Dr Brad Pettitt (front centre) and corridor supporters say they’re concerned where the state’s planning is heading. Photo by Steve Grant.
GREENS MLC Brad Pettitt will hold a community planning session for the old Roe 8/9 corridor on January 17 because he doesn’t trust the McGowan government’s efforts so far.
“Why put up a draft concept plan and then spend the whole time saying ‘oh, that’s not what we’re doing’,” Dr Pettitt said of consultation sessions run by the Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage in November as part of a proposed rezoning of the road reserve.
The Fremantle-based pollie has particularly taken aim at advice that parkland, housing and transport can be dealt with when structure plans are produced for the site.
Structure plan
“The structure plan will break it up into segments, and we’ll never get to the whole vision of possibilities.
“You’ll end up with individualised parcels and land and a much more standardised planning model.
“There is a real danger that by putting a standard planning framework over it, you – not surprisingly – will get a standard outcome,” Dr Pettitt said.
“If you get this right, it could be the kind of outcome that people come from far and wide to enjoy.
“Get it wrong, and it just becomes another bit of Spearwood or Hami Hill.
“Perth’s extremely good at that; we do urban subdivision very efficiently.”
Dr Pettitt said his session was aimed at letting the community intervene before the department’s “draft concept plan becomes rapidly less draft” and he hopes the outcome will encourage the McGowan government to take over.
While he’s trying to avoid imposing his own ideas, he says discussions with a variety of interest groups has given him a taste of what locals want to see.
“Based on what I’ve heard so far, a continuous park from South Beach and Clontarf Hill all the way through to Bibra Lake is something that many in the community are quite excited by.
“It would be tragic for that to be planned out early on.
“Overwhelmingly you’re seeing the people wanting to see those green corridor connections and people connections.
“Hami Hill was interesting; the residents really want to make sure that the area has really good integration with the existing streets as well.”
Cockburn council’s head of planning Carol Catherwood said it was too early to determine who would undertake the detailed planning if the scheme amendment was passed, but generally structure plans were prepared by the landowner or their consultants.
“As the local government affected by this planning study, the City of Cockburn is a significant stakeholder,” Ms Catherwood said.
“The City is keen to see the alternative future of this land resolved by the state government.
“The City would adopt an assessment role in the structure planning process, with final determinations made by the Western Australian Planning Commission.”
The planning sessions will be held on Tuesday January 17, 5.30pm for a 6pm start at the Hamilton Hill Memorial Hall.
by STEVE GRANT