Published on Friday, 23 July 2021 at 5:11:16 PM
Further to the City’s media release of 19 July 2021, in response to community concerns surrounding the proposed Smiths Beach Development, City of Busselton Mayor Grant Henley has today formally written on behalf of Council, to the Hon. Rita Saffioti BBus MLA, Minister for Transport; Planning; Ports and Development.
Mayor Henley advised “On behalf of the City of Busselton Council I have requested that the State not consider the application as a ‘significant development’ through the State Development Assessment Unit and that they revert the application and development process back to the City of Busselton.”
“Should this request not be considered favourably, I have sought an assurance that there will be adequate time frames for broad community consultation and that a real and meaningful process will be provided. Due to the sensitive nature of this development, transparency is of the utmost importance.”
The City is yet to receive any formal advice that an application for the Smiths Beach Development has been received by the West Australian Planning Commission and is, therefore, still in the position of being unable to comment further on the details of any proposal at this time. The significant community concern surround the potential of the proposed development bypassing proper public scrutiny of the proposal should, however, be relayed to Minister Saffioti.
Further information on the ‘significant development’ assessment pathway; including an overview of the application process, FAQ’s and details on public consultation can be found on the Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage website: https://www.dplh.wa.gov.au/sdau
Objectives outlined in this statement are aligned with the City of Busselton’s Strategic Community Plan (2021 - 2031) Key Themes, Leadership: A Council that connects with the community and is accountable in its decision making.
Ends. Media enquiries can be directed to media@busselton.wa.gov.au
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