Local Planning Scheme FAQs

1. What is the Local Planning Scheme? 

Local Planning Schemes are the principal statutory tool for implementing the local planning strategy and achieving the local government's aims and objectives with respect to the development of its local area. Town Planning Schemes principally deal with land use, development control and infrastructure coordination. Town Planning Schemes also have strategic intent and incorporate broad environmental, social and economic goals.

2. What is its aim?

1.6.1    The general aims of the Scheme are to maintain and improve the quality of life and services for the residents and ratepayers of the City of Melville. With regard to available options for development and conservation, the Scheme is the primary statutory instrument for coordinating and controlling land use, as well as implementing the socio-economic and environmental policies of the Council.

1.6.2    The specific aims of the Scheme in relation to the various aspects of the City and its development are —

(a)    Development and Population
(i)            To enhance the character and amenity of existing residential areas;
(ii)           To promote a high standard of residential development and greater housing choice;
(iii)          To integrate planning for land use and transport to achieve sustainable urban development;
(iv)          To accommodate a sustainable and diverse mix of people, cultures, ages and lifestyles.

(b)    Environment and Heritage
(i)             To ensure urban form and development contribute to sustainability (economic, social and environmental), promote efficient resource use and minimisation of energy and waste;
(ii)            To protect significant natural landscapes and remnant vegetation;
(iii)           To protect and conserve Melville’s significant built heritage and Aboriginal cultural heritage;
(iv)           To promote a safe, secure and healthy environment for the community.

(c)    Open Space and Recreation
(i)             To enhance existing public open space and extend such space in appropriate locations;
(ii)            To provide a variety of safe, natural and structured opportunities for recreation.

(d)    Economy
(i)             To nurture existing and encourage new and diverse industries and businesses to provide greater local economic stability and a range of employment opportunities;
(ii)            To encourage a variety of both retail convenience and comparison centres and office developments in appropriate locations across the city;
(iii)          To encourage the Melville City Centre to grow and evolve into a centre with a multitude of high order commercial, office, civic and entertainment land uses and activities servicing the municipality and the region;
(iv)          To develop diverse and attractive local centres that provide a community focus for neighbourhood areas.

(e)    Community
(i)             To ensure the community has access to an adequate range of services and facilities to meet their needs;
(ii)            To ensure development promotes a sense of community and encourages participation in community life;
(iii)          To ensure all development complements and contributes to the community’s desired identity and character;
(iv)          To facilitate and encourage effective public involvement in issues of significance to the character, amenity and environmental attributes of the City.

(f)    Transport and Infrastructure
(i)             To promote management of regional traffic that contributes positively to the community and landscape and minimises the impact of regional traffic movements;
(ii)            To encourage the reduction in reliance on, and impact of, private motor vehicle usage;
(iii)           To reduce the demand for, and balance the provision of, parking in commercial centres and encourage use of public transport;
(iv)           To promote and enhance the pedestrian and cycling transport modes;
(v)            To achieve an efficient and equitable relationship between land uses and available utility services;
(vi)            To promote a high level of amenity and environmental quality in the supply of required utility services;
(vii)           To promote the compatible use of land surrounding essential infrastructure;
(viii)          To promote sustainable transport options.
  

3. How does the Local Planning Scheme tie in with Directions 2031 and Beyond ? 

Directions 2031and Beyond is a strategic plan for the Metropolitan Area and Peel. The Central Metropolitan Perth sub regional strategy deals with the City of Melville and its neighbouring authorities. This strategy provides a more detailed plan for the next 20 years. The Local Planning Strategy responds to these and other regional strategies to guide the direction of planning for the City. 

The Local Planning Scheme looks at the next five to 10 years and provides a framework to reach the aims, goals and targets of the strategies. As an example Directions 2031 and Beyond suggests a target, within the City of Melville by 2031, of 11,000 new dwellings around activity centres and along transport corridors. The Local Planning Scheme No. 6 proposes an extra 2,500 dwellings over the next five to10 years. There are also other opportunities for development in nominated strategic development areas which recognise there is more planning needed to ensure that planned and orderly growth occurs.

