10 am - SUNDAY - 23 February 2025: JOIN US!!!
Save Perth Hills’ (SPH) Community Rally – Sculpture Park Mundaring 10am-11am!
More details soon!
SPH’s Timeline:1991- current
February 4 2025:
​SPH to present our historic intervention bid to WA’s State Tribunal (SAT), seeking to be accepted as an official ‘Party’ to Satterley’s 2025 appeal hearing. It’s rare for an external group to be granted Intervention status. If accepted, SPH can introduce our own witnesses and evidence to the appeal, expected to be heard in September 2025.
December 23 2024
Federal Environment Minister Plibersek confirms she’s considering ‘revoking’ her ‘environmental approval’ for Satterley to bulldoze North Stoneville – after formal requests from SPH, Mundaring Shire Council, several State and Federal political candidates, and numerous Community emails. (see ‘17 September’). SPH continues to seek legal advice about the Minister’s ‘approval’ decision.
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/TKyceJovc2Vg4sFU/
December 13 2024:
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WA’s State Tribunal (SAT) grants SPH an historic ‘intervention bid’ hearing, which, if approved, will enable us to challenge, in person, Satterley’s North Stoneville plan.
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Satterley tells SAT it’s designing a brand new ‘Bushfire Management Plan’ for ‘North Stoneville’, and needs 6 months to ‘find a consultant’ who’ll do it. SAT gives Satterley until April 4 2025.
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SAT brings forward the 2025 appeal hearing date from November to September 2025 telling Satterley the matter has been in the Tribunal for four years and two months and needs to be over ‘as soon as possible.’
December 7 2024
SPH launches a full-page newspaper ad and Facebook email campaign calling on Environment Minister Plibersek to REVOKE her ‘environmental approval’ to bulldoze’ proposed North Stoneville’. https://www.facebook.com/share/p/nTnyjkvPe4utWPeb/
October 15 2024
(*See SPH Facebook Oct 15 and Business News).
SPH attends a Who’s-Who Business breakfast at Crown for Nigel Satterley – head of Satterley Property Group. 800 people attend, including former Premier McGowan and Anglican Archbishop, North Stoneville land owner, Reverend Kay Goldsworthy. Satterley falsely tells the audience SPH is ‘spreading propaganda’ to stop North Stoneville.
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October 2024
Mundaring Shire Council writes to Environment Minister Plibersek seeking a review of the Minister’s ‘environmental approval’ of North Stoneville, which would result in the unacceptable loss of 60,000 trees on the proposed North Stoneville site.
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October 4 2024
Another SAT hearing. Satterley is granted yet another delay, arguing it doesn’t understand how WA’s updated Bushfire Policy might apply to its proposed ‘North Stoneville’ plan. The Department of Planning released a video in September explaining the update in detail. We provide the link, because Satterley has clearly missed it...
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September 17 2024:
Federal Labor Environmental Minister Tania Plibersek grants ‘environmental approval’ in a shock decision under Australia’s outdated Environmental Protection and Biodiversity and Conservation Act (EPBC 1999). The ‘approval’ gives Satterley Federal permission to bulldoze 60,000 healthy trees, some more than 200 years old, on the ‘North Stoneville’ site. These trees provide vital breeding, roosting and foraging habitat for Australia’s Federally listed Vulnerable and Endangered Blak cockatoos. The ruling states that Endangered Cockatoo habitat loss can be ‘managed by offsets of other habitat within the area’. Satterley’s approved ‘offset’ is in the Shire of Williams – 180 kms away from Stoneville.
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Please Note: The ’environmental approval’ does NOT mean ‘North Stoneville’ can go ahead. Satterley and the Anglican Church still can’t demonstrate safe evacuation of more than 3000 people in a bushfire emergency, and deadly traffic gridlock risks on the area’s tight rural road networks in a bushfire emergency.
September 15 2024
Tania Lawrence Labor member for Hasluck announces the Federal Government will provide $1 million to protect Black Cockatoos. We are gobsmacked by the irony – when just 2 days later (Sept 16) Federal ‘environmental approval’ is granted to bulldoze 60,000 trees - including Black Cockatoo habitat at proposed ‘North Stoneville’.
June-August 2024
SPH receives the summary appeal documents from the State Solicitors’ Office (representing WAPC) and from Satterly Property Group.
March 8 2024
Another SAT hearing. Importantly, SAT Senior Member, Dr Stephen Willey, who’s hearing the case, orders that SPH will receive a confidential copy of Satterley and the WA PC’s “SIFCs” – their summary documents of their proposed appeal case outline.
