In this article, I discuss local planning decision making as a form of
public policy making undertaken by the stare and involving some degre
e of public participation. I am interested in communicative action as
a normative basis for participatory decision making of public policy m
atters. Empirically, however, differences of discourses have led to pa
rticipants talking past each other rather than negotiating with each o
ther. Using a case study from Perth, Western Australia, I demonstrate
the idea of procedural justice and examine the reasons for participant
s' dissatisfaction with public participation processes, I then develop
some tentative principles for a more procedurally just communicative
planning practice.