The Western Australian Local Government Association (WALGA) has voted in favour of development assessment panels (DAP).

A number of Perth councils were pushing to abolish DAPs, but their motion was rejected at this week’s WALGA annual general meeting.

DAPs are committees formed to assess big developments, each consisting of five specialists and two local government councillors.

Developers can choose either the DAP process or regular council approval for projects worth between $2 and $10 million, but anything over $10 million goes straight to a panel.

The DAP scheme was originally intended to bring more expert advice into big development planning.

WA has nine DAPS, six in metro areas and three in the regions.

Councillor Julie Matheson, from the Subiaco metro council, told reporters that DAPs were indicative of “a flawed planning and development system which permits infill at any cost”.

“Take for instance Subiaco. The DAP approved four office blocks within walking distance of our train stations and bus services with no residential dwellings. The DAP completely ignored residential infill targets and planning policies.

“WA’s planning system is broken and failing Western Australia in its time of need. Western Australia deserves much better outcomes from its mining and construction boom, instead we are saddled with a hotchpotch of random outrageous buildings which have cost residents and ratepayers their amenity,” she said.

The anti-DAP councils tabled a motion calling for the abolishment to be made an election issue, which would have seen councils lobby local members and encourage independent candidates to stand against them.

But the WALGA members voted down the motion, choosing instead to support South Perth Mayor Sue Doherty's call for an independent review into the state's planning processes.

WA Planning Minister Donna Faragher has indicated she is open to “tweaking” the system.

Joondalup mayor and Australian Local Government Association president Troy Pickard said ahead of the AGM that attacking DAPs was not the way.

“I suspect that the call for the abolition of DAPs from some in the sector reflects their frustration at being unable to unduly interfere in town planning decisions,” he told News Corp reporters. 

“Whilst there is room for improvement within DAPs, they do prevent some councils from inappropriately interfering with development applications, invariably on behalf of minorities within their community.

“I find it embarrassing for the local government sector that some elected members mistakenly feel they have enough political traction to stand for State office on a single local issue, a strategy that has proven to fail in the past and sadly gives our sector an unpleasant reputation amongst many important decision-makers.”

Back at the AGM, WALGA president Lynne Craigie was calling for a different kind of reform – dealing instead with the relationship between state and local tiers of government.

“The relationship needs to be mutually respectful. We should not have been treated like we have for the past four years. I hope we see a lot of change in the next four,” she said.

“There's been so much negativity, criticism and falsehoods, I don't think anyone will ever understand why the approach has been to try and bully and diminish local government rather than work with us.”