Update on draft South Perth Activity Centre Plan

Media enquiry from WA Today: Story subject is the intervention of WA Planning Commission chairman David Caddy into the draft South Perth Activity Centre Plan. City of South Perth Councillors had unanimously resolved not to advertise the draft in its current form. I am told Mr Caddy turned up at the workshop on December 17 and indicated he would be writing to the City and exercising his power to insist that the Activity Centre Plan be advertised as-is.

• Who invited David Caddy to the workshop? I understand councillors did not.
• Has the City yet received the official communication from Mr Caddy directing it to advertise the draft in its current form?
• What is the City's reaction to Mr Caddy's appearance at the workshop to signal his intentions in this way? Does it have any concerns over the process and the regulations that allow this intervention?

Please attribute the following statement to City of South Perth Mayor Sue Doherty.

At the October 2018 Council meeting, the Council resolved to further consider the built form and land use options for the draft South Perth Activity Centre Plan and associated Scheme Amendment No. 61 before both documents are finalised for the purpose of public advertising.

A series of workshops have taken place with City staff and expert consultants to inform Council in their review of the draft Activity Centre Plan and associated scheme amendment before both documents are finalised for the purpose of public advertising. Workshops to date have focused on: the process to review and finalise the draft Activity Centre Plan before public advertising; population growth and demographics; Council’s vision for the area; details of the built form including building height limits, setbacks, land use and impacts of development on significant sites such as the Perth Zoo.

The Chairman of the Western Australian Planning Commission David Caddy was invited by the City to attend the workshop on the 17 December 2018 to discuss the relationship of the South Perth Activity Centre Plan with the overarching State Planning Framework and the City’s Draft Local Planning Strategy.

Following this workshop, the City received communication from Mr Caddy requesting that the Council consider advertising the draft Activity Centre Plan by the end of January 2019 concurrently with the associated scheme amendment.

The City will be seeking a reasonable extension to this date given the time of year and practicality of working through the matters and the adopted position of Council.

The Council is progressing the South Perth Activity Centre Plan as expeditiously as possible and in light of this, further workshops will continue early in 2019. It is anticipated that the draft South Perth Activity Centre Plan and associated scheme amendment will be resubmitted to Council for their consideration early in the new year.

The Council is committed to ensuring best practice strategic planning processes and outcomes for the City, Council, community and stakeholders that is in line with Western Australian Planning Commission planning guidelines.