COMMUNITY representatives have raised concerns they want addressed through the City of Swan’s independent planning process review as the consultant continues to work toward findings.

The Swan Community Environmental Alliance meeting heard discussion about planning decisions involving The Vines, Midway Ford and the withdrawn Hazelmere data centre proposal.

Swan planning process review committee (SPPRC) community representative Dixon Lowe said the community’s focus was on the processes used by planners rather than whether residents agreed with individual decisions.

“If (city planners) can defend their process, that’s fine.

“Then we can understand why they’ve done things.”

Mr Lowe said the review itself was an unusual opportunity to examine the city’s planning processes.

“Consider the fact we’ve got our (City of Swan) council reviewing the performance of their staff... which other council has formed a committee in Perth doing that?” he said.

Mr Lowe said community members were not opposed to development but wanted balanced planning appropriate for the areas affected.

“The point is we’re not against housing,” he said.

“The problem is it’s got to be appropriately suitable to the circumstance and to the area.

“It needs this balanced planning and balanced planning means looking at everything.”

According to the state government, the WAPC’s state planning policy framework is the basis for coordinating and promoting land use planning, transport planning and land development in a sustainable manner.

The framework provides guidance for public authorities, local governments, proponents and the public.

Mr Lowe said the community did not want the planning framework changed but wanted the review to examine how it had been applied.

“The framework is a good framework,” he said.

“We don’t want to change it but we want to ensure the authorities are obeying their own rules so the review will hopefully look at whether the planning framework was applied as intended.”

Fellow SPPRC community representative Gavan Troy also raised concerns about what he described as a loss of broad-based planning and the role of elected councils in planning decisions, including through the Development Assessment Panel (DAP) system.

Mr Troy said the issue was not confined to Swan.

“You go around the metro area (and many) councils have got the same problem,” he said.

“So there needs to be very concrete evidence there to win any change because there is enormous political pressure from the state government on housing.”

Development assessment panels explained reported concerns from the WA Local Government Association, Shire of Mundaring President Paige McNeil and Kalamunda MLA Adam Hort about the DAP process and the erosion of local council decision-making power.

Under the DAP system introduced in 2011, proponents of eligible development applications worth $2 million or more can apply to DAP.

The DAP system was intended to provide greater transparency, consistency and reliability in decision-making on development applications and the panels originally only assessed higher-value projects.

Local governments assess the applications and make recommendations, while the panel makes the final decision.

Community groups across Swan, Kalamunda and Mundaring previously raised concerns about community input and the real influence elected council members had on final decisions.

In Kalamunda’s McDonald’s and car wash approved despite opposition, Kalamunda North Ward councillor David Modolo, not speaking on behalf of the council, said the final approval showed a disconnect between community expectations and the DAP process.

Darlington residents are frustrated at DAP outcome reported community disappointment at a decision made to approve the childcare despite strong local opposition and Mundaring council rejection in mid-2025.

In 2024, Swan votes against Guildford childcare reported City of Swan council voted against approval of a childcare application.

The application was approved later that year by the DAP.

Mr Troy said Swan’s review could potentially inform wider discussions later.

“My proposal is the City of Swan get a good report and adopt it, and go to the local government association for assistance,” he said.

Mr Lowe said lessons from the review could provide a basis for whatever came next.

“If we can learn through that, it then gives us a platform to go to the next stage,” he said.