When you head to the polls to elect your local Councillors, you do so with a simple expectation: that the people you vote for will have the final say on what happens in your neighborhood. Whether it’s a new housing estate bulldozing local bushland or a fast-food giant popping up in a quiet carpark, we assume our elected representatives are the ones holding the “Yes” or “No” stamps.

That assumption is a dangerous illusion.

In reality, the power to shape Kwinana and all WA councils has been quietly stripped away from the community. Behind closed doors, over many years and without meaningful consultation, the State Government has dismantled the rights of locals. We are now living under a system where the real power has been handed over to unelected state bodies.

The Mathematical Trap: The 3-vs-2 Rule

The most significant developments in our city—projects that change the character of our streets forever—are no longer decided in the Kwinana Council Chambers. Instead, they are funneled through the Metro Outer Development Assessment Panel (MODAP).

This system is a mathematical trap. When these life-altering decisions are made, the table consists of:

• 3 Specialist Members: Unelected experts appointed directly by the State Minister.
• 2 Local Councillors: The people you actually elected to represent you.

The math is simple and brutal: The local voice is mathematically guaranteed to lose every single time if the State’s three appointees want a project to move forward. Your elected representatives are essentially reduced to observers in their own city.

A “Necessary Process” or Political Theatre?

While our bushland is bulldozed and our suburbs are overcrowded, Kwinana Councillors often wash their hands of responsibility, claiming it’s “out of their control.”

But why is it out of their control?

Because for years, the State Government has passed laws—like the recent “Significant Development” pathways—that allow developers to bypass Council entirely for projects worth as little as $2 million. Instead of lobbying the State Government to return these planning powers to the people, the Council often endorses this erosion of local rights as a “necessary process.”

Even more insulting? When ALWMGroup questioned this loss of authority, some Councillors replied that it is “not their job to educate the public” on these processes. If our elected leaders won’t stand up for our right to decide our own future, who will?

The “Consultation” Mirage

By the time a resident hears about a project, the “consultation” is a mere formality. The State departments hold the stamps, the Council holds the door open, and the residents are left with the consequences. This isn’t just bureaucracy; it’s political theatre designed to make you feel involved while the decisions have already been made in Perth.

The Decision Makers: Who is at the Table?

As of 2026, these are the individuals sitting at the MODAP table deciding the future of Kwinana. Notice the imbalance:

Current Specialist Members (The State’s 3 Votes)

• Clayton Higham (Presiding Member)
• Eugene Koltasz (Deputy Presiding Member)
• Neema Premji / Claire Ortlepp (Specialist Members)

Current Kwinana Council Representatives (Your 2 Votes)

• Deputy Mayor Barry Winmar
• Cr Matthew Rowse (Alternates: Cr Sherilyn Wood and Cr Ivy Penny)

It’s Time to Stop the Secrecy

Kwinana is our home, not a “target” on a state planner’s map. We deserve a system where “Local Government” actually means local control. We must demand that our representatives stop acting as “gatekeepers” for the state and start acting as advocates for the people who pay their salaries.