COUNCIL members at the City of Swan voted to remove time limitations on care service provider Roshana operating in Midland, granting it permanent approval while concerns remain.

Roshana was granted approval back in August 19, 2024 for a period of 12 months and received a renewal of approval in 2025.

The newest application by Roshana was for the removal of the operating time limit allowing approval of the use in a permanent manner, and the removal of quarterly meetings.

The quarterly meetings were a requirement for Roshana to meet with the city and community representatives for review of operational performance.

The council received seven submissions about the newest application during public consultation with four objections, two non-objections and one in support but with conditions.

According to council reports, two of the objections raised concerns about potential for anti-social behaviour, with a client of the facility having been seen walking around the community flailing arms and talking to themselves which was argued to degrade the nearby amenity and the perceived safety of the area.

The remaining two rejections did not support the removal of quarterly meetings between Roshana, as they believed it provided important oversight and acted as a mechanism to ensure accountability by the service providers.

One submission noted that on occasion where anti-social behaviour was observed, care provider staff worked quickly to resolve it.

The non-objection submissions supported the application and commented that the service was needed in the community.

City staff recommended approval of the newest application but suggested the quarterly meetings be changed into a meeting every six months for two years.

Councillor Aaron Bowman raised concerns about its history of approvals ahead of the latest application.

“This is incremental planning by stealth,” he said.

“Five of the buildings have six or seven bedrooms, in addition, each includes a quiet room.

“I can’t think of many seven-bedroom town houses built in Midland (and) you would not be able to rent it out to seven different people as this would be classed as a lodging house (or) boarding house.

“Six town houses were… I understand completed towards early 2024.

“(In) mid 2024 a temporary approval for a psychiatric hospital was granted by this council.

“The deputation in the leadup to this was (the applicants) had to urgently get out of their Bentley property as it needed to be developed (and) this never occurred.

“Once approved permanently, there’s not much the City of Swan can do with future issues, complaints, etcetera.

“Remember councillors, this original approval was based on the patients having nowhere urgently to go and we were then told this perhaps may not have been correct

“We gave an additional 12 months (and) everyone was clear that upon expiration of the approval, the use must cease.

“I am strongly against the permanent approval of this psychiatric hostel in this residential area and again this incremental planning by stealth.”

The application was approved 9-4 with permanent operation times and the required meetings between Roshana, the city and community changed to every six months for a period of two years.