SUN City Country Club will have to remove part of its 2.4m high kangaroo fence after the State Administrative Tribunal has dismissed its appeal.
SAT member Jim Jordan delivered a decision yesterday that upheld the Wanneroo council’s from May 30, 2017 to refuse the club’s application for retrospective development approval.
The Yanchep club erected the barbed wire fence in late 2016 to keep kangaroos off the course, in addition to an existing 1.1m subdivisional fence, and nearby residents campaigned to have it removed.
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READ NOWThe club applied for retrospective development approval, but the council resolved that the fence should be removed because of its impact on the lifestyle of people who bought properties overlooking the golf course.
“The fence was said to be required for security and safety reasons because of a large number of kangaroos entering the course (…) and because of incidents of vandalism,” Mr Jordan said.
“The tribunal considered the compatibility of a proposed development with its setting and the impact of the development on the character and amenity of the locality.”
Mr Jordan concluded that a 500m section of fence on the club’s eastern boundary was not needed to keep animals out.
“The security of the course was adequately served by the new boundary fencing that has been allowed adjacent to the public spaces and, on balance, by the presence of the abutting house lots and the existing boundary fence,” he said.
“The fence was not compatible with its setting and would have an undesirable impact on the local character and amenity.
“The tribunal decided to dismiss the application for review.”
Heather Powell said she and other residents were “absolutely delighted” and “thrilled” to read the SAT decision, which she hoped would lead to removal of all the barbed wire.
“It’s so out of keeping with a residential area,” she said.
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