Local Government- Development Assessment Panels

LOCAL GOVERNMENT — DEVELOPMENT ASSESSMENT PANELS

1000. Hon LYNN MacLAREN to the minister representing the Minister for Planning:

(1) Does the minister still anticipate creating only one local development assessment panel?

(2) Does the minister still anticipate creating five metropolitan and nine non-metropolitan joint development assessment panels—that is, panels servicing more than one local government area simultaneously?

(3) Given the answers to (1) and (2), will the minister please estimate the total number of unelected specialist development assessment panel members that will be needed statewide if the proposed system of development assessment panels is implemented?

(4) Given an anticipated return to times of labour shortages in specialist professions as development gears up on Barrow Island and elsewhere in the north west in coming years, where does the government imagine these specialist development assessment members will come from?

(5) Will the minister consider extending the deadline for submissions on the discussion paper “Implementing Development Assessment Panels in Western Australia”, as many new locally elected councillors may want an opportunity to comment following local government elections next Saturday and the induction processes for councils?

Hon ROBYN McSWEENEY replied:

I thank the honourable member for some notice of the question.

(1) Yes. At this stage it is anticipated that only one local development assessment panel will be created, which would be for the City of Perth.

(2) At this stage it is anticipated that a minimum of 14 joint development assessment panels will be created across the state. The number of panels may change following the analysis of submissions received regarding the discussion paper “Implementing Development Assessment Panels in Western Australia”.

(3) As three specialist members will be appointed to each local and joint development assessment panel, there will be a minimum of 45 specialist members appointed to panels across the state.

(4) The specialist members appointed will come from a range of professions to ensure that an appropriate balance in the membership of each panel is achieved. In the discussion paper currently out for public comment, it is proposed that the range of expertise required of specialist members may include planning, architecture, urban design, engineering, landscape design, environment, law, property development or management. The government does not anticipate that it will be difficult to find 45 appropriately qualified members from this broad range of expertise, particularly as specialist members may be permitted to sit on more than one development assessment panel at a time.

(5) The government is willing to give a two-week extension to submitters when a request has been made in writing to the Department of Planning.