Regional Development Assessment Panel approves Northern Star’s 804-room workers accommodation village

Northern Star Resources can proceed with the development of an 804-room workers accommodation village on the outskirts of Kalgoorlie-Boulder after the Regional Development Assessment Panel approved it on Thursday. The panel’s three non-Kalgoorlie-Boulder members — Clayton Higham, Dale Page and Tony Arias — voted in favour of the application against the wishes of the two City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder councillors with voting rights on the matter, Terrence Winner and Nardia Turner. The decision effectively dismisses the objections of the Kalgoorlie-Boulder council, which in April refused to express support for the development that will be located on Kitchener Road in Mullingar, and the 144 objectors from the public consultation period. The panel considered the development on Thursday after deferring a decision in May for 90 days so Northern Star could make changes to its proposal. Thursday’s meeting heard the size of each room had been increased from 11.88sqm to 14.3sqm, which had led to the addition of four extra rooms, taking the total number up to 804 from the original 800. Changes were also made that updated the development’s bushfire management plan. Key issues of the dispute between the city councillors and other panel members included whether a proper needs assessment had been undertaken, and whether the correct number of days had been provided for public consultation across the Christmas-New Year period. The councillors believed neither had been met, and so the proposal should be rejected, while the panel members were happy everything was above board. In a somewhat awkward situation, the councillors were arguing against the position of their own city staff on these matters. In voting against the motion to approve, Cr Winner said each aspect of the proposal were not reasons in themselves to refuse the application. “But I still feel on the information provided today and previously that collectively there is still more than enough reason not to approve this application,” he said. “I don’t feel this application is completely compliant with the WA Planning Commission’s transport assessment guidelines, the city’s workforce accommodation policy or the local planning framework, and policies that apply and are relevant to the local government. “I feel to approve it at this point in time would set an unfavourable precedent moving forward. “I do not feel that policies, guidelines and frameworks are developed for the applicant to pick and choose which components they wish to be compliant with, and the applicant’s immense submission does not address all of the concerns of council.” Cr Winner said these concerns included viable alternative road solutions, the needs assessment, and power, water, noise and sewerage issues. “There is a significant difference between due regard and disregard, and to approve this application now in my opinion would be to disregard policies and procedures formally adopted by local government that are both relevant and responsible.” But Ms Page, who moved the motion to approve, said siting the workers accommodation village on Kitchener Road “was consistent” with the residential zoning of the area. She said the city was now of the view the proposal was “mostly compliant” with the local government’s own workforce accommodation policy because of the changes made by Northern Star to increase room sizes “well above the minimum standard in the policy”. “I recognise the points that the councillors have made — in terms of broader community benefit . . . I’d be reluctant to refuse this application on the basis no needs assessment (had been done) . . . I think need has been demonstrated,” she said. “I am comfortable as a decision-maker that . . . community need has been addressed. “The long-term community benefit to the city of unlocking that land for future development means that broader community needs has been considered.”