Radha Soami Satsang Beas Australia gets green light for Swan Valley presence

A council trying to ban new religious building being constructed in a special viticulture zone in the Swan Valley has lost a bid to block an Indian faith from setting up in the area.

Radha Soami Satsang Beas Australia, a worldwide spiritual organisation started in India which says it is based on the teachings of all religions, was knocked back by the City of Swan last year from building a hall and tending an orchard in Middle Swan.

The council unanimously voted against the proposal, despite staff being in favour, for not fitting in with the traditional industries of the valley.

Since then the City has been progressing an amendment to its local planning laws which will prevent places of worship and service stations from being built in a special rural zone in the valley.

RSSB has been a vocal opponent to the amendment and also challenged last year’s development decision in the State Administrative Tribunal.

SAT declared this week the development should go ahead since there were no current planning policies preventing it.

“The Tribunal is not satisfied that there is in fact any currently seriously entertained planning proposal that supports a view that “place of worship” should not be permitted in the Swan Valley Rural Zone,” the decision said.

“There is a draft scheme amendment that is to be advertised to that effect, but little weight can be given to that at this point in time.”

Cornerstone Legal director Tim Houweling, who represented RSSB, said the group was overwhelmed and excited after a five year battle to be able to establish their own place of worship in WA.

“The Tribunal has made clear that there is no impact on horticulture or agriculture activity in the Swan Valley rural zone,” he said.

“It is not clear to me why places of worship are being singled out in planning, and treated differently from other uses that have greater impacts.”

Swan chief executive Mike Foley said there would be no appeal of the SAT decision.

He said the current proposed amendment would need to be further progressed before it could be relied as a factor in development applications in the Swan Valley.

There are currently five places of worship within the special zone and another five just outside its boundaries.

Swan councillors this week refused 10-4 a retrospective application for an Islamic place of prayer in a different rural zone, which would not be subject to the church ban, because the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation held concerns about groundwater contamination at the site.