• Standing room only at the Melville primary school hall.
STOREYS by CLARE KENYON
MELVILLE Mayor Russell Aubrey and developer Tuscom did not attend a packed public meeting Wednesday to oppose a major new development approved for the old Striker Pavilion site in Alfred Cove.
But Bateman Liberal MP Matt Taylor and local Labor MLC Sue Ellery—both vocal opponents of the scale of the project—were there, as was councillor Nick Pazolli.
Striker Balance Action Group chief Geoff Parson says the turnout of nearly 200 usually quiet and reserved locals shows “the community is still very angry” about the approval, “and wants something done about it”.
He says the group realises its chances of a legal appeal are slim but locals are starting to wake up to the fact their rights to have a say in their own community are being eroded by the powers of JDAPs. “Now we need to bring it to the attention of all politicians.”
The application for 87 apartments at the Kitchener Road site, next to low density homes, was approvd by the local JDAP in April, over the objections of residents and the council.
• Geoff Pearson speaks as MP Matt Taylor and Cr Nick Pazolli look on.
A REVIEW has found developers are delighted but elected councils are fuming over the way joint development advisory panels are working.
Geoff Pearson from Striker Balance Action group unearthed the previously-unknown survey, conducted almost nine months ago, and presented it at Wednesday night’s packed public meeting.
It showed the process is weighted heavily in developers’ favour, with JDAPs consistently overriding community concerns about amenity.
JDAPs started in July 2011, with three members appointed by the government and two being local elected councillors. Straight away, the appointed members outnumber elected representatives.
The panels have the power to consider and approve development applications worth more than $7 million.
Melville councillor and local JDAP member Mark Reynolds says decision making appears to be heavily weighted on state guidelines irrespective of council planning schemes.
“My belief is that JDAP was set up to streamline the decision-making process to get favourable decisions which would normally have gone to SAT and incurred large legal costs,” he says.
Cr Reynolds says the JDAP casts a clinical eye on design aspects and doesn’t consider social impacts.
“I think it’s good a couple of politicians got involved [against the Striker development] because they can make a change,” he says.