CHANGE UNDEMOCRATIC DEVELOPMENT ASSESSMENT PANELS

I hope the City of Fremantle and all other Councils will follow the lead of the City of Bayswater and lobby the State Government to review and change the DAP-Development Assessment Panels process that is undemocratic and ignores the wishes of local communities and governments.

There is already a huge community swell against the DAP and also the State Administration Tribunal, which basically rubber-stamp planing approvals from developers against local council decisions.

DAP and SAT care little about local planning schemes. The two elected members who represent their local community on the five-person DAP are tokenism as they are outvoted by the three public servant panelists.

We have seen the results of that with the DAP allowing a 16-storey tower on the former market site in the centre of Subiaco, inappropriate height behind the Guildford Hotel, etc.etc.

The DAP is not democratic because it is unbalanced and has a strong 3 to 2 leaning toward being pro-developers and ignoring the democratic process where local governments can decide on the future of their cities. The unique character and lifestyle of older suburbs is under threat by the DAP and SAT who bulldoze away our concerns.

The greatest mockery of the process is that developers can appeal the ruling but local councils and residents can’t. How can that be democratic?!

Now this is something the Fremantle Society should put its teeth in, as the DAP and SAT are a huge threat to Fremantle and could allow buildings that are totally inappropriate for our city to be build, even against the wishes of our council!

Roel Loopers

FREO’S HOUGOUMONT HOTEL WANTS MORE HEIGHT

This Wednesday Fremantle Council will yet again see an application for an inappropriate development in the West End heritage area of the city with the Hougoumont Hotel in Bannister Street wanting to add another 48 bedrooms, restaurant, kitchen and conference room with roof terrace. They want four storeys plus a ‘loft’ on the former Fremantle Club site that is listed as a site with significant cultural heritage.

The Hougoumont Hotel is basically a cheap looking prefab development where the nearly completed bedroom units are being trucked in and stacked on top of each other by a crane. There is nothing architecturally beautiful or classy about it and the extra requested height will only make it more of an eyesore in the inner city.

The big worry is that the development will go to the State’s DAP and they are not known for considering local councils and communities as they are so pro developers that they might as well get paid by them instead of by tax payers.

Roel Loopers

W.A. RAPES LOCAL GOVERNMENT DEMOCRACY

It excites me to see so much development happening in Fremantle but it also very much disappoints me that so many of the new buildings are boring and not at all the heritage of the future we were promised by Fremantle Council.

The one thing we should blame Council for is that they did not tell us the truth and that they should not have promised us anything, because approval for large development is given by the State’s Development Assessment Panel(DAP) and the State Administrative Tribunal(SAT) and Fremantle Council can only recommend against or for an applications in a submission to the State agencies.

What happens at State level reminds me a bit of the time when there was public discussion about rapists who claimed that women did not really mean it when they said no to having sex, being raped. The DAP and SAT also tell us they know what is best for the community and they don’t care that we scream and yell no to bad and inappropriate development.

The State Government says that high-density infill is good for us, so we are supposed to relax, spread our legs and let them have their way with us, so they can brutally destroy the unique character of our older suburbs with ugly out of scale monstrosities. They rape our communities with bad infill!

Two local councillors sit on DAP and often are highly frustrated because there opinion, and that of the community they represent, is overruled by the State bureaucrats who have the majority on the panels and who pretend to know better what is good for our communities. They are pro-developers, not for good appropriate development. The 17-storey building approved on the former Subiaco markets site is a good example of DAP madness and ignoring local government.

The whole planning process has become a joke that erodes local government democracy, and it does not help either to have a Council that is hell-bend on development and willing to compromise on quality too fast. That is disaster in the making.

State Government needs to lessen their influence on local planning and allow the community to decide what they want their suburbs to look like. It is madness to enforce out of scale infill in character suburbs and destroy their unique ambience when there is plenty of space for higher density buildings on the periphery.

