❓ Dr. Honey questions the Minister for Planning about a controversial 19-storey development approval in Claremont, alleging betrayal of local council's planning efforts. The Minister deflects, accusing the opposition of hypocrisy on housing density.
AnsweredQoN 391Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
PLANNING
— ST QUENTIN AVENUE — CLAREMONT
391. Dr D.J. HONEY to the Minister for Planning:
I refer to the approval of a 19-storey tower for St Quentin
Avenue in Claremont, a decision that has angered the local community and the
council.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please, members! It is really
unruly to interject while a question is being asked.
Dr D.J. HONEY : It is a decision that has angered the
local community and the council, which thought it was working well with the
state government on a long-term plan for the development of the Claremont town
centre with a 10-storey limit.
(1) Is the minister aware that Claremont council has already
exceeded the 2050 infill target?
(2) Is the
minister concerned that the council feels betrayed after working cooperatively
with the government on a mutually acceptable plan only to be blindsided by this
decision?
— ST QUENTIN AVENUE — CLAREMONT
391. Dr D.J. HONEY to the Minister for Planning:
I refer to the approval of a 19-storey tower for St Quentin
Avenue in Claremont, a decision that has angered the local community and the
council.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please, members! It is really
unruly to interject while a question is being asked.
Dr D.J. HONEY : It is a decision that has angered the
local community and the council, which thought it was working well with the
state government on a long-term plan for the development of the Claremont town
centre with a 10-storey limit.
(1) Is the minister aware that Claremont council has already
exceeded the 2050 infill target?
(2) Is the
minister concerned that the council feels betrayed after working cooperatively
with the government on a mutually acceptable plan only to be blindsided by this
decision?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2)
I find it extraordinary that the opposition appears to be in an alternative
reality, and that alternative reality is this: the opposition criticises and
makes complaints about housing, yet it ignores every solution we drive. It is
very clear that the member is against density.
Dr D.J. Honey :
Answer the question!
Mr J.N.
CAREY : Can I answer the question or would the member like to —
Dr D.J.
Honey : You're not answering the question.
Mr J.N.
CAREY : Member, you really should come with a warning label!
The SPEAKER : Member for Cottesloe, you will get the
opportunity for a supplementary question if you do not incessantly interject.
Mr J.N. CAREY : I want to be very clear that we have
set processes in place that give consideration. There is always discretion in
planning schemes; that is the reality. We have discretion in planning schemes,
and those decision-makers give consideration
to the built form, the design and so forth. But what I know is this: we
desperately need more housing. Across this country we need more housing.
Every state is looking at further planning reform. What I hear from the
opposition side is that it is criticising every initiative we do on housing
reform and it is criticising developments that bring more housing into the
market. Where does the member for Cottesloe think that demand for those
apartments is coming from?
Dr D.J. Honey : Not from low-income earners.
Mr J.N. CAREY : Exactly; it is coming from the member's
own constituency. The reality is that the member for Cottesloe complains that
there is density in the western suburbs. That is driven by the market. Every
one of those developments is being bought
out, and all the property developers will tell the member that they are being
bought out by locals who are making the decision to downsize. That is
the commercial market. It is being driven by the market. We have this absurd reality of an opposition that
is now arguing against further housing supply. I really look forward to
the next election because I do not know what the opposition will take to the
next election. It opposes planning reform, it opposes our infrastructure fund,
it opposes us creating transitional facilities out of hotel accommodation and
it opposes Boorloo Bidee Mia. What will the opposition do to increase housing
in Western Australia?
I find it extraordinary that the opposition appears to be in an alternative
reality, and that alternative reality is this: the opposition criticises and
makes complaints about housing, yet it ignores every solution we drive. It is
very clear that the member is against density.
Dr D.J. Honey :
Answer the question!
Mr J.N.
CAREY : Can I answer the question or would the member like to —
Dr D.J.
Honey : You're not answering the question.
Mr J.N.
CAREY : Member, you really should come with a warning label!
The SPEAKER : Member for Cottesloe, you will get the
opportunity for a supplementary question if you do not incessantly interject.
Mr J.N. CAREY : I want to be very clear that we have
set processes in place that give consideration. There is always discretion in
planning schemes; that is the reality. We have discretion in planning schemes,
and those decision-makers give consideration
to the built form, the design and so forth. But what I know is this: we
desperately need more housing. Across this country we need more housing.
Every state is looking at further planning reform. What I hear from the
opposition side is that it is criticising every initiative we do on housing
reform and it is criticising developments that bring more housing into the
market. Where does the member for Cottesloe think that demand for those
apartments is coming from?
Dr D.J. Honey : Not from low-income earners.
Mr J.N. CAREY : Exactly; it is coming from the member's
own constituency. The reality is that the member for Cottesloe complains that
there is density in the western suburbs. That is driven by the market. Every
one of those developments is being bought
out, and all the property developers will tell the member that they are being
bought out by locals who are making the decision to downsize. That is
the commercial market. It is being driven by the market. We have this absurd reality of an opposition that
is now arguing against further housing supply. I really look forward to
the next election because I do not know what the opposition will take to the
next election. It opposes planning reform, it opposes our infrastructure fund,
it opposes us creating transitional facilities out of hotel accommodation and
it opposes Boorloo Bidee Mia. What will the opposition do to increase housing
in Western Australia?
Explore WA Government Data
Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.
Explore more
Government Gazette
Appointments, regulatory notices, planning changes.
Hansard
Debates, questions, speeches and sentiment.
Tabled Papers
Reports and documents tabled in Parliament.
Committees
Committee profiles and recent reports.
Regulations
Subsidiary legislation with filters and summaries.
Bills
Proposed laws and parliamentary progress.
Acts
Current WA legislation and summaries.
Explanatory Memoranda
Bills with EMs (text/PDF) available.
Members
MP profiles, party breakdown and rankings.
Pollie Rankings
Data-driven rankings across 19 categories.
Amendment Chains
Track how schemes and regulations evolve over time.