Perth Voice Interactive

A CONTENTIOUS 24-hour service station proposed for a popular North Perth cafe strip has come back before Vincent council.

Landowner OTR 208 Pty Ltd already has an appeal lodged with the State Administrative Tribunal after a broader development encompassing surrounding lots was knocked back by the DAP panel, but its current application focuses only on the old servo site.

OTR is trying to convince the council that it’s merely rebooting an existing business on the site, as the council has changed its town planning scheme to ban new petrol stations in town centres since fuel was last pumped on the Angove Street site.

But the council’s planners, who have consistently backed community opposition, aren’t buying that argument and have recommended the council knock the application back.

In a report to the council, they noted that a service station had operated on the site from the 1960s until 2021 when fencing was erected around the boundaries of the site and it had since been dormant.

The council did approve an application to reopen the station with a sideline selling cars 20 years ago, but it had stipulated only four bowsers could be operating alongside a mechanic’s shop.

The current proposal would see eight bowsers operating and the interior of the building gutted to provide a single tenancy, and the council’s planners say that’s too different from what was approved in 2002 to be considered a mere rejig.’

They also upped the ante by recommending the City write to the state government to alert it to the fact that fuel tanks are most likely still under the site and could be leaking in an area near homes, cafes and the North Perth Primary School.

Contamination

They want to ask for an investigation in the contamination status of the site and condition of the fuel tanks.

This would be to ensure the “ongoing risk presented by this issue is addressed by the land owner as required by the applicable legislation, and for any required remediation to be undertaken in accordance with the relevant standards and requirements.”

North Perth resident Sally Baker lives in an apartment near the proposed station and urged the council to reject the application at this week’s council briefing session.

“”Selling the family home in Inglewood in 2018, I decided I wanted to swap constant trips to Bunnings and the pool shop to stepping out my door to the buss of inner city,” Ms Baker said.

Moving to Fitzroy she fell in love with apartment living, particularly the fact her car barely left the building’s underground garage.

“Returning to Perth in 2022 I wanted the same.

“As you will know, health and the environment we live in are closely linked.

“No matter what mitigation and faux assurances that can be read in the application, a 24-hour, 7-day-a-week petrol station is still a petrol station with an inordinate amount of associated health and safety risks.”

Her comments were supported by neighbour Wayne Davis: “This is a stupid proposal; that you can actually build a petrol station in a cafe strip,” he said.

“If you are going to build it, sell electrical power – why sell gasoline and diesel?”

Planner Nick Hinning represented OTR at the meeting and said the application was simply about improving an existing building.

He said council officers had incorrectly roped in built form and landscaping into their arguments against accepting it complied with the 2002 approval.

OTR also had legal advice suggesting the proposal complied with the approval and urged the councillors to support the application.

The decision comes before full council later this month.

by STEVE GRANT