 4. What has changed from the current scheme? 

Most of the changes from the current Community Planning Scheme No. 5 to the proposed Local Planning Scheme No. 6 aim at bringing the Scheme in line with the WA Planning Commission’s Model Scheme Text. 
Some of the wider changes include:

• Removal of the planning precincts
• Zoning of local open space for some plots of land that have been developed as parks but not yet formally zoned as such in order to give more protection in the planning framework.
• Recognition of Strategic Development Areas to reflect areas where structure plans are being prepared.
• Areas previously coded Residential R17.5 when CPS No.5 was gazetted had the opportunity to develop lots over 1000sqm. This opportunity was lost when changes to the residential design codes were introduced. Most of these areas have had this opportunity reinstated by recoding them to R20. 
  

5. Why don’t we have precincts? 

When a review of the existing Scheme was undertaken it was considered that a lot of the conditions related to individual precincts were almost identical. This made the Scheme unnecessarily complicated. A precinct should be an area that is unique and requires planning and development guidelines that are different from other areas.  More efficient methods are proposed to deal with any minor differences between localities.
 

6. Why are we increasing densities? 

An increase in density around activity centres, transport nodes and corridors provides an opportunity to increase the diversity of housing within the City of Melville. This diversity better responds to changes in our community such as the increase in single and two person households across all age groups.  By increasing the density around activity centres and transport nodes it allows for smaller residential dwellings and mixed use developments to occur which may be more attractive to smaller households thus freeing up some of the larger homes for families. The diversity of housing also allows opportunities for our residents to age in place by moving out of larger homes that have become burdensome into smaller more manageable residences still within the same locality.
 

7. What are the R Codes? 

The Residential Design Codes or “R Codes” are a supplementary policy under the State Planning Framework and State Planning Policy. They provide the basis for controlling the design of residential development across Western Australia. The Codes, together with other State planning policies, also guide the assessment of residential subdivisions by the Western Australian Planning Commission. The Codes are recognised in the City’s Planning Scheme and are used to guide the assessment of proposals for residential development and in responding to applications for residential subdivision.
 

8. How long before the Local Planning Scheme is implemented? 

The process of preparation and implementation of a Local Planning Scheme involves many steps.. The current draft Scheme and associated Local Planning Strategy is the result of several years of consultation, research and testing. A final draft of the Scheme is now nearing completion and it is intended that it will be presented to Council in mid 2011 for consideration.  Once endorsed, the draft Scheme will be forwarded to the Western Australian Planning Commission for review.  Subject to the agreement of the Western Australian Planning Commission, the draft Scheme will then be advertised for public comment.  The results of the consultation period are then analysed and further refinements to the draft Scheme are considered.  Depending upon the extent of any modifications, there may be a further public consultation phase.  At the conclusion of this process the draft Scheme is considered for final adoption by the Council and forwarded to the Western Australian Planning Commission and the Minister for Planning for consideration of final approvals.

Dependent upon Western Australian Planning Commission’s review, It is anticipated that the public consultation phase may commence in late 2011.  A date for final approval is difficult to predict but may be towards the end of 2012.
 

9. Can I get involved? 

The public consultation phase will include opportunity for written submissions on the draft Scheme.  This phase will also include information sessions and community workshops were input will be encouraged.

10. How can I find out more? 

 Progress of the draft Scheme, in particular the rollout of the public consultation phase will be documented  in the local newspapers, via updates on our webpage and in the City’s eNews. If you have a special interest and would like to be advised by letter or email when the scheme is released for comment please register now by contacting the City of Melville on 1300 635 845.

For more information on town planning schemes in general you can visit the West Australian Planning Commission webpage.
 
Please click here to view other local planning schemes.