Paul Ruthven, Nicolas Gurr, Colin Latchem, Elisabeth Megroz, Andrew Luobikis, Geoff Pearson with (front) Claudia Green, Cecilia Brooke, Helen McLeod, Yvonne Hart , Leisha Jack, Peter Melrosa and Beth Kennedy.
Camera IconPaul Ruthven, Nicolas Gurr, Colin Latchem, Elisabeth Megroz, Andrew Luobikis, Geoff Pearson with (front) Claudia Green, Cecilia Brooke, Helen McLeod, Yvonne Hart , Leisha Jack, Peter Melrosa and Beth Kennedy. Credit: Supplied/Supplied

Stirling residents united in bid to ‘scrap the DAP’

Kate Leaver and Jon BassettStirling Times

The residents of communities affected by developments approved by DAPs plan to take their fight to the 2017 State Election.

A lobby group, Scrap the DAPs, was formed at a Mosman Park meeting on Wednesday night to fight back against recent decisions the recommendations of councils.

Scrap the DAPs committee member Leisha Jack said City of Stirling residents were well represented at the meeting.

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Ms Jack said groups from Trigg, Scarborough, Dianella, Karrinyup and Carine attended to express their frustration with developments in their areas.

“This really needs to be a case of planning for the people rather than planning in the interests of developers,” she said.

Stirling Councillor Andrew Guilfoyle also attended the meeting.

“The DAPs really are undemocratic so it was great to see everyone at the meeting unanimously take a stand against them,” Ms Jack said.

“Hopefully this will bring other DAPs-affected community groups in Stirling out of the woodwork.”

Cottesloe lawyer Sandra Boulter said WA needed third-party appeal rights so neighbours to developments had power in DAP decisions, given there was no legal connection between what was planned and then developed.

“There is no planning assessment process in WA, as what we have is a planning approval system,” she said.

Across Perth, 21 councils have passed motions opposing DAPs, which comprise two local councillors and three State appointees, who can decide on any development worth more than $3 million, if a developer chooses to bypass local government processes.

Mosman Park Mayor Ron Norris organised the meeting after his council and residents opposed an enlarged shopping centre in the town but were overridden by a DAP last year.

The meeting agreed to support an anti-DAP motion at the annual general meeting of the WA Local Government Association next month.

Opinion, page 8