A parliamentary question regarding delays in the approval of Bunbury's new town planning scheme, impacting $140 million worth of projects. The Minister acknowledges the complexity of the review process and cites a taskforce investigation into strategically located tourist sites as a reason for the delay.

AnsweredQoN 307Legislative Assembly
Asked
25 September 2002
Portfolio
Planning and Infrastructure

QuestionView source ↗

(1) Is the Minister aware of the criticism by the City of Bunbury that the State Government is delaying more than $140 million worth of projects because the City's new town planning scheme has not yet been approved?
(2) Is the delay within the Minister's office or is it due to its almost one year progress through the Department of Planning and Infrastructure?
(3) Does the Minister find it acceptable that her Department took some four months to pass the draft planning scheme and amendments on to her office?
(4) What action will the Minister take to expedite the City's planning scheme?
(5) While the State may contain 137 Local Governments, surely the City of Bunbury deserves prompt consideration by the Minister and her department, recognising the City's economic and other importance to the South West region?

AnswerView source ↗

Answered
25 February 2003
Responded by
Minister for Planning and Infrastructure
Response time
153 days
(2)&(3) Consideration of a proposed new town planning scheme by the Department for Planning and Infrastructure, the Western Australian Planning Commission and by me is a complex exercise. It is more than a simple administrative tick off. As the Scheme sets the planning framework for the municipality for the next five years, close scrutiny needs to be given to the ability of the Scheme to uphold government objectives over that period of time and longer. The process of review traditionally occurs over an extensive period of time. The examination of the Bunbury Town Planning Scheme No.7 by my office lead to the identification of a regional and state issue relating to the loss of strategically located tourist sites. This matter is now the subject of a taskforce investigation.
The examination of the Bunbury Town Planning Scheme No.7 by my office lead to the identification of a regional and state issue relating to the loss of strategically located tourist sites. This matter is now the subject of a taskforce investigation.

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