A Perth council is set to spend $50,000 to launch an independent review of its planning department after ongoing complaints from residents.
City of Swan councillors will vote on a motion on Wednesday night to include the funds in the 2026/27 draft budget so they can review the last six years of the City’s planning processes, procedures, report preparations and delegation of authority.
The motion, brought forward from the City’s annual electors’ meeting in February, would also see a committee formed to oversee the review.
A brief history
At the electors meeting on February 2, The Vines resident Gavan Troy made the motion for a review after claiming locals were “deeply concerned with council planning staff’s interpretation and response on planning issues.”
“We therefore request that a detailed review be undertaken by an independent agency to the City’s planning department,” Troy said.
“Such a review shall be an all-encompassing review that considers town planning considerations undertaken through the City of Swan over the past six years with particular reference to matters concerning The Vines locality.”
At the City’s ordinary council meeting on March 11, councillors were advised to note all the motions made at the annual electors meeting.
In a council report, City staff said historical records of decisions made on matters involving The Vines over the past six years “does not demonstrate a disregard for the regulatory requirements, nor community input.”
“However, the principles of the planning system require strict adherence to the assessment of applications in accordance with the regulatory framework,” the report said.
According to the report, 15 matters were considered by Council and other decision makers, six of which related to sheds, four related to a telecommunication mast, and other matters including a driveway, retrospective clearing, an outbuilding and the proposed redevelopment of the driving range.
“If Mr Troy or any other person is aggrieved, it is considered his interests would be best served by making a representation to the Minister who can consider matters separate and independent from the Council and City administration and who has statutory power to take action,” the report said.
Despite this, a motion by councillor Rod Henderson to support the independent review and committee was carried 13-2, with details on funding and who would make up the committee to be decided at a future council meeting.
After the meeting, a City of Swan spokesperson told this masthead that council endorsed the direction “as part of its commitment to continuous improvement and transparency.”
“Periodic reviews of systems and operations are considered best practice for local governments,” the spokesperson said.
The next decision
At Wednesday night’s meeting, councillors will vote to determine who will be appointed to the Planning Process Review Committee.
According to the council agenda report, staff recommend the committee comprise “council members only” consisting of five members and two deputy members.
Committee responsibilities include overseeing the review of the City’s planning department, setting the scope for the review, selecting the independent consultant, and reporting on the outcomes of the review at a future ordinary council meeting.
Councillors will also vote to allocate $50,000 to the draft 2026/27 budget to engage an independent professional to undertake the review
The report notes that council staff anticipate the funding “will be sufficient for a high-level review of processes and procedures applied, but the funding would not extend to detailed analysis of individual development applications.”
A City of Swan spokesperson said the review is expected to be undertaken throughout the year, with findings reported back to Council by the end of the year.
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