WALGA strongly refutes Planning, Housing, and Homelessness Minister John Carey’s recent assertions that local governments are stymying the delivery of housing, including community housing.
WALGA president Karen Chappel said the implication that councils were engaging in some sort of “Nimbyism” around housing and community housing, particularly in Homelessness Week 2023, was unhelpful and unjustified.
“Local government is the backbone of the planning system, determining over 20,000 proposals each year,” said Cr Chappel.
“WALGA is not aware of any concerns raised by community housing developers around planning timeframes or refusals of proposals.”
WALGA data collected over the last five years shows that 99 per cent of planning approvals are approved by local governments, and around 85 per cent are determined within statutory timeframes.
Cr Chappel also pointed out that housing and homelessness are State Government responsibilities.
“Yet, in addition to their statutory planning responsibilities that support housing approvals, local governments are doing more and more to support housing and homelessness.
“This includes grants to community housing developers, providing land, providing frontline staff such as rangers supporting and referring people experiencing homelessness, and working with police and volunteer and charity groups.
“As a former Local Government Minister and Mayor, the Planning Minister knows this and has clearly chosen to ignore the facts in an effort to divert attention away from the State Government’s lack of progress in addressing critical housing shortages and homelessness in this state.”
