Changes to the Development Assessment Panel system announced

Journalist’s background: Media enquiry seeking a response to Planning Minister Donna Faragher’s announcement of changes to the Development Assessment Panel system.

Please attribute the following quotes to City of South Perth Mayor Sue Doherty.
On the whole, the City of South Perth supports the proposed administrative changes to the Development Assessment Panel system which were announced today by Planning Minister Donna Faragher.

At the West Australian Local Government Association (WALGA) Annual General Meeting in August 2016, on behalf of the City of South Perth Council I moved a motion advocating for an independent review of the Western Australian planning system, including DAPs. This motion was endorsed at the meeting so it is encouraging to note that the Minister has acknowledged and listened to some of the concerns of local governments, key stakeholders and those in the community.

Whilst the proposed amendments are in draft form, the impact they will have on transparency and flexibility remains to be seen. DAPs are one component of the planning process and a holistic independent review across all parts of the planning system and how it functions is important for the benefit of the community and developers alike.

The City is committed to delivering the best planning outcomes for our community and while these changes go some way to providing greater efficiency and consistency of the DAP decision making process I look forward to further changes. There is still room for DAPs to improve their transparency, timeliness of decision making, procedural fairness and consider how they can best reflect and represent the aspirations and values of the community.