A PROPOSAL for a childcare centre in Darlington has prompted the community to discuss the gaps in the current planning process in WA they say are dismissing resident input.

Currently, developments worth over $2 million and under $10m can be lodged directly to the joint development assessment panel (JDAP) and bypass going to a council decision.

A similar process was reported in Guildford childcare proposal raises tree removal concerns, where a childcare centre had been proposed for Guildford and was lodged to JDAP after council disapproval.

The Guildford childcare development proposal caused residents to rally and voice their concerns about the childcare’s impacts on local traffic, parking and removal of mature gumtrees.

Darlington Residents and Ratepayers Association chair Louise Stelfox said the ability to bypass council represented a shift of power away from residents and their representatives.

“I don’t like what state government is doing to communities and how we can’t influence it through council,” she said.

“These DAPs are blocking out local governments and silencing the voice of the local community.”

Ms Stelfox said childcares were commercial developments that occupied an especially interesting space as they could be constructed in residential zones, but the legislation allowing this was outdated.

“Childcares used to be much smaller in scale,” she said.

“The laws allowing childcares to be constructed in residential areas were written when only a few families would drop their children off.

“These days big commercial developers can drop a childcare built to accommodate 80 children into a residentially zoned area.

“We’re not against a daycare being built but this is not the location for it.

“There are many more appropriate places such as on reserves on the area near the Bilgoman swimming pool.

“There’s already a playgroup (Darlington Family Playgroup) there and it would just really work well together.”

Darlington resident Karen Gray was also concerned about the childcare development and attended the November 12 Shire of Mundaring ordinary council meeting to gain more clarity on council involvement.

“Does council routinely debate contentious development applications prior to the final report being sent to the dvelopment assessment panel and what in this context exactly determines contentious?” she said.

Shire of Mundaring chief executive officer Jason Whiteaker said items going directly to development assessment panels did not come to council so they’re assessed by a city officer and sent to the development assessment panel to make a decision.