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WAPC Chair retires after 50-year contribution to WA planning

Western Australian Planning Commission (WAPC) Chair David Caddy has advised the State Government he will retire from the role at the end of 2024.

06 September 2024

  • WAPC Chair David Caddy set to retire on 31 December 2024
  • Retirement marks more than five decades of commitment to urban and regional planning outcomes

Western Australian Planning Commission (WAPC) Chair David Caddy has advised the State Government he will retire from the role at the end of 2024.

Mr Caddy is a Life Fellow of the Planning Institute of Australia, adjunct professor at The University of Western Australia and has served as Chair for six years, after being appointed to the Commission in 2018.

During his term as Chair, Mr Caddy has led the Commission through the implementation of the Cook Government's nation-leading planning reform program cutting red tape, making planning easier to understand and navigate, and ensuring systems are consistent and efficient to create great places for people.

Those reforms included the introduction of a temporary assessment pathway for significant development proposals - attracting 61 development applications with a combined value of $7.38 billion - and its evolution to a permanent pathway, which is now open for business.

Mr Caddy also played a key role in the 2022 review of the Commission which has created a more efficient and strategically-focused board, leading to the recent appointment of new commissioners.

The process to appoint a new Chairperson will be undertaken over the coming months.

Comments attributed to Planning Minister John Carey:  

"Mr Caddy has overseen significant changes in the WA planning system which constantly demands response to contemporary and changing community needs.

"I want to acknowledge the tremendous contribution Mr Caddy has made to the Western Australian planning system.

"I congratulate David on his terrific career and wish him well in his retirement."


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