Perth Voice Interactive

THREE in a row: Another contentious development has been approved in Vincent by the Joint Development Assessment Panel, with the state-government appointed members outvoting local elected members to approve Celsius’ rejigged North Perth apartment project.

Celsius Developments first proposed a 16-storey apartment project on the Fitzgerald Street site between Alma Road and Raglan Road, before later revising the plans down to 13 storeys.

Vincent council’s planning rules set the standard maximum at six storeys, and the 13-storey version was rejected in December 2022.

Shortened

A year on they were back in front of the JDAP with another shortened version, this one measuring in at nine storeys. 

This time round Vincent’s planning staffers, who prepare the recommendation for the JDAP members, decided nine storeys was a satisfactory “level of discretion”, given that the top three floors were set back and the building would mostly appear to be six or seven storeys from street-level. 

The staff report acknowledged “off-site impacts related to overshadowing and visual privacy would not be minimised to an acceptable level” but still recommended approval.

Vincent mayor Alison Xamon is not a sitting JDAP member, but took the step of attending the November 30 meeting to speak against the proposal, armed with a PowerPoint presentation chocked with reasons the JDAP ought to vote no.

Ms Xamon said the nine storeys was inconsistent with the six-storey maximum locals envisioned for the area’s future, and that the extra 1,394 vehicle trips per day (most of them using a small right of way behind the development) would impact the safety of existing residents.

Outnumbered

Local councillors are outnumbered on the JDAP by design, with three members appointed by the state government and a maximum of two local members voting on decisions – a makeup intended to streamline big development applications.

At the November 30 meeting only one councillor was available, Alex Castle, and she voted against the project. A second local vote wouldn’t have made a difference as votes of approval were lodged by all three state government-appointed members: Francesca Lefante, Lee O’Donohue, and John Syme.

It’s the third time in the space of a month that the locally elected vote has been outnumbered by the appointed majority members (“JDAPPED AGAIN,” Voice, December 2, 2023). 

The JDAP previously granted split-decision approvals to seven storey apartments on Oxford Street at their November 10 meeting, and to a drug crisis support centre on Stuart Street at the November 24 meeting, with both projects being heavily opposed by locals. 

by DAVID BELL