February 2 2024
Another round of SAT hearings begins – and so do Satterley’s delay tactics. SAT wants to set an appeal hearing date – Satterley stalls and another hearing is scheduled for March. One good thing – these hearings are open to the public, and SPH attends.
January 25 2024
Satterley appeals the WA Planning Commission’s December rejection of its amended (Version 2) North Stoneville plan.
December 2023
WA Planning Commission rejects Satterley’s amended (Version 2) plan.
Reasons for rejection include:
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Bushfire dangers
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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. Satterley admits its development would add 11,000 extra traffic movements – every day, on surrounding roads.
November 23 2023
Community members deliver passionate and qualified deputations calling for the refusal of Satterley’s amended (Version 2) North Stoneville plan, to the Statutory Panning Authority / WA Planning Commission hearing at Mundaring Arena.
September 1 2023
Another Confidential Mediation between Satterley and the WAPC, as Satterley persists in trying to find a way to make its ‘amended’ firetrap plan approvable.
May 2023:
Both the Shire of Mundaring and the City of Swan Councils UNANIMOUSLY reject Satterley’s amended (Version 2) 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.
February 5 2023
Around 2000 people brave 40-degree heat to attend our Community Rally to say ‘NO – AGAIN’ to Satterley’s Version 2 North Stonevile plan. Former WA Fire and Emergency DFES Chief, Dr Wayne Gregson, Greens founder and former senator Bob Brown, and Greens MP Brad Pettit WA Greens were among high-profile speakers condemning the firetrap ‘North Stoneville’ plan.
November 4 2022
Two years – and 9 mediations later, another Confidential Mediation is held between Satterley and the WAPC - this time the outcome is revealed publicly: Satterley is getting a ‘second chance to ‘amend’ its un-approvable and rejected North Stoneville plan – to try to make it ‘approvable’. This is despite previous, high-level rejections of North Stoneville by the WAPC in 2020, Mundaring Shire Council 2019, Dept of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) 2020 and 31-years’ relentless rejection by the community and more than 1000 public submissions.
July 28 2022
Another Confidential Mediation between Satterley and the WAPC, as Satterley persists in trying to find a way to make its firetrap plan. approvable.
February 25 2022
Another Confidential Mediation between Satterley and the WAPC, as Satterley persists in trying to find a way to make its firetrap plan approvable.
October 19 2021
Another Confidential Mediation between Satterley and the WAPC, as Satterley persists in trying to find a way to make its firetrap plan approvable.
June 9 2021
Another Confidential Mediation between Satterley and the WAPC, as Satterley persists in trying to find a way to make its firetrap plan approvable.
March 7 2021
Around 1500 people attend a passionate and loud SPH Rally in Mundaring! This was just days before the 2021 State election was held, and when politicians, from all major political parties – State and Federal, united in their opposition to Nigel Satterley’s dangerous and destructive North Stoneville plan
March 4 2021
Another Confidential Mediation between Satterley and the WAPC, as Satterley persists in trying to find a way to make its firetrap plan approvable.
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No mention of the (still smouldering) Wooroloo Bushire, or the fact that over 400 people lost their houses to the fire, in what was Perth Hills’ worst bushfire, that also burned within 5 kms of ‘North Stoneville.’
January-February 2021: Wooroloo Bushfire – Perth Hills’ Worst Bushfire
The Wooroloo Bushfire burned out of control for 6 days – and within 5 kms of the North Stoneville site. The bushfire had a devastating impact on the community causing extensive damage within the City of Swan and Shire of Mundaring, destroying 86 properties and damaging many more. Around 11,000 hectares were burnt, with an estimated 500,000 people placed on Bushfire Advice or Alerts across multiple local government regions, including Mundaring, Swan, Wanneroo, Stirling and Joondalup.
The fire burned for 3 weeks until it was finally declared ‘out’.
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Satterley’s scheduled 10th February 2021 SAT Mediation is postponed because some people due to appear, were fighting the Wooroloo Fires.
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Neither Satterley, nor the Anglican Church, make any public contact with the community during, or after, this bushfire catastrophe.
December 4 2020
Another Confidential Mediation between Satterley and the WAPC, as Satterley persists in trying to find a way to make its firetrap plan ‘approvable’.
November 27 2020
Another Confidential Mediation between Satterley and the WAPC, as Satterley persists in trying to find a way to make its firetrap plan approvable.
