Published on Thursday, 19 March 2026 at 1:36:20 PM
MEDIA RELEASE
For Immediate Release
19 March 2026
Potential Six-Month Permit Delays Put Regional Tourism Investment at Risk — Darkan Hotel Modular Accommodation Held Up by State Processing Backlog
Shire of West Arthur Chief Executive Officer, Mr Vin Fordham Lamont, is calling for urgent action to address unacceptable approval delays within State Government agencies that are stalling shovel‑ready regional developments and undermining local economic growth.
A community-owned accommodation project at the Darkan Hotel—supported by a Regional Economic Development (RED) Grant and already approved locally through the Shire’s development approval process—has been forced into limbo while waiting for State-level processing of an onsite sewerage (septic) application.
The Darkan Hotel has invested in modular visitor accommodation units designed to provide 11 ensuite queen-sized rooms—a practical, small-scale expansion to address visitor accommodation shortages and support local business and events. However, the project cannot proceed to construction because required regulatory approvals are being delayed.
What’s happening
- The Darkan Hotel engaged an external building certifier (at a cost of approximately $3,000) to prepare the certified building permit documentation.
- The septic application was lodged with the local government authority on 3 December 2025.
- The certified building permit application was lodged with the Shire of West Arthur on 4 February 2026.
- The City of Kalamunda, which contracts its Building Surveyors to the Shire of West Arthur, has advised it cannot issue the building permit until septic approval is issued.
- The Department of Health has advised the Hotel that the septic application will not be assessed for at least another 30 days, pushing the processing timeframe to over four months since original lodgment— with the overall approvals process now expected to take close to six months.
Real impacts on a community project
With the modular units already purchased and sitting on site, the delay is causing immediate financial and operational harm.
Mr Fordham Lamont said regional projects should not be placed at risk by administrative backlogs:
“These are already-funded, locally approved modular units ready to deliver much-needed visitor accommodation. Instead, they are sitting empty while the community hotel pays interest on loans, risks missing grant milestones, and loses access to trades who have had to take other work.”
Call for practical reforms: delegate where capability exists
Mr Fordham Lamont said a more responsive, risk-based approach is needed—particularly for small, low-risk developments—by enabling assessment pathways that reflect regional capacity and urgency.
The Shire is advocating for:
- Clear and enforceable processing timeframes for onsite sewerage approvals;
- A formal escalation pathway when timeframes cannot be met; and
- Adequate funding of government agencies involved in assessing applications such as the Department of Health to ensure that they have enough employees to process the volume of incoming applications.
Supporting regional investment, jobs, and tourism
Mr Fordham Lamont said the approval delay is more than an administrative inconvenience—it directly undermines regional development outcomes and discourages future investment.
Visitor accommodation is critical infrastructure for regional communities: it supports local events, agriculture-related travel, tourism, and workforce mobility. Delays that prevent approved projects from proceeding also threaten grant compliance, construction scheduling, and local employment opportunities.
** ENDS **
Media Contact
Shire of West Arthur
Mr Vin Fordham Lamont, Chief Executive Officer
Email: ceo@westarthur.wa.gov.au | Phone: (08) 9736 2400
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