THE City of Swan has formally established a Planning Process Review Committee and allocated $50,000 towards an independent review of the city’s planning processes.

As reported in Swan council backs planning department review, the city voted to support an independent review of their planners’ application of the state planning framework.

The motion was unanimously supported during the council meeting.

The committee was endorsed at the May 13 ordinary council meeting after debate around how committee members were selected and what the review should ultimately examine.

Councillor Rod Henderson moved the motion to establish the committee, appoint its members and allocate funding from savings in the 2025-26 budget for an independent professional to undertake the review.

City of Swan deputy mayor and Swan Valley/Gidgegannup ward councillor Charlie Zannino was named the Planning Process Review Committee (PPRC) chair and presiding member.

Councillors Henderson, Cate McCullough, Evia Aringo, and Sarah Howlett will join Cr Zannino on the PPRC.

Echo News understands Cr Jennifer Catalano was added to the committee by an amendment.

Cr Henderson said the review responded directly to concerns raised by the community.

“This is something that our community has asked for,” he said.

“It’s very important that we have an opportunity to do this.”

The review stems from a motion raised at the city’s annual electors meeting earlier this year, where residents called for an independent examination of planning processes and decision-making.

The Vines Residents and Ratepayers Association vice-chairman Dixon Lowe delivered a deputation on behalf of the association and other community groups in the lead-up to the May 13 meeting.

Mr Lowe congratulated council and staff for progressing the review and urged the city not to delay the process.

The deputation also linked the review to the WA parliamentary select committee into Land Development and Planning, arguing planning concerns in The Vines had been oversimplified.

“The stereotyping of community concerns into ‘dislike of change’, or about ‘lost views’ is a failure to represent the complexity of The Vines planning challenges,” Mr Lowe said.

Cr Catalano questioned the fairness of the committee selection process and said she had not been properly consulted despite having planning experience.

Cr Ian Johnson also questioned the process, saying previous committee appointments had historically involved councillors voting from a broader list of nominees and that he would like to see that process reinstated.

City of Swan chief executive officer Stephen Cain told council the city was following the statutory process and said councillors not already serving on another committee had the right to nominate themselves.

Following discussion, councillor Johnson successfully moved an amendment adding councillor Catalano to the committee.

The motion was ultimately carried.

According to the adopted terms of reference, the committee will oversee the review process, assist in setting its scope and make recommendations back to council by December 2026.

Cr Henderson said the review would focus on high-level issues.

“The committee will have a good balance from the names that have been put forward, and I appreciate that members have taken the opportunity and will put their time into getting an outcome that is good for everyone across the city,” he said.

“It’s a multi-tiered committee in terms of how we look at high level issues. We won’t be looking at the barking dog down the street.

“We’ll be looking at the high-level things and I think that it’s all about the structure at the top end.”