The City of Melville requested an extension on the due date of its Responsible Authority Report (RAR). Originally due on January 20, the City approached the applicant for more time after receiving an updated traffic impact report just before Christmas.
Independent traffic consultant Heidi Herget, who carried out a peer review of the first version of the report on behalf of a group of local business owners and residents opposed to the project, said the new report was nearly identical to its predecessor.
“A review of version two of the applicant’s traffic study indicated virtually no change to version one apart from a cursory mention of traffic surveys having been undertaken at the Canning Highway/Reynolds Road intersection, although there is little mention of the results of these surveys,” Ms Herget said.
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She said Reynolds Road south of Canning Highway, which will provide the only access to the proposed 5000sq m commercial development, had not been surveyed at all despite the fact it was most at risk of being negatively affected.
Ms Herget said it was also highly unusual to undertake traffic surveys during December, which was not representative of typical conditions due to school holidays and Christmas trading.
She also accused the City of withholding the report, which she requested be made available to her as soon as it was submitted but was provided on January 5.
Acting Melville chief executive Christine Young confirmed the City received the version two report on December 19 but said officers required sufficient time to review the document prior to distributing it to third parties.
“It should also be noted the City of Melville was closed between midday December 23 and January 2,” Ms Young said.
She said the City had not received a new deadline for its RAR and was still assessing the development application, including any traffic related concerns.
“As the application is still under assessment, the City has requested the due date of the RAR be extended and is currently waiting on consent from the applicant,” she said. “The City will continue to liaise with the applicant, Main Roads WA and the Department of Planning in relation to traffic matters.”
The proposal to build a Woolworths supermarket in Mt Pleasant has been stalled by concerns about traffic.