AMR Dental owner David McInerney seeks council help on planning approval for Margaret River Surgery parking

Local dentist David McInerney has fronted the Shire of Augusta-Margaret River council demanding answers about how land he owns was subject to a recent planning approval without his involvement. Dr McInerney addressed councillors during last week’s meeting incensed at an approval given to business neighbours at the Margaret River Surgery earlier this year in which the council waived parking requirements to help the clinic’s expansion. “Was the council aware that the car park was on land jointly owned by my dental surgery?” he asked. “Why did the council not consult with me as the legal co-owner of the car park before making any decision?” The AMR Dental owner said he had contacted the Shire in June 2021, but was not notified when the matter went before elected members in June. Shire sustainable development and infrastructure director Nick Logan told the Times the local government stood by the decision. “The Shire is comfortable that the decision-making process was legally correct,” Mr Logan said. In June, councillors waived cash-in-lieu and extra parking requirements because the Dr Cathy Milligan-owned surgery needed to expand to keep up with client demand and recruit more medicos. A contentious aspect of the approval was allowing existing nearby public carparks to meet parking requirements, with workers encouraged to park elsewhere and an active transport plan in place to free up capacity within the surgery’s existing car park. Dr McInerney told the Times he was “flabbergasted” when he read the newspaper report on July 1 because he had exclusive use of seven of those bays under a local by-law and clients continued to complain about inadequate parking. He previously met with Shire planners and president Paula Cristoffanini without an acceptable outcome. Dr McInerney did not believe the active transport plan was working and the Shire did not enforce it. “I am stuck with a situation that his irrevocably devalued my property and business at the expense of the doctor’s practice,” he said. Official responses tabled to the dentist’s council questions said the original planning application noted the strata and carparking agreement between the two businesses. “The apportionment of seven bays to the dental premises through strata by-laws is immaterial to the outcome as the approval does not rely on these bays or prejudice exclusive use by the dental premises,” the response said. The Shire also said officers were working to ensure compliance, as well as installation of bicycle facilities at the practice.