About the Local Planning Strategy

What is a Local Planning Strategy ?

A Local Planning Strategy or LPS is the key strategic urban planning document for the City of Melville.  The LPS provides broad direction for the future growth and development of the City for the next 10-15 years. 

To do this, the LPS considers all relevant urban planning documents (such as Network City strategy), the current urban character of the City of Melville and its people, makes broad projections on how and where future residents may live in response to changing metropolitan circumstances; considers the state of our environment, State Government direction and major planning activities in the region that may impact (positively or negatively) on the liveability of the City and future prosperity of the municipality. 

A LPS aims to provide a vision to assist strategic decision making and a set of principles by which co-ordinated, sustainable development will be implemented over time.  The LPS is not a fixed blue-print but a framework for strategic planning which assists in creating the community we want to live in.   

How is the Local Planning Strategy different to a Local Planning Scheme?

While the LPS sets the broad strategic planning ‘direction’ for the City, the Local Planning Scheme is the ‘operational tool’ that establishes specific controls for land use and development in the City of Melville.  The Local Planning Scheme sets and defines zones, acceptable land uses within each zone of the City and establishes development standards for new and re-developed sites.  

The Local Planning Scheme details procedures and processes to be followed in order to complete, lodge and consider an application for development consent, establishes rights of appeal, development advertising processes etc.  The Local Planning Scheme must align with provisions in planning law (Planning and Development Act 2007) and comply with the State Government Model Scheme Text guideline.

A Local Planning Scheme has a life of between 5 to 10 years and must be reviewed each 5 years by law. 

A first draft of the reviewed City of Melville Local Planning Scheme will be finalised in 2009.

What is a Network City?

The Network City Strategy for Perth and Peel establishes the fundamental directions for the Perth and Peel regions with the underlying values of sustainability, inclusiveness, innovation and creativity, sense of place and equity.  The strategy is not a blue-print or master-plan to be enacted but rather is an all of government approach to plan with communities, and partner with local government in the development of centres and strengthening of communities.  (see separate Network City attachment for more detail).

The new strategy introduces four core elements of a networked city being:

• Activity Centres – bring people together.  Most activity centres are on activity corridors and are well serviced by multi-nodal transport options.
• Networks – connect people and places.  Activity Corridors are those with excellent transport and many destinations.  Transport corridors are for through traffic, trucks and express buses and the high frequency movement of goods and people.
• Communities- have a sense of place through belonging.  The older areas have many opportunities to strengthen networks and centres; the middle and newer areas provide opportunities for consolidation in activity centres and corridors.
• Natural Environment – sustains the city and large areas will be protected for rural, resources and bushland preservation.