2 thought provoking letters

 

Two very thought provoking and well written letters in the Subiaco Post on 19 February.  It does seem as though the developers are now resurgent in the Western Suburbs.  

Thank you to all who made submissions by 18th February to the Heritage Council of WA opposing the Council's proposal to ask the Minister for Heritage to suspend the community agreed plan for the Swanbourne Hospital Conservation Area - incorporated into the City of Nedlands Town Planning Scheme Number 2.  

We now wait to get news of the recommendation the Heritage Council makes to the Minister for Heritage after they have reviewed all the submissions they have received.  In the meantime - watch the press, talk to your neighbors, and stay alert!

Communication from the owner of Old Swanbourne Hospital

I found this brochure in my letter box this evening.  Again - good to see some communication from the owners.  You can read the message in the brochure on a new website too:  www.oldswanbournehospital.com .  Read it and make up your own mind.  You may also want to check out the website for the developer mentioned in the brochure :  www.watersunproperty.com.au . It has details of the proposed development (which involves the 14 residential lots and either 52 or 34 apartments).

Just one little point of clarification - I haven't seen any communication from the City of Nedlands on this matter since the meeting between the Heritage Council of WA and the City of Nedlands just before Christmas.  You can read all about that remarkable meeting in an earlier post. So I don't think it is correct for the brochure to refer to "misrepresentation by the City of Nedlands".

Please make sure you have made your submission to the Heritage Council of WA by the  18th February.  If you want to retain the community agreed plan - which is expressed in the City of Nedlands Town Planning Scheme No 2 - then oppose the proposal by the Heritage Council to transfer planning authority to the WA Planning Commission.

Scaremongers?

I have been traveling and missed this letter from the Old Swanbourne Hospital owners published by the Subiaco Post on 5th February.  Great to see the views of the owners.  Read it carefully and make up your own mind.  

If you want to see the community agreed plan implemented - please write to the Heritage Council by 18th February and object to the proposal to transfer planning control over the Old Swanbourne Hospital to the WA Planning Commission.

NO REASON TO DELAY MATTERS FURTHER SAYS COUNCILLOR

This is a great letter from Councillor Irene Tan in the Post Newspaper on 29 January.

No need to say any more really.

Please make sure you send your submission to the Heritage Council of WA opposing their proposal  to transfer planning authority over the Swanbourne Hospital Conservation Area to the WA Planning Commission.


You need to get your submission in by 18 February 2011.

Engaging communities in decision-making processes

Thinking more about the Old Swanbourne Hospital, I was reading today about some of the work of the Urban Design Centre (UDC) - which is a not for profit organisation devoted to improving the quality of urban places in Western Australia.  The UDC was established in 2004 by the WA State Government Department of Planning and Infrastructure, Curtin University and the University of WA.  You can read more about their focus on the UDC website.

I particularly liked their mission statement:

In all its work the UDC seeks to:

• create livable, sustainable communities,
• enhance the public realm,
• preserve natural and cultural resources,
• promote economic prosperity, and
• engage communities in decision-making processes.

Starting in 2003 and finishing in 2005, the WA Government worked with the Heritage Council of WA, the City of Nedlands and consulted and engaged with the Mount Claremont community through a well run process that contained all of the elements summarised by the UDC's mission statement.

We have agreed on a well considered plan that is designed to preserve and enhance the heritage value of the Old Swanbourne Hospital, as well as provide ample capacity for the owner to profit from its development.  Let's stick with the Nedlands Town Planning Scheme No. 2.  Please write to the Heritage Council of WA opposing their move to transfer planning powers over the site to the WA Planning Commission.

A Letter from the Heritage Council of WA Executive Director

I have copied a letter from Heritage Council of WA published in the Post on 22 January 2011 (copied above).  The letter makes the following points:

1.  (I quote) "the Heritage Council's primary concern is the conservation of these iconic buildings and is very concerned that delays in redeveloping the site have resulted in the buildings deteriorating and being subject to vandalism and other damage"; and
2. "One way to resolve the impasse between the developer and City of Nedlands is to transfer planning approval to the WA Planning Commission; and
3.  "The WAPC would consult with Nedlands on any development on the site.  The final decision would be consistent with the advice of the Heritage Council which has the statutory responsibility to ensure a positive heritage outcome for state-registered places."; and
4.  The Heritage Council has provided a two month period to lodge submissions, which close on February 18.


At face value this all sounds eminently reasonable.  But what the letter doesn't say is:

1.  The City of Nedlands has been trying to keep the developer to the terms of the community agreed plan - which was developed through a process facilitated by the WA Government, the Heritage Council itself and the City of Nedlands and then incorporated into the City of Nedlands Town Planning Scheme No 2 - the very scheme that the Heritage Council of WA is now trying to suspend through the use of the a little used clause in the Heritage of Western Australia Act 1990.  The property was then sold to the developer for $6.65 million in 2005 subject to the terms of this community agreed plan.

2. The Heritage Council of WA has contributed to the delays in the development of the site and through actively supporting the developer (since the sale by the WA Government) in appeals against the City of Nedlands Town Planning Scheme No 2 Guidelines - most recently in the developer's unsuccessful appeal to SAT in 2008.

3.  The City of Nedlands approved the revised Outline Development Plan submitted by the developer in May 2009 and in August 2010 approved advertising of the revised Outline Development Plan.  Since then the the City of Nedlands has been waiting for the WA Planning Commission to consent to the revised Outline Development plan being advertised for public comment.

4.  When the Heritage Council originally announced to the City of Nedlands on 14 December 2010, just before the Christmas holidays, that it was intending to move to suspend the Town Planning Scheme, the period for public submissions was originally to close on 14th January.  The City of Nedlands was able to persuade the Heritage Council to extend the period for a further month, to 18th February.  Why was there a rush to complete the public consultation over the Christmas and New Year holiday?  You can read more about this remarkable chain of events
here in an earlier post.

It seems to many Mt Claremont people that the "impasse" referred to in the letter from the Heritage Council is actually caused by the developer (with the support of  the Heritage Council) trying to move outside the parameters of the community agreed plan.

Please make sure you send a letter to the Heritage Council by the 18th February objecting to the proposal to suspend the City of Nedlands Town Planning Scheme and transfer planning control to the WA Planning Commission.

Your letter must be signed and dated and should be sent to:

The Executive Director,
Office of Heritage,
PO Box 6201,
East Perth  WA   6892


Thanks for your support


David Thomas

Interesting Article in the Post Newspaper

You can read more in the Minister for Heritage's press release.