thank them enough for looking after the public, he said.
Visit Emergency WA, call DFES on 133 337, follow DFES on Twitter or listen to ABC Local Radio to stay up to date.