Godlin Barnett and his disciples need to stop ramming their development religion down our throat and listen instead to what we want, and that is great modern and exceptional development in the right areas.

Roel Loopers

ROEL FOR FREO! The truly independent

Stop press! This just from WA Today:

Applecross residents vow to continue fighting two-storey, 24-hour McDonald’s after mediation hearing at the State Administrative Tribunal failed.

Read more: http://www.watoday.com.au/#ixzz3jmiugC4D
Follow us: @watoday on Twitter | WAtoday on Facebook

UNWANTED STATE INTERFERENCE WITH LOCAL DEMOCRACY

One has to wonder about W.A. Premier Colin Barnett’s expressed desire to “Just fix local governments up” and get more involved with them, as State interference could mean a serious erosion of democracy at local council level.

Is there a need for it or is Barnett just having a fit of sour grapes because of community and councils opposition to the DAP(Development Assessment Panel) that simply rubber stamps over 90% of development applications, many against the will of Local Governments and communities?

Maybe the Premier is still irate about the failed Local Government Reform and council amalgamations, which he and Minister Tony Simpson so disgracefully messed up.

Some Council reform and amalgamations might be needed, as is a control on rate rises, and I quite agree that a CEO running a small Council administration should not be earning as much as a Minister, but does that warrant strong, democracy threatening, action by the State?

Local Government is the closest form of democracy. It is hands on and the community has the opportunity for easy access to its elected members, so any form of interference from State Government should be viewed with suspicion about the real reasons.

Maybe the Premier does not like it that, as he called it, we bite the hand that feeds us, and pipe up against the inadequately  and amateurishly planned Perth Freight Link that will be a disaster for some southern suburbs including Fremantle. Maybe Colin Barnett believes democracy is simply a waste of time and we should allow him to squander taxpayers’s money. Maybe the Emperor even believes there is nothing wrong with building a new train station that will only operate on match days near the new football stadium. Maybe we should all just shut up because our divine leader knows what’s good for us.

Democracy, dear Premier, is listening to what the people want, not dictate to them what you want. If you no longer want to represent the community it might be best to step down or have an early election, so we can show you what we think of the shambles you have made of democracy in this state.

Roel Loopers

DEFENDING OUR LOCAL DEMOCRACY!

For those of us who like to keep our democracy and a say on how we want our cities to develop the meeting in South Perth, see details below, about the very controversial State Development Assessment Panel is a start to defend the right of our Local Governments to make decisions.

More than 90 per cent of the development cases to the DAP as rubber stamped and approved, often contrary to the wishes of the local council and community. See the 17 storey-building approved on the former Subiaco Markets site as an example of how the State agency overrules the wishes of a local community.

Please note there is a very important meeting coming up in South Perth regarding the Barnett Government’s highly controversial Development Assessment Panels (DAPs).

The City of South Perth Resident’s Association is hosting the meeting to discuss the impact the DAPs on communities in Perth. The meeting will be held at 7pm Wednesday 29 July, 2015 at the Como Bowling Club and everyone is welcomed to attend and listen to the speakers and ask questions, no matter where you reside in WA.

They hope to inform residents and strengthen the voice of local communities who have on too many occasions been ignored or given token recognition by the current DAP system which many have said is stacked in favour of property developers.

Currently there is a Legislative Council Inquiry into the operation and effectiveness of the current DAP System.

The Inquiry has already conducted a number of hearings, and is due to report to State Parliament later this year.

It is hoped the recommendations of the Inquiry will include improved genuine consideration and weight to the voice of local communities as our city of Perth continues to grow.

Please RSVP by 27/7/15 more information contact Cecilia phone 9368 6275 or email brooke.cecilia@yahoo.com.au

UGLY ALDI NOT GOOD FOR HILTON

The ALDI mega market development proposal for Hilton is very disappointing, but because it will most likely be approved by the State’s Development Assessment Panel(DAP) the City of Fremantle can do little about it but stating they don’t approve of it.

