❓ Mr. Norberger asks how the government's planning reforms contribute to increased inner-city property sales. The Minister responds by highlighting the Directions 2031 framework, increased density, and land supply, suggesting the reforms are meeting demand.
AnsweredQoN 886Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
PLANNING
REFORM — PROPERTY SALES
886. Mr J. NORBERGER to the Minister for
Planning:
Recent media reports indicate that
there has been a strong increase in inner-city property sales activity. Can the
minister explain how the government's planning reform agenda is
contributing to this trend?
REFORM — PROPERTY SALES
886. Mr J. NORBERGER to the Minister for
Planning:
Recent media reports indicate that
there has been a strong increase in inner-city property sales activity. Can the
minister explain how the government's planning reform agenda is
contributing to this trend?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for the question.
As I think most members would be
aware, the Directions 2031 planning framework for the Perth metropolitan and
Peel regions indicates the need for a large proportion of residential development
to be provided through urban consolidation through urban infill projects and
less, therefore, from peripheral greenfield, otherwise known as urban sprawl,
developments. It also indicates the need for a higher average density of
residential housing. I am pleased to say that that is what is occurring, as
indicated in the ''Delivering Directions 2031 Report Card 2013'',
which has just been published by the Department of Planning. Some interesting
trends are referred to in that report card—for example, an increase in
average residential densities throughout the Perth and Peel regions,
particularly in identified activity centres such as Cockburn and Murdoch; a
decrease in average residential lot sizes, which naturally follows; an increase
in the amount of land zoned for industrial development closer to where people
are choosing to live, which is very important for employment generation, ; and
an increase in the use of public transport. These changes have been brought
about in part because of changing demand and changing requirements of the wider
community over the last few years, but also because of changes that the
government has put in place, including
the new multi-unit housing code and the changes to the residential design codes
that I have talked about previously, which facilitate this trend. These changes
ensure that local governments are able to work to increase the amount of higher
density infill developments in appropriate areas.
Another report that was also released last week was the Urban
Development Institute of Australia's urban development index, and for
the September quarter it indicated that although demand has increased
significantly over the previous two months, resulting in a decrease in
available land at that time, it is not a cause for major concern as more than
twice as many lots were on the market as there were during the land supply
crisis going back to 2006. It also indicated that developers have significantly
increased the number of lots coming onto the market over the past 12 months,
and in its forecasting for the next year the UDIA has predicted an increase in
the number of lots expected to be added to the market in Perth.
Although demand has certainly
increased, the supply of residential lots has also increased. That, as I said,
is expected to continue over the next 12 months. It is pleasing that the system
does appear to be meeting the demand generally and changing population needs,
and also the changing demographic needs in Perth, the Peel region and, indeed,
throughout Western Australia.
As I think most members would be
aware, the Directions 2031 planning framework for the Perth metropolitan and
Peel regions indicates the need for a large proportion of residential development
to be provided through urban consolidation through urban infill projects and
less, therefore, from peripheral greenfield, otherwise known as urban sprawl,
developments. It also indicates the need for a higher average density of
residential housing. I am pleased to say that that is what is occurring, as
indicated in the ''Delivering Directions 2031 Report Card 2013'',
which has just been published by the Department of Planning. Some interesting
trends are referred to in that report card—for example, an increase in
average residential densities throughout the Perth and Peel regions,
particularly in identified activity centres such as Cockburn and Murdoch; a
decrease in average residential lot sizes, which naturally follows; an increase
in the amount of land zoned for industrial development closer to where people
are choosing to live, which is very important for employment generation, ; and
an increase in the use of public transport. These changes have been brought
about in part because of changing demand and changing requirements of the wider
community over the last few years, but also because of changes that the
government has put in place, including
the new multi-unit housing code and the changes to the residential design codes
that I have talked about previously, which facilitate this trend. These changes
ensure that local governments are able to work to increase the amount of higher
density infill developments in appropriate areas.
Another report that was also released last week was the Urban
Development Institute of Australia's urban development index, and for
the September quarter it indicated that although demand has increased
significantly over the previous two months, resulting in a decrease in
available land at that time, it is not a cause for major concern as more than
twice as many lots were on the market as there were during the land supply
crisis going back to 2006. It also indicated that developers have significantly
increased the number of lots coming onto the market over the past 12 months,
and in its forecasting for the next year the UDIA has predicted an increase in
the number of lots expected to be added to the market in Perth.
Although demand has certainly
increased, the supply of residential lots has also increased. That, as I said,
is expected to continue over the next 12 months. It is pleasing that the system
does appear to be meeting the demand generally and changing population needs,
and also the changing demographic needs in Perth, the Peel region and, indeed,
throughout Western Australia.
Explore WA Government Data
Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.
Explore more
Government Gazette
Appointments, regulatory notices, planning changes.
Hansard
Debates, questions, speeches and sentiment.
Tabled Papers
Reports and documents tabled in Parliament.
Committees
Committee profiles and recent reports.
Regulations
Subsidiary legislation with filters and summaries.
Bills
Proposed laws and parliamentary progress.
Acts
Current WA legislation and summaries.
Explanatory Memoranda
Bills with EMs (text/PDF) available.
Members
MP profiles, party breakdown and rankings.
Pollie Rankings
Data-driven rankings across 19 categories.
Amendment Chains
Track how schemes and regulations evolve over time.