A MELVILLE councillor has warned his colleagues the Bull Creek and Murdoch train stations could be engulfed by “ad hoc” high rise unless they act quickly to impose more moderate planning controls.
At their November meeting councillors considered a consultant’s report which found that while there were opportunities for development around the stations, anything led by the City would be expensive and unlikely to attract “meaningful” private investment.
Engaging
Instead it recommended engaging with the state government to discuss future planning opportunities.
But Clive Ross warned that left the door open to the state taking full control and doing as it pleased.
“They’re saying it’s too difficult, too expensive; and all of this is an open invitation to the minister and the WA Planning Commission to step in and take over,” Cr Ross said.
“Maintaining control of the plans will allow height limits and density to be controlled and spread across the precincts so as to control congestion and provide public open space.”
He put forward an alternative motion for the City to prepare structure plans capped at six storeys, but could only get support from Crs Glynis Barber, Clive Ross, Daniel Lim and George Panayotou, with mayor Katy Mair and Crs Nicole Robins, Jennifer Spanbroek, Karen Wheatland, Matthew Woodall and Crawford Yorke voting against him.
Cr Wheatland said Cr Ross’s approach could land ratepayers with unexpected costs.
“If we go ahead and do this work, and then in 12 months’ time or 18 months’ time when the state government… turn their lens to a different area and they look at Melville and they overturn everything that we’ve done,” Cr Wheatland said.
“The money that we’ve spent could be a 1 per cent increase for our residents and ratepayers.”
In the end councillors voted 7 – 3 to work with the chair of the WAPC and planning minister to plan the area in the future, although Melville CEO Gail Bowman has been tasked with running a City-led vision exercise with residents to determine their aspirations.
by STEVE GRANT