A controversial development application to turn a vacant lot of land bordering nearby Yangebup properties into a bustling 7-Eleven 24-hour petrol station has been given the green light by the Joint Development Assessment Panel.
The proposal initially faced significant opposition from local residents when they first found out about the plan, including concerns about the location, traffic management, odour, excessive noise and possible health complaints due to petrol emissions as a reason to reject the proposal.
The development would be similar to a number of other 7-Eleven locations around Perth.
Photo: Hannah BarryIn fact when canvassed by the City of Cockburn regarding the development, the council received a whopping 90 objections and only four in support of the proposal.
Despite the objections the council gave the development its "conditional approval", meaning it will still require developers to meet a number of relevant zoning laws and other recommendations.
But residents who will now be only metres away from the station said a legal requirement that requires any project valued at over $2 million must be passed onto JDAP hurt their chances of seeing a favourable verdict.
Resident Elizabeth Wells was one of the locals who first raised concerns about the health and traffic impacts of the project, and said she was "disgusted" by the decision.
"This has been a huge hindrance to residents, none of our concerns about health and safety, or the location [being] next to residential homes were even taken into account," she said.
"They (JDAP) only saw the legal side.
"I am furious with [the decision], they never took into account any of the objections."
A point of contention for the $2.1 million development was the fact it would be built just 34 metres from a Coles Express petrol station already based at the local Beeliar Village shopping centre.
Ms Well said not only did this render the project obsolete, but it was a good example of how locals who bought their homes decades ago were struggling to deal with rezoning in the suburb.
"The land was zoned in 2004, and at that time, there was only ten houses on Yangebup Road and no 24 hour trading."
Ms Wells said when she first bought her property, the land was zoned for residential use - and she only found out it had changed because she saw a notice in the local newspaper in 2016.
"This zoning should of been reassessed properly, instead of the change from local centre to development centre," she said.
"This reassessment should of taken place in regards to the vast residential development that has taken place since 2004."
In its proposal, the applicant told City of Cockburn it was only reasonable for locals to to expect noise because the site was commercially zoned.
Ms Wells said the way JDAP operates means this is the end of the line for herself and her neighbours, and she fears they were disadvantaged due to the nature of the process.
"We have no grounds to appeal, the JDAP decision is the final one and we are not able to appeal or have any further say in the matter.
"We as residents cannot go any further."
Ms Wells said she felt residents hadn't been given necessary access to documentation relevant to the proposal, which hurt their ability to argue their point.
The decision put restrictions on the development, including designated time slots when fuel tankers can deliver loads, but the applicant is able to appeal to the State Administrative Tribunal to have some restrictions overturned.
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