A seven-storey mixed-use development with 18 serviced apartments and a ground-floor shop was approved for 25 Rowland Street, Subiaco, by the Metro Inner Development Assessment Panel (DAP) on 3 September 2025. The decision was subject to 34 conditions. The project did not go to an ordinary council meeting for a councillor vote, but that is not the same as having no planning assessment: the City of Subiaco prepared a report for the panel, and the official minutes record City participation and questions to the applicant.
What was approved at 25 Rowland Street?
The Metro Inner DAP approved application DAP/25/02924 for a seven-storey mixed-use building at 25 (Lot 43) Rowland Street, Subiaco. The approved proposal comprises 18 serviced apartments and one shop on the ground floor. The panel approved the plans subject to 34 conditions.
PerthNow described the project as a $6.5 million development near Hay Street and Rokeby Road. It reported that the ground floor includes commercial space, three parking bays and a two-car stacking bay, with storage and bicycle parking in the basement. The $6.5 million figure and those additional layout details are attributed to PerthNow; the DAP minutes cited here do not independently confirm the value.
What does “bypassing council scrutiny” mean in this case?
The decision was made by the Metro Inner DAP rather than being debated by elected councillors at an ordinary City of Subiaco council meeting. PerthNow reported that City staff recommended approval subject to 34 conditions and that the report would not be referred to council for comment. That describes the route by which the decision was made; it does not establish that there was no planning assessment or scrutiny.
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The City says DAP applications are assessed against its planning scheme and relevant policies, and that it prepares a Responsible Authority Report recommending a decision to the panel. The official minutes for this application record the City addressing the DAP and responding to questions. The panel then made the formal decision under the applicable planning framework.
Mayor David McMullen criticised the reduced role of elected local government, telling PerthNow: “I am on record describing my dissatisfaction with the way that the decision-making role of local governments in planning and development has been continually eroded, one State Government reform at a time.” That is the mayor’s view of the effect of state reforms, not a finding that the application received no assessment. The City’s general description says public advertising applies if required; it does not establish whether advertising occurred for this particular application.
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How the apartments are classified—and the stay limit
The approval is for the land-use category “Serviced Apartments,” not a short-term rental accommodation (STRA) dwelling. State planning guidance distinguishes traditional accommodation, including serviced apartments, from STRA as defined by the state reforms. It also says existing valid serviced-apartment approvals may continue without STRA approval or registration.
This project has a specific condition limiting stays to no more than three consecutive months and requiring implementation of the approved management plan. That limit applies to this approval; it should not be read as a universal rule for all serviced apartments.
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What the 34 conditions cover
The conditions address matters including stormwater retention, design and materials, signage, landscaping and tree protection, public art, sustainability reporting, acoustics, construction management, dilapidation reports, parking and bicycle facilities, and a travel plan. They also require the management plan and impose the temporary-accommodation limit. Some requirements must be met before a building permit is issued or before the development can be occupied.
The DAP decision is planning approval, not a substitute for building, health, engineering or other agency approvals. The minutes state that the approval is valid for four years from 3 September 2025 if development is not substantially commenced during that period. The records cited here do not establish whether construction has commenced, or whether the approval has since been appealed or amended.
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Sources
- Metro Inner DAP, 3 September 2025 minutes and decision record.
- City of Subiaco guidance on Development Assessment Panels.
- Western Australian guidance on short-term rental accommodation reforms.
- PerthNow report, 7 September 2025.
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