Shire of Harvey’s decision to shut down kennel application due to neighbour’s concerns labelled ‘arbitrary’

A Harvey resident has barked up the wrong tree after her request to open and operate a kennel on her property was shut down by the council. Amy Capogreco had her application to run the small home business denied after a Harvey Shire Council meeting last Tuesday because of the potential noise, smells and traffic issues it would create. Shire documents stated the 10-dog kennel would have been opened on her Eighth Street property in Harvey, 190m away from the the closest neighbour and within 80m of a property expected to be used for future development. Ms Capogreco said she could not see how the decision had been made based on real evidence, rules or building codes and called the council’s decision “arbitrary”. “I wanted a chance to follow my dreams and open up a small legitimate business in Harvey. “My neighbours think that it is just my dogs that bark, it is not always my dogs that bark, it is actually some of the people that are against my kennels,” she said. During a two-week consultation period with surrounding properties a total of eight submissions were received where more than half of nearby property owners were against the kennel. Council documents stated that the Shire considered a number of planning matters when formulating the recommended refusal decision. “It is recommended that council refuses the application due to the proposal’s proximity to neighbouring properties, which may negatively impact the quality of life to the community,” documents stated. “Officers consider that there would be potential for regular complaints regarding noise impacts that would be difficult to mitigate.” A motion was presented to the council with a list of rules Ms Capogreco could follow to mitigate the noise and potential problems. The motion to deny the application was carried five to four.