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Joint Development Assessment Panel rejects proposed Baldivis Hindu temple plans

Tyra PetersSound Telegraph
JDAP assessment panel votes to reject Baldivis Hindu Temple plans.
Camera IconJDAP assessment panel votes to reject Baldivis Hindu Temple plans. Credit: Hayley Edwards/Facebook

A proposed Hindu temple in the City of Rockingham that attracted a number of complaints from residents has been refused by the State’s Joint Development Assessment Panel.

Despite addressing the various concerns of the city, JDAP members ruled that the project would not be suitable for the proposed area and ultimately the application was refused.

The development application for a proposed ‘Place of Worship’ at Lot 53 (no. 67) Folly Road Baldivis was to include the main temple, a kitchen, dining hall, library, priest residence, and a multi-purpose hall for up to 350 people.

The application was first lodged in 2021 with the City of Rockingham and amended plans in May 2022 were then submitted to address some of the city’s concerns including landfill requirements, hours of operation, bushfire management and on-site housing.

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A Baldivis resident present at the JDAP meeting said, “my husband and I bought in the rural area to retire and raise our children in a quiet and peaceful area . . . we would have never built here if we knew there would be a temple of this size near our home.”

This was followed by another resident who said that the development would “devalue” her property and expressed concerns over “parking overflow” with the crowds that may be brought in during festival times and how this might affect safety along Young Road.

JDAP specialist member Diana Goldswain said, that the applicant had done a lot “ameliorate concerns”, however, it seemed there would be a lot of conditions required to “satisfy the concerns of the local council” with regards to noise, more trees, the amount of traffic movement, hours of operation.

“It’s not appropriate for this area and will significantly reduce the amenity of the lifestyle and the rural area.”

“I don’t think there is anything wrong with the planning or design of it, I think it would be better located somewhere else,” she said.

Gorki Bogdanich from Archetype Design Studio said that the team was disappointed with JDAP’s final decisions and that “so much hard work went into the proposed development to ensure there was minimal impact on the surrounding semi-rural community”.

“The proposal complies fully with noise regulations, environmental regulations, traffic requirements, and the proposed extensive landscaping not only improved the visual and environmental amenity but ensured that the temple would be screened from public view.”

Mr Bogdanich said their client was currently considering their next steps.

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