About
The Full Story
Welcome to Save Perth Hills Inc (SPH), Western Australia’s longest-running Community campaign.
Save Perth Hills (SPH) is based in the Shire of Mundaring. Our mission is to ensure our increasingly bushfire-prone Community, along with Perth Hills’ bio-diverse environment, is respected and safeguarded against dangerous and destructive development.
We will not accept putting profits ahead of bushfire safety.
SPH was established in 1991 in response to a sprawling and isolated suburban-style townsite plan for Stoneville.
The plan was wrong in 1991. In 2023, it’s potentially deadly. Our challenging climate no longer permits thousands of people crammed inside bushfire-trap zones.
Yet the landowner, the Anglican Diocese, and their developer, Satterley, persist with their plan they call ‘North Stoneville’.
Urbanisation of this land has been denounced for decades by the Community, Shire, Councillors, WA and Federal politicians, DFES, and our highest planning authority, WA Planning Commission.
Now, after more than 31 years, we ask you to join us, as the final showdown unfolds.
Key Events - Timeline 1991- 2024
1991 – First plan to develop North Stoneville released and rejected.
Save Perth Hills formed.
December 18 2018 - Satterley gives the Community just 3 weeks to comment on its 'North Stoneville' plan
January 10 2019 - 957 submissions received by Shire - almost all strongly objecting to the plan
August 2019 - more than 1,200 people witness Mundaring Council unanimously reject SP34 - describing it as 'dangerous and destructive'
June/July 2020 - Shire of Mundaring and Save Perth Hills each lodge Metropolitan Scheme (MRS) Amendment applications to RE-ZONE Lot 48 Stoneville Rd (‘North Stoneville’) back to rural. Case continues...
July 14 2020 - the WA Planning Commission (WAPC) rejects SP34 - ruling it contravenes 4 State Planning Policies:
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SPP 3.7 Panning in Bushfire Prone Areas (lack of emergency escape, insurmountable bushfire risks, surrounded by and Extreme Bushfire Zone, within ember reach of John Forrest National Park.
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SPP 3.4 Natural Hazards & Disasters (some homes - 350 square metres with one metre separation pose an unacceptable bushfire risk, and surrounding rural roads, (including Stoneville and Roland Roads) unable to cope with 11,000+ extra traffic movement, every day.
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SPP 2.8 Bushland Policy for Perth Metropolitan Region (destruction of wildlife and endangered species' habitats in a nationally recognised bio-diverse region)
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SPP 2.0 Environment and Natural Resources (200+ hectares of 'high to excellent value' forest, natural habitat and bushland would be destroyed)
August 2020 - Satterley appeals to State Administrative Tribunal (SAT).
November 2020 - 2020 Summer of Fires Royal Commission recommends to: 'Avoid development in extreme bushfire zones’.
November 4 2022 - Satterley announces it is dragging its dangerous and destructive North Stoneville plan back for re-assessment, by the same local community which rejected it in record numbers almost four years ago.
February 5 2023 – 2000 people said NO – AGAIN at our rally, including former WA Fire and Emergency Chief Wayne Gregson, Bob Brown, Greens founder and former senator and Brad Pettit WA Greens leader.
May 2023 – both the Shire of Mundaring and the City of Swan Councils UNANIMOUSLY reject Satterley’s amended plan citing:
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UNACCEPTABLE bushfire dangers.
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UNACCEPTABLE environmental loss.
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UNACCEPTABLE traffic risks, costs, no public transport.
23 November 2023 - Community deputations to Statutory Planning Committee and Western Australian Planning Commission.
December 2023 – WAPC rejects Satterley’s amended plan.
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Bushfire danger
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Fails to include adequate or accurate technical information including traffic, safe evacuation, bushfire analysis and modelling
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Fails to demonstrate environmental values can be balanced with bushfire management
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Fails to demonstrate true impact of traffic on road network
25 January 2024 – Satterley appeals the WAPC decision
15 September 2024 – Tania Lawrence Labor member for Hasluck announces the government will provide $1 million to protect the Black Cockatoos.
17 September 2024 – Federal Labor Environmental Minister Tania Plibersek grants environmental approval for Satterley’s amended plan.
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4th October 2024 - Satterley granted another delay. Next hearing 8th November
The Community Responds
The ‘SP34’ Structure Plan blindsided the Community when Satterley unfurled it on December 18, 2018 giving the Community just 3 weeks, over Christmas, New Year and school holidays to respond.
