Council prepared to continue to work with proponent on Perth housing project

Posted on August 05, 2021

Northern Midlands Council remains committed to working with the proponent of a proposed residential housing project in Perth if the applicant resubmits its application and provides information requested of it in January.

Mayor, Mary Knowles OAM, said the decision to withdraw the application for the proposed development at 35 Drummond Street, Perth was entirely the decision of the applicant.

Mayor Knowles said that Council’s planning authority wrote to Red Panda Property director Andrew McCullagh on 18 January 2021 requesting additional information about management of stormwater drainage, and road alignments.

“That information has not been forthcoming and now the developer has opted to withdraw the application rather than work with Council to resolve these substantial issues,” Mayor Knowles said.

Mayor Knowles said the major issue was stormwater management and the potential risk of stormwater inundation for current and future property owners.

“The applicant was advised that proposals for private lot-based detentions of the stormwater, or full discharge to the Drummond Street open drain would not be acceptable and that council required surety that the stormwater from future development can be drained from the site to the South Esk River and to Sheepwash Creek, before we could initiate rezoning of this land for development.

Mayor Knowles said that despite the withdrawal, Council was prepared to work with the proponent to resolve the issues if they wished to submit the application and provide the information requested in January.

For further information, please contact Mayor Mary Knowles OAM on 0408 766 625.