Save Perth Hills Inc. (SPH), WA’s longest-running local Community campaign, is calling on West Australians to ‘SAY NO – AGAIN’ at a major community Rally this Sunday, February 5th.
The Rally is in response to Satterley Property Group’s ‘amended’ plan for its long-beleaguered proposed ‘North Stoneville’ townsite in Mundaring Shire. The Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage (DPLH) confirmed, on the WA Government’s website, receipt of Satterley’s ‘tweaked’ plan on February 1st, the day Hills’ communities were commemorating the second anniversary of the Wooroloo Bushfires which destroyed 87 homes and 11,000 hectares of Hills’ bush in February 2021.
Satterley is only permitted to make minor changes. Regardless of any amendments, the plan will remain ‘Urban’ and for thousands of people. Dangerous and destructive urbanisation of the site has been rejected, at the highest levels, since 1991. Satterley’s original plan (2018) was rejected by DFES,
the WA Planning Commission (WAPC), the local community, Mundaring Shire Council (unanimously) and 1,110 public submissions. DPLH says Satterley’s ‘amended’ plan will be released for public comment ‘in due course’.
Rally speakers who will lead the charge to ‘Say No - AGAIN’ include Dr Wayne Gregson, APM OAM – DFES Commissioner during the 2014 Stoneville-Parkerville-Mt Helena bushfires, Bob Brown – Greens founder and Australian Environment Legend, Nolan Hunter - a senior leader of the Uluru Dialogue and local Mundaring Shire resident, Simon Cheeriman - Scientist, and Jane Hammond - WA International Award-Winning Film Maker – ‘Black Cockatoo Crisis’.
Save Perth Hills Chair, Peter Brazier, said with 32 years of rejections in place, the Community will be urged to ‘Say No - AGAIN’ because there can be no compromise on any plan that places thousands of people, knowingly, in harm’s way.
“In the last two weeks, our local community has marked solemn anniversaries of two major bushfires, which destroyed a total of 144 homes and more than 12,000 hectares of Hills bushland, both in the region of this proposed townsite.
SPH remains opposed to urbanisation of ‘North Stoneville’ given the unacceptable scale of environmental destruction of a biodiverse region, the undeniable evidence of increasing bushfire risks, the permanent surrounding Extreme Bushfire Zone, and the ember-attack reach of John Forrest National Park,” Peter said.
The WAPC has acknowledged that the approval of ‘North Stoneville’ will likely trigger the approval process for another Urban townsite across the road, ‘North Parkerville’, for a further 2,360 people.
How many more bushfires do we need, to accept that Perth’s Hills cannot be safely urbanised?
North Stoneville Snapshot
The 555-hectare site is 150-hectares larger than Kings Park, and larger in area than New York’s Central Park and London’s Hyde Park, combined. It was gifted to the Perth Anglican Diocese by Queen Victoria in the 1800s.
The townsite plan is for almost 4000 people, surrounded by an Extreme Bushfire Zone,
with no supporting infrastructure or public transport, and restricted water supplies - despite being within ember attack reach of John Forrest National Park.
Satterley’s North Stoneville plan of 2018 contravened four State Planning policies - including WA’s Bushfire Planning Policy 3:7 - ‘Avoid any increase in the threat of bushfire to people, property and infrastructure. The preservation of life and the management of bushfire impact are paramount.’
Timeline
1. Early 1990s: The first’ North Stoneville’ plans emerge. SPH established 1991.
2. 2019: In January around 1,000 residents, (record number) say NO to North Stoneville in
public submissions to Mundaring Shire.
3. 2019: In August more than 1,200 residents, (record number), witness Mundaring Shire
Council, unanimously, vote NO to North Stoneville.
4. 2020: July 14th WA Planning Commission formally rejects North Stoneville citing bushfire dangers to thousands of people. ( and non-compliance with 4 State Planning Policies)
5. 2020: In August - Satterley and the Anglican Church appeal to the State Administrative Tribunal (SAT) and more than two years of confidential ‘Mediation’ follows.
6. 2022: November 4 - Mediation ends. Satterley decides to ‘amend’ their plan.
7. 2023: February 1 – Satterley’s amended’ plan submitted to Dept of Planning – public
submissions to follow ‘in due course’.
8. 2023- February 5 - SPH’s third Rally in four years to occur.
• Satterley has not been seen in the local Community since August 2019 when Council
unanimously rejected their plan.
• The Anglican Church and its Trustees, including Archbishop Kay Goldsworthy, have refused
numerous invitations to meet with SPH since 2019.
• The Church and Satterley were notably absent from the Community during the 2021 Wooroloo
Bushfires.
• The Archbishop has the power to withdraw this plan immediately.
Comments