The location is the shopping centre at South Street opposite IGA where there is a newsagent/postoffice, butcher, fresh market, etc. ALDI proposes to make it into a giant supermarket at ground level only that turns its back to South Street and will create a large blank wall along the busy street, while the area along South Street is earmarked by Fremantle council for residential development and higher density, so the development should have a 3-4 storey residential development on top.

Mayor Brad Pettitt rightly argues that there also could be a wrap around of small retailers to make the street level appearance more attractive, especially along South Street. A newsagent with postoffice, hairdresser, a deli, etc. would do well in that location I believe.

ALDI will no doubt mean huge competition for the very popular IGA at Paget Street and smaller retailers in the vicinity, but that is hard to stop. What should be stopped though is an inappropriate and ugly street level only development that is not going to enhance the amenity of place in Hilton at all. The proposal is old-fashioned and unimaginative and a giant like ALDI can do and can afford to do better.

Roel Loopers

REVIEW OF CONTROVERSIAL DEVELOPMENT ASSESSMENT PANELS

The controversial State DAP-Development Assessment Panels-are under review and submissions welcomed by the Standing Committee on Uniform Legislation and Statutes Review. Submissions can be send it till January 30, 2015 to unileg@parliament.wa.gov.au or for further information call the committee clerk Samantha Parsons at 9222 7207.

Many local governments and communities believe that DAPs too often ignore community concerns and overrule Council decisions without caring about the loss of amenity and character, especially in older suburbs like Fremantle.

To protect local democracy and community say in what we want to happen in our suburbs we need to either get rid of the DAP process or the DAPs need to be restructured so that community input received more priority.

Roel Loopers

W.A. STATE GOVERNMENT IGNORES LOCAL COMMUNITY

Local Government expert Lawyer Denis McLeod was the guest speaker at the Fremantle Society AGM on Monday evening and presented his well-researched lecture “The Growing Gap Between Interest and Planning in W.A”

McLeod said that “There is no doubt that in WA, since 1928, there has been a quantum change in town planning responsibility away from the community.” He then went at length through the history of local government and town planning and noted that ” A feature of various Redevelopment Acts is that they involve direct intervention by the State Government agencies in the land development process…” and that the Minister has the ability to control the local planning scheme making and amendment process.

McLeod also warned about the important role of the “…..expert dominated DAPs…” who often determine development applications and where the three experts control the DAPs often overrule the two local council representatives. (For Fremantle they are Deputy Mayor Josh Wilson and Councillor Andrew Sullivan). Denis McLeod said that these …“experts are frequently planning professionals, who depend for their livelihoods on the patronage of the development industry….”

He pointed out that WA has a unique position in Australia where third-parties have no rights of appeal against planning decisions.

He warned that the concept of amenity is supposed to provide for protection of local character but that the view in WA is that this is often decided by expert planners rather than local community input and concerns. “Community representatives are commonly given little weight or credibility as witnesses of amenity impact, yet it is their interest that amenity is supposed to reflect.”

McLeod said that the shift in planning has essentially moved away from community representation and concern in favour of promoting development and in support of the interests of the development industry.

I believe the often heard argument that State Government and some local councils are pro-developers rather than pro-development is something we should all be very concerned about. It was fantastic to hear an expert on Local Government talk about that last night. Thanks you Denis McLeod!

Roel Loopers

DAP IGNORES FREO COUNCIL WISHES

It is disappointing that yet again the State’s Design Advisory Panel has ignored a recommendation by Fremantle Council. This time it’s about a new building for Leighton Beach where Freo Council wanted the requirement that street level would be built so it is adaptable to become commercial in the future and not be kept residential indefinitely. The DAP disappointingly did not see the need for street level activation and ignored the COF recommendations.

