SHIRE of Mundaring has welcomed the Western Australian Planning Commission’s (WAPC) decision to refuse the North Stoneville structure plan proposal.

At its meeting on Thursday, December 7 the WAPC resolved to refuse the structure plan, based on the plan’s inability to adequately demonstrate the threat of bushfire risk, including safe evacuation, as well as the true impact of traffic on the road network.

Shire of Mundaring President Paige McNeil and deputy Trish Cook provided a deputation to the WAPC on behalf of council at its public hearing on Thursday, November 23 along with 22 verbal and nine written deputations.

Ms McNeil said that the December 7 decision was the latest in a series of refusals for the planning application.

“The recent refusal by the WA Planning Commission endorses council’s and our community’s long held concerns about an urban development at North Stoneville,” she said.

“The decision is a testament to years of persistence by council and our community who understand the increasing bushfire risk that we face in this region. The decision tells us that planning in bushfire prone areas must aim to safeguard not endanger our community.”

WAPC noted that the traffic, evacuation and bushfire analysis and modelling could not adequately demonstrate community safety and the protection of environmental conservation values cannot be appropriately balanced with the outcomes of bushfire risk management.

The matter will now return to the State Administrative Tribunal (SAT) on February 2.

The applicant can then decide whether to withdraw or proceed to a final hearing with SAT as the decision maker.