City of Joondalup council support for Kinross development

CITY of Joondalup councillors have voted to support a plan that will guide the development of a Kinross site previously earmarked for a primary school.

The Department of Education said in 2012 it no longer needed the land at 3 Lochnagar Drive and in 2015 it was rezoned to urban development.

Planning consultants then prepared the draft MacNaughton Crescent Structure Plan on behalf of Peet Limited to guide the future subdivision and development of the site.

The plan proposes the development of 60 dwellings ranging in residential density from R25 to R40, about 11 per cent public open space, the retention of some trees and a road network including a laneway for rear vehicle access.

The plan was advertised for public comment, with 24 submissions received, of which 19 were from surrounding residents.

Some of the submissions raised concerns of increased traffic, loss of open space and amenity, loss of vegetation, noise during construction, the residential density being too high and not in keeping with established properties in the area and a need for more sporting amenities.

However, a December 13 council report said the plan was “generally an appropriate framework” to guide the future of the site but some modifications should be recommended to the WA Planning Commission – which makes the final decision – to ensure the development met minimum density requirements and provided more certainty about the retention of specified trees.

At the meeting, a Kinross resident asked if the City was aware the land contained two species of banksia and that banksia woodland was environmentally protected.

Mayor Troy Pickard said while the City was “aware of some delicate species”, the structure plan was for considering land use implications, not environmental implications.

“Any environmental implications are a separate process that is managed by the developer, not by the City,” he said.

Planning and community development director Dale Page said the developer had been in contact with the Department of Environment and Energy and they were “aware of their obligations”.