Water Corporation plans to rezone former tank site for housing in Quinns Rocks

THE Water Corporation has applied to rezone land for housing in Quinns Rocks where a water tower used to stand.

The City of Wanneroo council will consider the application, lodged by Whelans Town Planning in April, to rezone the 2753sq m site on Hickory Road from public use to residential.

The utility has applied for an R40 code density, but the City’s staff recommended it should approving an R20 density as the recoding for the whole suburb had been deferred pending studies into long-term coastal management.

Councillor Frank Cvitan asked acting planning and sustainability director Mark Dickson if it was one of the biggest vacant lots in the suburb at last week’s council briefing. Mr Dickson replied that it appeared to be the largest area remaining to be developed in Quinns Rocks.

According to the July council report, the applicant justified the higher density because it would facilitate a grouped dwelling and the suburb currently lacked small lot housing options.

However, the report said a grouped dwelling was “inconsistent with the existing surrounding area which has been developed as predominantly single dwellings”.

The site housed a water tank from the 1970s until 2012, which serviced the area until the Water Corporation built the Neerabup reservoir in about 1996.

The tank was removed in 2012.

UPDATE, July 21: A REPORT about rezoning Water Corporation land in Quinns Rocks was withdrawn from the July 19 City of Wanneroo council meeting agenda.

Staff withdrew the report, which recommended the council approve an R20 residential density code for the former water tank site on Hickory Road.

Water Corporation had applied to change the public use to an R40 residential use to allow a group dwelling development.