A decision made in March by the Town of Victoria Park to refuse a controversial proposal for a 12-story mixed-use development near the Causeway may soon come back to haunt it, according to chief executive John Bonker.
Issues surrounding the development application by Campion Design Group for 71 residential apartments and offices at Hawthorne Place, Burswood, were first raised by WA Business News in April, and mainly concerned the potential loss of views affecting a small number of local residents.
The developers have since asked for a review of council’s decision by the State Administrative Tribunal, who is expected to consider the validity of that decision in light of the existing planning scheme and public support for the proposal.
Regardless of the tribunal’s decision, council is likely to amend its height limit policy for the Causeway precinct in a meeting this week from a maximum of 12 storeys down to five storeys, to prevent any further high rise development in the area.
Mr Bonker said the issue of height limits for developments was an emotive issue among council, and had increasingly become a personal one since deputy mayor Bruce Stevenson declared a financial interest in the Hawthorne Place application.
“I speak for all my staff in saying that the attempt to modify town policy to support the refusal of a single development application, which was in fact in accordance with existing council policy, is a cynical exercise and one which may have adverse ramifications for council,” he said.
Mayor Mick Lee revealed that council’s four-three voting split against the application was based primarily on personal objections to high-rises, despite fitting all of the town’s own criteria.
“We allowed Mirvac Fini to build up to 25-storeys on the Burswood peninsula and not one word was said about that…we have no real reason to object to a development, which if built would be an icon and would raise the standards of the area.”
The defence of the tribunal appeal is understood to have cost the council between $50,000 and $100,000 in legal fees to date.