SPH activated the Community with a major information campaign. Three weeks later, on the January 10, 2019 deadline, an unprecedented 957 public submissions were received by Mundaring Shire -almost 100% against ‘North Stoneville’.
In August 2019, a Special Council Meeting was held at Mundaring Arena - WA’s largest-ever Council meeting attended by 1,200 residents.
Council unanimously REJECTED SP34, primarily, because of the scale of environmental destruction, and insurmountable bushfire and evacuation dangers.
Less than 12 months later, in July 2020, WA’s Planning Commission (WAPC) upheld Council’s rejection – finding ‘North Stoneville’ contravened four State Planning policies.
'North Stoneville'
The Problems
Land-owner: Anglican Diocese of Perth
Developer: Satterley Property Group
Plan: 1,001 houses, 3,000+ people, 2 schools
‘North Stoneville’, between Stoneville and Roland Roads, is 534 hectares, 140 hectares bigger than Kings Park, and covers more ground than New York’s Central Park and London’s Hyde Park, combined.
The Anglican Perth Diocese owns it, after Queen Victoria ‘gifted’ the land to the Church in the 1800s. Satterley, and the Anglican Diocese, are joint venture partners in ‘North Stoneville’.
The site features ‘high to excellent value’ (Dept of Environment WA), Hills forest, native vegetation and endangered wildlife habitat, as well as grazed land.
‘North Stoneville’ contains 13 registered Aboriginal archaeological sites that would be destroyed by Satterley and the Perth Diocese.
The site is severely constrained for development with limited bushfire evacuation options, restricted water supplies, no infrastructure or services and within ember attack reach of John Forrest National Park.
It sits in a proven Extreme Bushfire Zone of Mundaring Shire, rated in 2018 as ‘Australia’s 5th highest bushfire risk Shire’.
Devastating bushfires have burned on and around ‘North Stoneville’ including in 2003, 2008, and 2014 destroying more than 60 homes and changing hundreds of lives, forever. The 2021 Wooroloo Bushfires, Perth Hills’ worst bushfire emergency which destroyed 87 homes, burnt within 5-kilometres of ‘North Stoneville.’
More than 160 hectares would be bulldozed despite being a recognised international biodiversity hotspot and prime habitat for endangered species including Endangered Black Cockatoos and chuditch.
‘North Stoneville’ would generate 8,000 extra traffic movements every day (50,000 a week), on surrounding rural roads.
'North Stoneville'
and Our Health
Land-owner: Anglican Diocese of Perth
Developer: Satterley Property Group
Plan: 1,500 houses, 4,000+ people, 2 schools
‘North Stoneville’, between Stoneville and Roland Roads, is 555 hectares (1,373 acres), 150 hectares bigger than Kings Park, and covers more ground than New York’s Central Park and London’s Hyde Park, combined.
The Anglican Perth Diocese owns it, after Queen Victoria ‘gifted’ the land to the Church in the 1800s. Satterley, and the Anglican Diocese, are joint venture partners in ‘North Stoneville’.
The site features ‘high to excellent value’ (Dept of Environment WA), Hills forest, native vegetation and endangered wildlife habitat, as well as grazed land.
‘North Stoneville’ contains 13 registered Aboriginal archaeological sites that would be destroyed by Satterley and the Perth Diocese.
The site is severely constrained for development with limited bushfire evacuation options, restricted water supplies, no infrastructure or services and within ember attack reach of John Forrest National Park.
It sits in a proven Extreme Bushfire Zone of Mundaring Shire, rated in 2018 as ‘Australia’s 5th highest bushfire risk Shire’.
Devastating bushfires have burned on and around ‘North Stoneville’ including in 2003, 2008, and 2014 destroying more than 60 homes and changing hundreds of lives, forever. The 2021 Wooroloo Bushfires, Perth Hills’ worst bushfire emergency which destroyed 87 homes, burnt within 5-kilometres of ‘North Stoneville.’
More than 200 hectares would be bulldozed despite being a recognised international biodiversity hotspot and prime habitat for endangered species including black cockatoos and chuditch.
‘North Stoneville’ would generate 11,200 extra traffic movements every day (80,000 a week), on Stoneville Road.
The Hills
