Planning permission needed to use visitor parking for residents

We are an average size ( under 10 units ) strata in WA. As it goes with older complexes, each unit has one carport only and no additional bays allocated. Currently we have a verbal agreement with the owners and tenants that have 2 cars, one must utilize the carport and the other may be parked in our visitor’s bays.

At our last AGM, parking headlined as always.. 1 car household rogue parking still, one resident has 3 cars, new owners with multiple cars etc plus the fact that we are actually all parking illegally on common property. It was suggested that we extend our visitor’s car park by 2 more bays and designate each unit with an additional exclusive use bay.

Also factoring in the Shire may request new bays for visitor’s. Win, win we think as it will increase property value and no more drama’s with if and where we can park. It would certainly ease the never ending tension.

So wading through all the steps involved in the project, we have discovered our Shire/City council has on the planning application ALL owners must sign and approve the request. And have been advised it depends on the Shire, the planner and the actual day whether they will approve the application from us only as council of owners (strata committee) or insist that every single owner has signed.

My concern is that even though we will have the funds to go ahead and will have done all the surveying, plans drawn up, legwork done, new bylaws etc, if the Shire wants everyone to approve, we will be road blocked by the tiny minority that will be inconvenienced. Purely for the fact they will be reduced to 2 cars on the premises only or they are likely to say no just to be difficult.

Where do we stand on this is we have majority vote on going ahead and the Shire says no, we have to have 100% of owners buy in? I know I’m worrying ahead, but I don’t want to waste our dollars on all the pre-work for nothing.

Thanks in advance