The state government has finalised four new land development committees to advise on major redevelopment schemes across Perth, opting for familiar faces from the redevelopment agencies it abolished last year.
The committees will fall under the jurisdiction of the newly established Metropolitan Redevelopment Authority (MRA), which has replaced regional development authorities.
But the Institute of Architects has reacted with disappointment at the move. It was hoping to see a greater role for private sector players and professional experts.
Institute of Architects Western Australia chapter president David Karotkin said there was concern the committees brought little new to the planning process. “There are a lot of familiar faces on the committees and it seems to be a shuffling of the chairs rather than any significant change,” Mr Karotkin said.
The institute would have liked to have seen a greater overhaul of the planning regulation process and the inclusion of talent from non-governmental sectors, he said.
“Unfortunately, I don’t think we’re going to see any real change with the MRA, we would have liked to have seen a greater number of architects involved and more people who don’t come from a background in government and bureaucracy,” he said.
“More independent experts from industry and the involvement of land developers and other private sector players would give the MRA true cross-sectional representation and that would be a positive.”
Minister for Planning John Day said the committees would represent the local interests of the designated hubs, Central Perth, Midland, Armadale and Subiaco, and advise the MRA on the delivery of urban redevelopment projects.
“These four committees represent a cross-section of experience in local government, planning and urban renewal and show a strong understanding of the needs of local communities,” Mr Day said.
Most of the committee members have worked in local government, with a number of appointees serving on the redevelopment authorities before their abolition.
The chairpersons of the Armadale, Subiaco and Midland committees all chaired their respective authorities and come from local government backgrounds.
Fred Affleck will chair the Midland committee and has experience in transport and logistics, serving as chairman of the planning and transport research centre.
Charles Johnson, a town planner with 30 years’ experience in local government, will chair the Armadale committee, while former accountant Donald Humphreys will lead the Subiaco committee.
Chairman of the Western Australian Planning Commission Gary Pratley will lead the Central Perth committee.
After voicing concerns over the amalgamation of the authorities into the MRA and the loss of council influence, local government councillors have a seat on each of the four committees.
An exception to the former authority members is the appointment of two architects to two of the committees. Richard Weller from the Australian Urban Design Research Centre and David Hartree from Hartree+Associates have been appointed to the Central Perth and Subiaco committees respectively.
Mr Weller said he was pleased with the MRA’s centralised structure and hoped it would produce effective development planning.
“The MRA is looking to be a more streamlined, smoother model and I think that will allow us to be more open and progressive with planning whilst ensuring the vital elements like design quality control are intact and safeguarded,” he said.
Mr Weller said new thinking was needed to drive successful and effective urban development in Perth and he hoped the committees would play their part.