This is an ongoing problem and something the residents of North Fremantle also have to be very aware of. Over 100 met today at the North Freo Community Hall to find out first hand what building heights to expect on proposed sites under the Amendment to Local Planning Policy 3.11 that deals with McCabe Street and the former Matilda Bay Brewery site.

Even when Freo Council caps the heights at 33 metres maximum the DAP can overrule that, and are known to have done that in other councils.

My observation tonight was that the majority of people do not understand the planning process and do not know the limitations of local government.

It would be good for the City of Fremantle to produce a leaflet and on-line about how the process works, what the DAP and SAT are there for and what the limitations for local council are.

And looking at the presentation and 3D shadow impact, I wonder why Council always shows development as one huge box, when in reality that is unlikely to happen. Can’t we have three images showing building form/footprint possibilities, so no one gets too paranoid about a huge bulky box that will never be built.

There was something special and very community about the respectful meeting with next door in the adjoining hall kids learning how to play instruments. I thought that was rather cute.

Nice to see Mayor Brad Pettitt and Councillors Andrew Sullivan and Dough Thompson at the meeting and also Fremantle Society president Henty Farrar.

Democracy is still very much alive in good old Freo.

Roel Loopers

COUNCIL GRASS ROOTS DEMOCRACY AT WORK

Is the future of Fremantle high, ugly and boring or will Council insist on design quality and mixed-use diversity? This is a question Fremantle Councillors should have a very deep think about, because the decisions they make now will have a huge impact for a very long time. It is no longer appropriate to see building applications as individual. Long-term strategy and guidelines for development need to be considered and implemented if planning is to step up considerably and professionally and away from piecemeal approval that does not consider the overall impact.

Another boring apartment building will go up at Leighton Beach and again there is no effort made by the developers for street-level commercial activity. The MIRVAC speaker also said a 100-bed hotel would be proposed for Leighton Beach soon as well. Great idea for the vitality of that beach just a few metres away from the North Fremantle train station.

But parking is already a major problem for  parents who drop off their children at the Surf Club and the area is quite boring really, especially the walk from the train station to the beach. It would be nice to see more shops and cafes opening there to make the uninspiring place more attractive. Something Manly-like would be nice.

The future for McCabe Street in North Freo, on the border of Mosman park, is high-rise and very controversial, with many speakers warning about the impact 33-42 metre high-rise would have on their neighbourhood. They rightly questioned why community consultation was done on proposed 17 metre-high buildings, but the Planning Services Committee was now discussing buildings of up to 42 metres. As one speaker said, that is like putting a high-rise on top of a high-rise, and it should go back to more intense community consultation.

The fact that public open spaces for the area were not part of the deliberations, also received criticism.

Overshadowing of the neighbourhood, all the way to the river, but also affecting Leighton Beach is something Council really needs to take into account.

Councillor Andrew Sullivan appears to be the one on Council who often pushes for more height, and citing commercial viability, and he said that the extra height-to 42 metres- would produce a more interesting physical built form, but luckily most other Councillors disagreed with him and the clause for additional discretionary  height above 33 metres was deleted on the motion of Mayor Brad Pettitt.

For me one of the more interesting parts of the deliberations between the Elected Members was that several said they were not confident they would get the carefully balanced designed required for such a tall building. That is because the State’s DAP or SAT overrule many local council decisions and allow inappropriate and mediocre buildings against the wishes of the local community.

A negative for the Fremantle community is that Councillor Sullivan is one of two Freo Council members on the Design Advisory Panel(DAP) and not allowed to represent Council views, but only his own personal-more height-ones. That to me is a worry. The second Freo member on the DAP is Deputy Mayor Josh Wilson.

The item will go back to full council in a few weeks from now, so let’s debate community ambience, public open and green spaces, traffic management and quality control.

While I not always agree with the decisions Councillors in Fremantle make, I admire the fact that they are very thorough in their deliberations and take their job seriously. It’s always fascinating to hear the deliberations as it is grassroots democracy at work.

Roel Lopers