This WA parliamentary question seeks clarification on the state government's policy regarding the 10% public open space requirement in new developments. The answer outlines the policy, its origins in the Stephenson-Hepburn plan, and its continued validity.

AnsweredQoN 604Legislative Council
Asked
16 August 2007
Portfolio
Planning and Infrastructure

QuestionView source ↗

PUBLIC OPEN SPACE - 10 PER CENT RULE
What is the state government’s policy or guideline for what has been known for years as the 10 per cent rule; namely, that 10 per cent of any development should be retained as public open space? Hon ADELE FARINA

AnswerView source ↗

I thank the member for some notice of this question. The Western Australian Planning Commission’s “Policy No. DC 2.3: Public Open Space in Residential Area” sets out the state government policy on open space. The commission’s normal requirement in residential areas is that, where practicable, 10 per cent of the gross subdivisible area be given up free of cost by the subdivider and vested in the Crown under the provisions of section 152 of the Planning and Development Act 2005 as a reserve for recreation. When determining the gross subdivisible area, the commission deducts any land that is surveyed for schools, major regional roads, pubic utility sites, municipal-use sites or, at its discretion, any other non-residential use site. The 10 per cent requirement is derived from the recommendations contained in the Stephenson-Hepburn plan. That report states that for most areas, a standard of 3.36 hectares per 1 000 population, excluding school playing fields, is recommended as sufficient for open space. On the basis of the uniform density of 30 persons per hectare, a standard contribution of 10 per cent of the gross residential area for public open space has been applied since 1956. This requirement remains valid as gross residential densities have remained much the same since that time with smaller lot sizes being offset by declining household occupancies.
Hon ADELE FARINA replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. The Western Australian Planning Commission’s “Policy No. DC 2.3: Public Open Space in Residential Area” sets out the state government policy on open space. The commission’s normal requirement in residential areas is that, where practicable, 10 per cent of the gross subdivisible area be given up free of cost by the subdivider and vested in the Crown under the provisions of section 152 of the Planning and Development Act 2005 as a reserve for recreation. When determining the gross subdivisible area, the commission deducts any land that is surveyed for schools, major regional roads, pubic utility sites, municipal-use sites or, at its discretion, any other non-residential use site. The 10 per cent requirement is derived from the recommendations contained in the Stephenson-Hepburn plan. That report states that for most areas, a standard of 3.36 hectares per 1 000 population, excluding school playing fields, is recommended as sufficient for open space. On the basis of the uniform density of 30 persons per hectare, a standard contribution of 10 per cent of the gross residential area for public open space has been applied since 1956. This requirement remains valid as gross residential densities have remained much the same since that time with smaller lot sizes being offset by declining household occupancies.
I thank the member for some notice of this question. The Western Australian Planning Commission’s “Policy No. DC 2.3: Public Open Space in Residential Area” sets out the state government policy on open space. The commission’s normal requirement in residential areas is that, where practicable, 10 per cent of the gross subdivisible area be given up free of cost by the subdivider and vested in the Crown under the provisions of section 152 of the Planning and Development Act 2005 as a reserve for recreation. When determining the gross subdivisible area, the commission deducts any land that is surveyed for schools, major regional roads, pubic utility sites, municipal-use sites or, at its discretion, any other non-residential use site. The 10 per cent requirement is derived from the recommendations contained in the Stephenson-Hepburn plan. That report states that for most areas, a standard of 3.36 hectares per 1 000 population, excluding school playing fields, is recommended as sufficient for open space. On the basis of the uniform density of 30 persons per hectare, a standard contribution of 10 per cent of the gross residential area for public open space has been applied since 1956. This requirement remains valid as gross residential densities have remained much the same since that time with smaller lot sizes being offset by declining household occupancies.
The Western Australian Planning Commission’s “Policy No. DC 2.3: Public Open Space in Residential Area” sets out the state government policy on open space. The commission’s normal requirement in residential areas is that, where practicable, 10 per cent of the gross subdivisible area be given up free of cost by the subdivider and vested in the Crown under the provisions of section 152 of the Planning and Development Act 2005 as a reserve for recreation. When determining the gross subdivisible area, the commission deducts any land that is surveyed for schools, major regional roads, pubic utility sites, municipal-use sites or, at its discretion, any other non-residential use site. The 10 per cent requirement is derived from the recommendations contained in the Stephenson-Hepburn plan. That report states that for most areas, a standard of 3.36 hectares per 1 000 population, excluding school playing fields, is recommended as sufficient for open space. On the basis of the uniform density of 30 persons per hectare, a standard contribution of 10 per cent of the gross residential area for public open space has been applied since 1956. This requirement remains valid as gross residential densities have remained much the same since that time with smaller lot sizes being offset by declining household occupancies.
The 10 per cent requirement is derived from the recommendations contained in the Stephenson-Hepburn plan. That report states that for most areas, a standard of 3.36 hectares per 1 000 population, excluding school playing fields, is recommended as sufficient for open space. On the basis of the uniform density of 30 persons per hectare, a standard contribution of 10 per cent of the gross residential area for public open space has been applied since 1956. This requirement remains valid as gross residential densities have remained much the same since that time with smaller lot sizes being offset by declining household occupancies.

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