- Five fixed-term and 12 sessional specialist DAP members appointed
- Cook Government delivers on planning reform for fixed-term, full-time members
- Reforms create more transparent, consistent and efficient planning system for WA
The Cook Government has delivered further reforms to the State's Development Assessment Panel system with the appointment today of the first ever fixed-term, full-time panel members.
Marking one of the most significant shifts in the DAP system since it was introduced in 2011, the State Government has appointed five highly experienced and qualified urban and regional planning professionals who will serve full-time as specialist members.
This latest reform introduces a new tenure of appointment for full-time members requiring DAP membership to be their sole employment, minimising conflicts of interest and enhancing consistency in decision-making across the panels.
The five members will be joined by another 12 sessional members representing various professional expertise to ensure a quorum is always available for DAP meetings. Those members are:
- Ms Dale Page, who has more than 30 years' experience in urban and regional planning and development across state and local authorities in Australia and internationally and has sat on several boards and committees including DevelopmentWA;
- Mr Eugene Koltasz, who has over 40 years' experience in town planning, urban design, property development and project management, including his own large consulting firm, and was recently a Commissioner of the Western Australian Planning Commission;
- Ms Francesca Lefante, who has over 25 years' experience in local government and private practice, including as chief executive officer of a local government, and has been a presiding member of the Development Assessment Panels in recent years;
- Mr Clayton Higham, who has over 35 years' experience in town planning, urban design and the environment across local government and private consulting, as well as a number of years on the Development Assessment Panels; and
- Ms Karen Hyde, who has over 30 years' experience in strategic and statutory planning expertise in urban and waterfront regeneration, greenfield developments and built form assessment in Australia and the UK.
Sessional DAP members are experienced professionals that will provide expertise in a range of technical fields. For a full list of the specialist DAP members, visit Development Assessment Panels (planning.wa.gov.au).
DAPs are unique to Western Australia and comprise technical specialists and elected local government members to determine development applications made under local and regional planning schemes.
Reforms to streamline the DAP system were identified in the Action Plan for Planning Reform and have been progressively implemented, including reducing the number of panels to three, introducing new eligibility thresholds and live streaming meetings.
The newly appointed members were selected following an expression of interest process which attracted national interest and involved peak bodies from the planning, development and local government sectors.
New members will commence sitting on panel meetings in September, joining local government DAP members who bring their local knowledge and insights of the community to the assessment of development proposals.
As stated by Planning Minister John Carey:
"As part of the Cook Labor Government's continued efforts to cut red tape through nation-leading planning reforms, we've delivered major changes to Development Assessment Panels to make them more contemporary and efficient.
"As part of these reforms, I welcome the appointment of five new DAP members who all bring a wealth of experience in the determination of complex planning matters to the DAP system.
"This latest reform is focused on efficient planning and decision-making in Western Australia and minimising conflicts of interest, with decisions based on strong planning merits and technical expertise.
"I congratulate the new and returning DAP members, who are all highly respected senior practitioners in the industry and welcome their contributions to delivering good planning outcomes.
"Since thresholds were adjusted in March to allow all development applications valued at more than $2 million, and any registered community housing proponent, to opt-in to this pathway, DAPs have determined more than 140 development applications worth more than $3.5 billion."
