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City of Subiaco appoints councillors Burns and Rowe as DAP representatives

Montana ArdonWestern Suburbs Weekly

CITY of Subiaco has appointed councillors Mark Burns and Murray Rowe as representatives on the Metro West Joint Development Assessment Panel (DAP).

The pair replace Cr Paul Clements, who had sat on the panel since 2011, and outspoken anti-DAP councillor Julie Matheson, who is running as an independent in the State Election.

Cr Lee Hemsley backed Cr Burns’ appointment.

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“Those representing on the panel should be those who will be the most effective,” he said.

“I believe Cr Burns would be a very good speaker.”

However, Cr Malcolm Mummery, who voted against the appointment along with Cr Matheson, said he did not believe Cr Burns should be elected.

Cr Burns said Cr Matheson was no longer a suitable representative of council.

“Councillor Matheson is currently running for a seat in the State Legislative Council and could be elected, and obviously as Member of State Legislative Council she could not sit on a DAP,” he said.

“She has called for the abolition of all DAPs, calling them ‘shonky government agencies protecting politicians and their mates’.

“Even in the event that Cr Matheson is unsuccessful in being elected (to the State Legislative Council), her stated positions and comments would see Cr Matheson highly unlikely to be ‘accepted’ and thus ‘heard’ by the other DAP members.

“In the event she was not elected, she has still made her position well known.”

A visibly disappointed Cr Matheson left the chamber after the vote.

“Council has spoken, and they obviously didn’t want me on the panel,” she said.

Mayor Heather Henderson and Cr Scott Arbuckle were elected as first and second alternate members for the panel.

Cr Rowe and Cr Burns begin their two-year term on April 26.