Review of Local Planning Scheme 6

Local planning schemes set out the zoning of land, permissible land uses, the scale of development and other important information relating to building and development standards across the City of Melville  (the City). It forms the basis for all planning decisions made by the City.

The Planning and Development (Local Planning Schemes) Regulations 2015 require all local governments to review their Local Planning Schemes every five years.

The City’s LPS6 was adopted in 2016 and is now due for review.
The aim of the review is to ensure the local planning framework continues to reflect community needs and adequately aligns with the state planning framework (metropolitan planning strategies and policies).

The LPS6 Scheme review has limited impact on the areas currently subject to a Structure Plan (e.g. Canning Bridge), which have their own development standards and are reviewed independently of the Scheme.

Almost every property/lot/block of land in the City has a density code (also known as an R-Code) in LPS6. The R-Code determines the density, form and scale of development that can occur on a property.

By using the mapping tool above you can find out if your property’s R-Code are being proposed to change. You can also use this tool to look at any other areas in the City that may be of interest to you. 

For more information, please follow the link to the Residential Design Codes (R-Codes) Fact Sheet.

It is expected that the LPS6 review will take several years to finalise. The extent of the proposed changes generally determines the total timeframe for a scheme review. The more extensive/complex the changes, the longer the review will likely take.

The Planning Minister is the final decision maker. The City of Melville Council will provide their recommendation to the WAPC for their consideration. WAPC will review and provide their recommendation to the Planning Minister.

The Deemed Provisions within the Planning and Development (Local Planning Schemes) Regulations 2015 apply to all local planning schemes. All local planning schemes are to be in accordance with the Model Provisions within the Regulations. The Model Provisions, including any necessary local variations to those provisions approved by the Minister, will be incorporated in Local Planning Schemes over time as the opportunity arises, via the scheme amendment process.

The review approach was determined through a process called the Report of Review (RAR). This ‘health check’ was conducted in 2021, and included  community consultation, to determine whether LPS6 and the Local Planning Strategy required updating or replacing, or remained acceptable in their current form.

The Report of Review endorsed by Council, and supported by the WAPC concluded that:

1. LPS6 would benefit from a formal review process. The review would enable us to respond to changing circumstances since Gazettal, including changes the community, in state planning and local planning frameworks, and other stakeholder needs, priorities and expectations.
2. The high-level approach of the Local Planning Strategy, to focus required growth in strategic centres and corridors, remains sound. Accordingly, the LPS 6 review may commence prior review of the Local Planning Strategy.
3. Existing structure plans are operating satisfactorily and include opportunity for review and enhancement as required. In these circumstances, the linking of a requirement to review structure plans to the LPS6 review is not required.

Based on the Report of Review conclusions, we considered a variety of concepts to be investigated as part of the LPS6 review process. Grouping these ideas together, six topics were defined and captured initiatives that may be pursued. 

The City is not proposing to change the densities in the area around the Murdoch and Bull Creek train stations as part of the local planning scheme review.  

Instead the City is planning on developing Station Precinct Plans as per State Planning Policy 7.2- Precinct Design Guidelines. 

A Station Precinct Plan will consider how to improve active transport and vehicular connections, and how to coordinate development around the stations, ensuring that land use, transportation infrastructure, and community amenities are strategically planned and integrated. 

The City will also need to work closely with state agencies like Main Roads WA and the Department of Planning to ensure sustainable development outcomes and ideally contributes towards any infrastructure improvements that are required.

The Station Precinct planning work will likely begin once the scheme review is finished.

1. Informed the community that the review was being undertaken, and sought community input to develop key themes to be explored in future phases of the review. This is now complete.
2. Six focus areas were developed and the community were invited to provide their feedback, and identify additional areas for potential investigation. This is now complete.
3. Community was invited to view the proposed density and zoning changes, and provide their feedback through a survey submission. In person appointments to discuss the proposed changes were also offered.  This is now complete.
4. A formal submission process will take place on the final draft. Community will be invited to share their level of support prior to seeking a council resolution. Final stage.

