CITY of Swan councillors presented to the Swan Planning Process Review Committee (PPRC) underlining the importance of community satisfaction with the review and the need for the review consultant to meet with the community.

In Swan Planning Process Review Committee concerns the community expressed concerns the scope in the terms of reference set during their first meeting lost the focus of the review.

Council resolved at a special meeting to request City of Swan chief executive officer Stephen Cain to pause all activities for the appointment of the planning review consultant until the terms of reference had been renegotiated.

Mr Cain obtained legal opinion from McLeods Lawyers that the council resolution was not valid, and that his action in approaching three potential reviewers was a legitimate action since the first committee meeting had supported the terms of reference.

During the second meeting of the PPRC, councillor Aaron Bowman attended as an observer and presented a statement to the committee.

Cr Bowman supported community involvement with the review and suggested the consultant should meet with the community.

Mr Cain offered a workshop for the community to be briefed on his findings before they were reported, however the community maintained this may be too late in the process for involvement.

During the meeting, Cr Rod Henderson succeeded in including stronger reference to the state planning framework and inclusion of three community planning examples, being the Hazelmere data centre, The Vines redevelopment, and Midway Ford.

Earlier in the council meeting a community statement was read to council, repeating the community concerns and warning the council that the $50,000 allocated for the review would not cover the broadened scope and would be wasted.

Committee community representative Dixon Lowe read out the statement highlighting the need to keep a narrower focus in the review.

“The scope has been increased to beyond that which could be achieved in the time frame and finances for this review,” he said.

“You will recall that there is $50,000 put aside for this 100 hours of review.

“This scope is now impossible to reach in those 100 hours.

“The community proposed a very specific scope of work to the committee and that could be achieved in the $50,000.

“The chief executive officer had rewritten the terms of reference adding in many details that represent the staff and internal administrative position which are not required to judge whether the state planning framework is being followed.

“These terms of reference now present an opportunity for a reviewer to randomly select samples and so it is a  cause for concern.”

Following the meeting on June 18, community members sent a co-signed letter to City of Swan Mayor Tanya Richardson and deputy mayor Charlie Zannino requesting their intervention to have the reviewer meet for two hours with community representatives at an early stage of their review.

Deputy mayor and PPRC presiding member Charlie Zannino responded on Wednesday and said he fully understood the community’s need for meaningful consultation within the review.

“I wish to advise, that I am working with the city’s chief executive officer Stephen Cain to ensure this objective is achieved in the most effective and appropriate manner,” he said.

“Further, I support your proposal for the independent consultant to meet with community representatives early in the process.”

*A previous edition reported community members were awaiting a response from the city which was correct at the time of reporting. A response by the deputy mayor was received on Wednesday night and the report has been updated to reflect that.