Drovers Place zone change could see 200 dwellings built beside Yellagonga Regional Park

A ZONE change could see more than 200 homes built in the Drovers Place precinct beside Yellagonga Regional Park.

Wanneroo Council has recommended the WA Planning Commission approve Roberts Day’s application to change zoning from special use to residential.

The proposal could allow up to 225 dwellings on the 9ha site beside the Joondalup fire station and Regents Garden retirement village.

According to the June 26 report, the site’s zoning allowed education and tourism-related land uses on the subject properties.

A concept plan for the site proposed a mix of residential densities with R30, R40 and R60 coded areas.

A June 26 council report said the proposal attracted 14 submissions during public consultation in late 2017, but none objected to the amendment.

In its submission, the Friends of Yellagonga Regional Park group said retaining vegetation around Lake Joondalup and revegetating the buffer zone was essential.

“Cyclists enjoy the shade of trees and the view of the undergrowth especially with increasing temperatures in summer,” the submission said.

“The cycle path is also used by walkers who want to enjoy nature.”

It said people who bought the homes should be made aware of the lake’s midge problem, and the report said developers would need to provide water, bushfire, mosquito and midge management plans prior to development.

The council rejected another amendment for the site in May 2015 because the residential density and traffic generated would have been “excessive” as it proposed up to 450 dwellings.

The June report said the range of densities proposed now would not be excessive and modifications required to the bushfire asset protection zone might result in less than 225 dwellings.

It said the development would generate about 1800 vehicles movements per day on Drovers Place, adding to the almost 2200 vehicles recorded in an August 2017 traffic count.