November 3 2020
The first of 3 long years of Confidential ‘Meditations’ between the WAPC and Satterley at the State Tribunal begins, as Satterley seeks a way to get its rejected firetrap plan to an ‘approvable’ level. The Community is not privy to what Satterley and the WAPC are ‘mediating’ on – the hearings are held behind closed doors.
In the same month, (November 2020) NSW Summer of Fires Royal Commission recommends:
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'AVOID DEVELOPMENT IN EXTREME BUSHFIRE ZONES’.
August 2020:
Satterley lodges a formal appeal, to WA’s State Administrative Tribunal (SAT), against the WAPC’s rejection of North Stoneville.
July 14 2020:
SPH, Mundaring Shire Councillors, and many local community members present in-person deputations to the WA Planning Commission (WAPC), seeking a rejection of the North Stoneville plan.
WAPC rejects Satterley’s North Stoneville Structure Plan (SP34) - ruling it contravenes 4 State Planning Policies:
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SPP 3.7 Planning in Bushfire Prone Areas (lack of emergency escape, insurmountable bushfire risks, surrounded by an Extreme Bushfire Zone, within ember reach of nearby 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 movements, that the development would generate 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).
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’) from ‘Urban’ back to Rural. Case continues...
2019/2020 Horror Australian bushfire season (also known as Black Summer)
Black Summer Fires burn through September 2019 to February 2020 impacting many Australian states including New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, the Australian Capital Territory and Western Australia.
August 27 2019:
A record breaking 1200+ people attend a Special Mundaring Council Meeting at the Mundaring Arena where Council unanimously rejects Satterley’s North Stoneville Structure Plan SP34 - describing it as 'dangerous and destructive'. Satterley’s Executives also attend, astounded at the community opposition to their firetrap plan. Media reports the meeting widely. It’s the last time Satterley representatives are seen in the Perth Hills.
March 21 2019:
Satterley executives and their Urban designers (Roberts Hatch-Day) agree to meet SPH in Parkerville. They also tell us the plan is a ‘done deal’ and that a more environmentally friendly and safer Rural development is not possible ‘because it’s not viable.’
January 10 2019:
Despite Satterley giving us just 3 weeks, Save Perth Hills activates the local community and a record breaking 957 community submissions are lodged with the Mundaring Shire by the 10 January closing date. Almost every single submission strongly objects to Satterley and the Anglican Church’s plans to urbanise North Stoneville. (It takes the Mundaring Shire 7 months to process them).
January 2 2019:
Over Christmas and New Year, SPH works to inform the community, word spreads, and around 100 locals turn up at a ‘makeshift rally’ outside the Stoneville Volunteer Fire Brigade HQs on Bentley Street, pledging support for SPH and to fight the Satterley and Anglican Church North Stoneville plan. SPH launches a street banner campaign, letter-drops, and local media coverage to encourage submissions against North Stoneville by the January 10 deadline.
December 18 2018:
About 50 local residents meet at Parkerville Hall to discuss how the Satterley has blindsided our Community by releasing its North Stoneville Structure Plan – setting a 3-week deadline – over Christmas and New Year, for public comment on the plan. Some councillors at the meeting tell us ‘don’t’ bother fighting it - it’s a done deal’- further infuriating the community and inspiring an activation by Save Perth Hills to elevate the campaign to a widescale public awareness
January 12 – February 1 2014: Stoneville-Parkerville-Mt Helena Bushfire
The devastating Stoneville-Parkerville-Mt Helena Bushfire erupted after a power fell and ignited grass on Granite Road. Heatwave conditions with temperatures in the 40s, fuelled the fire which took days to bring under control, and more than two more weeks to extinguish completely. 57 homes were destroyed, and many more were damaged, with immediate and long terms, and permanent impacts on residents and families felt across three adjoining Perth Hills’ communities. 1,386 people registered as evacuees at the Mundaring Recreation Centre. But the centre was unable to handle the numbers and, and all evacuees had to be re-evacuated to the Brown Park Recreation Complex in Swan View. The bushfire burned within one kilometre of the proposed North Stoneville site.
January 2008 – Stoneville bushfire:
This is the bushfire Satterley excludes from all their documentation on North Stoneville. A tree made contact with a conductor on a 20,000-vault power line, sparking a huge blaze. Three houses and a shed containing vintage cars were destroyed. Several people had to shelter in a dam to save their lives, their rescue was a perilous effort undertaken by local Volunteer Bushfire Fighters. This fire burned on the North Stoneville land, substantially, but Satterley refuses to acknowledge it in any formal documentation, despite SPH calling this out, numerous times.
1991: Save Perth Hills formed.
First plan to develop North Stoneville is released. (and rejected)