❓ Minister updates on efforts to streamline planning for increased housing supply, focusing on station precinct development and criticising the opposition's lack of housing policy. Announcement of 10 station precincts to consolidate planning control.
AnsweredQoN 640Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
Housing supply
640. Mr Dave Kelly to
the Minister for Planning and Lands:
I refer to the Cook
Labor government's commitment to ensuring that every Western Australian has a
home. Can the minister update the house on the Cook Labor government's ongoing
efforts to streamline and simplify the planning system to boost housing supply
in Western Australia?
640. Mr Dave Kelly to
the Minister for Planning and Lands:
I refer to the Cook
Labor government's commitment to ensuring that every Western Australian has a
home. Can the minister update the house on the Cook Labor government's ongoing
efforts to streamline and simplify the planning system to boost housing supply
in Western Australia?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member
for his question and his advocacy for social and affordable housing in
Bassendean. Over the weekend, our government made another signature planning
announcement through the creation of Western Australia's first 10 station
precincts to consolidate planning. By that, the state, through the Western
Australian Planning Commission, will take planning control, will set the zoning
and the height, and will ensure that there is consistency in the planning
framework across the 10 stations. Of course, this is all about enabling more
medium to high density so that young people or downsizers who live in a
neighbourhood have the choice potentially to live there.
I will give members
an example. In the Swanbourne area—this is where efficiencies will be
created—three local governments govern that station. Two of those local
planning schemes are more than a decade old and one scheme, which is the Town
of Claremont's, is 26 years old. Within that 800-metre radius, there are plenty
of R20 homes. Up to 800 metres, we will develop coherent schemes that look at
the opportunities to create medium-density and high-density projects. I want to
note that there has been overwhelmingly positive feedback from the Planning
Institute of Western Australia and the Urban Development Institute of Australia,
which recognises the need for transit-oriented development. The Property
Council of Australia said that the private sector is out there ready and
waiting to deliver homes in these locations. Damian Collins, the former Real
Estate Institute of Western Australia president, was on the ABC yesterday
endorsing this approach. Trent Fleskens, who is seen as an industry leader,
said, according to my notes:
They can't make
industry develop these apartments, but bloody hell, he's done a fantastic job
of pragmatically thinking about where apartments should be. There's zero
downside to his plan for apartments near train stations.
In fact, he went on
to say:
One downside is why
is there not other train stations?
I want to say to
Trent that more train stations will be coming. This is a big job. It is a
rolling program. It will be progressed. There will be consultation but we do
have big aspirations.
I note the other
side of politics. We have heard some incredibly puerile questions coming from
Hon Neil Thomson on this program. He is not only the shadow Minister for
Planning and Lands but also Chair of the Select Committee into Land Development
and Planning in Western Australia. He does not seem to understand the basics of
zoning, how it works or how land development works. It is actually no surprise
because what we have seen under the leadership of the Liberal leader is that
the other side has now vacated housing and planning policy. It has completely
vacated the space. There are no policies and there are no positions. The
opposition is isolated. It cannot even set a social housing target. We have one
side of politics now on which absolutely nothing is being said about housing or
planning other than, occasionally, to attack the integrity of the planning
system or to join NIMBYs to oppose much-needed medium and high-density housing.
No wonder, when we look at the Liberal leader's credentials of shutting down a
women's shelter.
for his question and his advocacy for social and affordable housing in
Bassendean. Over the weekend, our government made another signature planning
announcement through the creation of Western Australia's first 10 station
precincts to consolidate planning. By that, the state, through the Western
Australian Planning Commission, will take planning control, will set the zoning
and the height, and will ensure that there is consistency in the planning
framework across the 10 stations. Of course, this is all about enabling more
medium to high density so that young people or downsizers who live in a
neighbourhood have the choice potentially to live there.
I will give members
an example. In the Swanbourne area—this is where efficiencies will be
created—three local governments govern that station. Two of those local
planning schemes are more than a decade old and one scheme, which is the Town
of Claremont's, is 26 years old. Within that 800-metre radius, there are plenty
of R20 homes. Up to 800 metres, we will develop coherent schemes that look at
the opportunities to create medium-density and high-density projects. I want to
note that there has been overwhelmingly positive feedback from the Planning
Institute of Western Australia and the Urban Development Institute of Australia,
which recognises the need for transit-oriented development. The Property
Council of Australia said that the private sector is out there ready and
waiting to deliver homes in these locations. Damian Collins, the former Real
Estate Institute of Western Australia president, was on the ABC yesterday
endorsing this approach. Trent Fleskens, who is seen as an industry leader,
said, according to my notes:
They can't make
industry develop these apartments, but bloody hell, he's done a fantastic job
of pragmatically thinking about where apartments should be. There's zero
downside to his plan for apartments near train stations.
In fact, he went on
to say:
One downside is why
is there not other train stations?
I want to say to
Trent that more train stations will be coming. This is a big job. It is a
rolling program. It will be progressed. There will be consultation but we do
have big aspirations.
I note the other
side of politics. We have heard some incredibly puerile questions coming from
Hon Neil Thomson on this program. He is not only the shadow Minister for
Planning and Lands but also Chair of the Select Committee into Land Development
and Planning in Western Australia. He does not seem to understand the basics of
zoning, how it works or how land development works. It is actually no surprise
because what we have seen under the leadership of the Liberal leader is that
the other side has now vacated housing and planning policy. It has completely
vacated the space. There are no policies and there are no positions. The
opposition is isolated. It cannot even set a social housing target. We have one
side of politics now on which absolutely nothing is being said about housing or
planning other than, occasionally, to attack the integrity of the planning
system or to join NIMBYs to oppose much-needed medium and high-density housing.
No wonder, when we look at the Liberal leader's credentials of shutting down a
women's shelter.
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