1. Climate Response and Sustainability - LPS6 can be an effective tool for the City to set development standards to help tackle climate change and ensure new development occurs in a sensitive, sustainable way. Ideas being considered under this heading include mechanisms to protect more trees, incentivise people to build more sustainable houses, and the introduction of new, minimum ‘green’ standards for non-residential developments.
2. Residential Density - Both the City’s Local Planning Strategy and Local Housing Strategy promote a residential infill model based on consolidating residential density around activity centres and along transport corridors. Promoting higher density housing in these areas encourages more sustainable transport, economic and social vibrancy, and a smaller environmental footprint per dwelling, compared to traditional suburban alternatives. Melville is endeavouring to meet housing targets set for the City by the State Government, to accommodate population growth over the next decade and beyond. Accordingly, opportunities for suitable residential infill need to be considered as part of the LPS6 review. The City plans to investigate opportunities to offer a modest increase in residential density to people who, as part of their development, meet certain environmental or social outcomes. This could be a more sustainable house, building affordable housing or safeguarding a heritage property.
3. Administrative Responses - Since LPS6 was gazetted in 2016, there have been changes to both the State Planning Framework and the City of Melville’s strategic framework, which have implications for the currency of LPS6. For example, the State Government has been implementing reforms, including a suite of new state planning policies and amendment of the Planning and Development (Local Planning Scheme) Regulations 2015. The City’s own strategic framework has also advanced with the preparation of the following plans: Public Spaces Strategy (2017), Urban Forest Strategic Plan (2017), Local Housing Strategy (2018), Local Heritage Survey (2019), and Strategic Community Plan (2020). LPS6 must be amended to align with changes to the overarching State Planning Framework and emerging community needs identified in the City’s broader strategic framework.
4. Place and Economic Development - Another focus area for the LPS6 review is to investigate aspects that could be incorporated into LPS6 that are designed to promote public space vibrancy and activation. This includes thinking about how people access public spaces, their level of comfort when navigating these spaces, and their level of engagement with such spaces. These sorts of provisions in LPS6 could help develop what is known as a ‘place planning’ or a ‘place-led’ approach. Not unrelated to place planning, is economic development. The City aspires to be a place that not only attracts a diverse range of businesses, but also allows these businesses to thrive. High-level concepts to promote economic development can potentially be incorporated into LPS6 to support small business, promote tourism and modernise our centres to attract further businesses and investment. Specific concepts to be considered include: Reviewing LPS6 aims and rewording/removing complicated or prescriptive content, anticipating future business attraction and ensuring LPS6 is ready to account for these industries, improving flexibility for small businesses (e.g. expanded home business opportunities). 
5. Land Uses and Zoning - Zoning is used in LPS6 to manage both land uses (e.g. office, shop, warehouse) and development form (e.g. heights and setbacks). Grouping compatible uses and separating others is necessary to make businesses sustainable, ensure public safety and to facilitate social cohesion. Almost all land is assigned to a zone under LPS6, with each zone permitting certain land uses and development standards. Each zone also has defined objectives, which help guide the determination of applications for uses and development. The division of land into these zones, and the land uses permissible within each, requires regular review to determine whether the boundaries and uses continue to support the goals established in the Local Planning Strategy. Reviewing LPS6 includes consideration of where the boundaries of each zone should be, whether the mix of acceptable land uses in each zone is working, and whether the development standards produce the expected quality of developments.
6. Community Growth - The LPS6 review offers the City a chance to do more to advocate and facilitate for disadvantaged and vulnerable members of the community. Concepts to be explored include providing, or working with other providers, to achieve certain housing outcomes (e.g. aged care, affordable housing, student accommodation), as well as access to critical services and employment. Whilst not necessarily vulnerable or disadvantaged, people who create or promote art and culture can be at an economic disadvantage when it comes to finding spaces to establish and remain economically sustainable. The City seeks to be an organisation where art is cultivated, culture is celebrated, and through events and education, the community is engaged.  Helping to do this includes giving these groups/individuals opportunities to find spaces to get established, and/or exhibit their art for the benefit of the broader community. It’s possible that LPS6 could support such endeavours.

1. Invitation to participate: The community and stakeholders are invited to provide their input on various proposals.
2. Submission consideration: All received submissions are reviewed and considered as part of the assessment process. However, these submissions do not obligate the City or Council to follow the suggestions or opinions provided.
3. Anonymity and public reporting: When the City compiles and reports on the submissions, personal details such as names, addresses, and other identifiable information are removed unless the submitter has expressly agreed to share this information.

• Direct letters to affected ratepayers
• Direct emails with Melville Sounding Board and a community random sample
• eNews publication
• Social media
• Melville City Herald and PerthNow
• Flyers
• YouTube video
• City of Melville email signature
• City of Melville website.

1. Search for your property on the map above and review if there are potential changes. If there is a suggested change, click on the fact sheet link in the map side bar for more information.
2. Complete the online feedback form. This allows for targeted feedback about specific aspects of the review and you can also provide general feedback.

The original published Engagement Snapshot reflected a higher number of submissions, which has since been revised to more accurately reflect valid responses.
The final number was much lower due to the City reviewing and cleaning up the data, including:

• Removing duplicate submissions (i.e., multiple submissions from the same person),
• Combining multiple submissions from the same person (i.e., updated or different submissions), and
• Removing blank or incomplete submissions (i.e., those with no information or insufficient details provided).

It’s important to note that incomplete submissions with at least one comment about the proposed changes were still included.

As a result, while the final number was lower, it more accurately reflects the valid responses received.

Even though the City is still exploring the impacts of the proposed changes, there’s a benefit in inviting community input early in the process.   

The feedback can guide where we deploy our resources to ensure we’ve appropriately considered and responded to the issues that have been identified.   

Further reporting on the engagement results will provide additional breakdown on the content and sentiment of submissions. This will occur as part of the future reporting to Council on the various proposed changes to the scheme.   

Reporting on the feedback received is not as simple as presenting a tally of comments for and against.  Many submissions raise multiple ideas/issues, with separate comment on each. Also, submissions expressing opposition to a proposal may be either opposing, for example, an increase in residential density or opposing the change as they have a preference for a higher increase.