The City of Stirling council has voted against advice from its officers and will direct State planners it opposes a proposed $8 million Dianella apartment complex overlooking a primary school.
City officers recommended the council endorse a responsible authority report recommending the apartments at Chester Avenue in Dianella next to Our Lady’s Assumption primary school be approved.
At Tuesday’s council meeting, Cr Damien Giudici proposed the council not endorse the report and instead recommend the DAP panel refuse the development.
Cr Giudici said the project was not consistent with the plan built form outcome of the subject site, it did not minimise the direct overlooking of adjoining properties and the city had received significant concerns from the public that the height would invade the privacy of neighbouring properties.
His proposal was passed 9-1, with mayor Mark Irwin the sole objector.
As previously reported by PerthNow, the development by Urbanista Town Planning on behalf of developers Affluent Property Investments and Snow Oak proposes a six-storey complex with 43 apartments and an underground car park.
Parts of the high-rise building will overlook school grounds and parents have raised concerns about the privacy of their children.
Around 15 residents gathered outside the proposed site in October to voice their concerns against the development.
“My biggest concern is privacy for our kids,” Ricky Cheung, who has two children at the school, told PerthNow in October.
“There are some bad people out there … being able to overlook the school is not on.
“There has been no communication from the developers with parents.”
The development was previously rejected in December 2023 because of its overall height and bulk and deferred to “no later than May 10, 2024” to address the concerns of the application.
Urbanista Town Planning director Petar Mrdja said in October his client would be willing to make compromises and try to increase privacy by planting more trees, but the height would stay.
“We’ve got a housing shortage. We’re close to a shopping centre, good amenities and public transport,” he said.
“The building will be really high-end. It will set a benchmark for good architecture and good outcomes.
“Anything over two stories … people in Perth seem to get upset.”