CALLS for greater transparency have been made to the City of Kalamunda after trees earmarked for retention were cleared at a Wattle Grove development site following administrative sign-off by council staff.

Fight for Wattle Grove, a community group with more than 450 members, claimed vegetation on a lot on Lewis Road was removed despite explicit conditions requiring its protection under a previous development application panel (DAP) approval.

Fight for Wattle Grove spokesperson Kim Sinclair said the group’s push for greater transparency stems from staff making the decision under delegated authority without public debate or an elected councillor vote.

He said residents were left blind-sided when chainsaw operations began on site.

“We participated in good faith in the original DAP process, and conditions protecting vegetation were put in place partly in response to community concerns,” he said.

“Now those trees have been removed through what appears to be a staff-level process with no notification to neighbours.

“Why do we allow elements of planning approvals to be overturned by staff without the issue being returned to full council for consideration, debate, and transparency.”

The City of Kalamunda confirmed the removals were approved by staff under regulation 17 of the DAP regulations, which allow local government officers to determine minor amendments to previous panel approvals without elected councillor oversight or public notification.

Mr Sinclair argued there is no oversight regarding what constitutes a minor amendment.

“Who determines what is a minor amendment and what is a major one? In this instance, 15 trees were removed, we would argue that’s a major amendment,” he said.

In response, City of Kalamunda Mayor Margaret Thomas defended the city’s handling of the application, maintaining that all decisions follow strict statutory requirements.

“The city’s assessment was limited to the amended landscaping application before it, the city considered an arborist report submitted by the applicant in assessing the proposed tree removals,” she said.

“The city did not undertake a separate investigation into whether previous earthworks had impacted the trees’ root systems.

“The city appreciates the strong community interest in this site and understands the concerns that have been raised. While these decisions are never taken lightly, the city is committed to ensuring every planning application is assessed fairly, consistently, and in accordance with the relevant legislation and the evidence provided as part of the assessment process.”

The city declined a request by Echo News to inspect the arborist’s report, citing confidentiality rules surrounding developer planning submissions.