Willetton’s Hilltop Rise park will not be subdivided for residential development after the City of Canning council voted down the proposal.
At the city’s July 19 meeting council voted 8-3 against developing the back end of the small park which has existed for more than four decades.
The proposal put to the council was to divide the rear undeveloped portion of the block to create space for three houses and a shared driveway.
The City of Canning sent 137 letters to residents within 150 metres of the area and placed public notices asking for feedback on the proposal.
More than 40 responses were received with some residents hopeful the $1.18 million expected to have been raised from the sale would go toward developing other parklands while others were concerned about the loss of bushland and the danger to children because of traffic.
At the meeting councillor Lindsay Holland voted against development and said the park is important to the local community.
“They’ve spoken overwhelmingly and very strongly,” he said.
“It’s a small community park to satisfy the small community.”
Mr Holland said concerns raised about anti-social behaviour in the undeveloped area of the park were unreasonable.
Councillor David Brown amended the motion to propose the city look at expanding the existing park onto the disused portion of the lot.
Mr Brown said developing houses on the land would deny future generations the chance to enjoy the park and rejected suggestions the existing bush was a fire hazard.
“There has been no fire in the park in 40 years,” he said.
“The record of fires in Willetton vegetation in parks in 40 years has been zero.”
Councillor Patrick Hall was a strong proponent of the sale and even advertised his support on his official Facebook page.
Mr Hall said the park was owned by the city and not a small group of residents and he would prefer to see a great number of parks around Canning improved if it meant developing on the disused rear portion of the park.
“In this instance the $1.18 million that would be realised from the sale could probably be put to better use upgrading some of those facilities in the city,” he said.
“I think there is an opportunity to look at some alternative uses and do that with the consultation of the wider Willetton community.”
The council voted to not proceed with further public consultation or works associated with the park, to request the Land Utilisation Team prepare a strategy for all land owned by the City of Canning and to develop the disused area of the park to include native species of plant and create a path through the area.
