Perth Voice Interactive

STIRLING city council is getting frustrated with the Barnett government over a planning rule that allows high-rise apartments to be built in quiet suburban streets.

The council says it alerted the government to its concerns three years ago and asked for a specific amendment to be made last year. Meanwhile, the towers, worth hundreds of millions of dollars, keep going up.

The council this week decided to again write to Mr  Day, asking him to amend a policy that permits “inappropriate” multi-storey apartments on relatively small blocks.

At issue is a “multi-unit housing code” that encourages urban infill with few limitations.

“(The code) undermines the city’s efforts to focus on residential growth in and around activity centres and corridors which are better serviced by public transport…and infrastructure,” a council report reads.

Under the council’s suggested amendment, development assessment panels would have been unable to approve “several” multi-storey apartments over the past year.

Council planning manager Fraser Henderson says the council wants to make it more difficult to build multi-storey apartments in areas coded R40.

He says even if the government agrees to the change, it is likely to take months to get through all the red tape.

Cr Karen Caddy told colleagues she is concerned about “significant proposals coming forward for multi-unit dwellings” and an influx of upset residents.

The government introduced new “residential design codes” in 2010 as part of its Direction 2031 population growth plan for greater Perth. The WA planning commission has already conceded it botched the codes and is considering winding them back.

by EMMIE DOWLING