❓ The Minister for Planning updates the house on the second phase of Western Australian planning system reforms, focusing on streamlining building approvals and improving design outcomes for urban infill projects.
AnsweredQoN 529Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
DEPARTMENT
OF PLANNING — WESTERN AUSTRALIAN PLANNING SYSTEM
529. Mr J. NORBERGER to the
Minister for Planning:
Before I ask my question, I acknowledge the students from
South Bunbury Primary School who are in the gallery. On behalf of their local
member, the member for Bunbury, I welcome the students to Parliament. According
to the member for Bunbury, it is an excellent school. Welcome.
I am aware that the Minister for Planning today released the
second phase of reforms of the Western Australian planning system. Can the
minister please update the house on what this will mean for people building new
homes and those undertaking renovations and improvements to established homes?
OF PLANNING — WESTERN AUSTRALIAN PLANNING SYSTEM
529. Mr J. NORBERGER to the
Minister for Planning:
Before I ask my question, I acknowledge the students from
South Bunbury Primary School who are in the gallery. On behalf of their local
member, the member for Bunbury, I welcome the students to Parliament. According
to the member for Bunbury, it is an excellent school. Welcome.
I am aware that the Minister for Planning today released the
second phase of reforms of the Western Australian planning system. Can the
minister please update the house on what this will mean for people building new
homes and those undertaking renovations and improvements to established homes?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for the question. I am sure that all
members agree that having a planning and land use approvals system in Western
Australia that is contemporary and ensures timely decision-making is essential
to deal with the population growth pressures and the economic growth occurring
in Western Australia. This issue has been a key priority of the government,
particularly in the planning portfolio, since we were first elected in 2008.
Substantial changes were made in phase 1 of planning reform three or four years
ago, including legislative change, which was obviously supported by the
Parliament, and established development assessment panels and ensured that
planning scheme amendments could be required to be initiated. Since the Liberal–National
government was re-elected early last year, we have undertaken the second phase
of planning reform and a discussion paper was put out for public consultation.
Feedback came from the local government sector, the development sector, the
building industry and also the planning profession. Having had all of that
feedback, the government has now made decisions about which changes should be
made and where further reform should occur.
In relation to the member's question about individual
building approvals and people undertaking renovations such as adding second
storeys and so on, the particular change is that planning approval will not be
necessary if the planning approval currently required for developments by some
local governments—I think it is 11 across the metropolitan area—complies
with the R-codes, as they generally do. Of course, it will be necessary to get
a separate building licence, but removing the requirement for planning approval
will have the effect of reducing quite substantially the time needed to get an
approval and get on with the project in those cases.
A whole range of significant changes are being put in place,
including our intention to reduce the time required for the advertising of both
regional and local planning scheme amendments. Given modern communications such
as the use of the internet and so on, we do not think the current time frames
need to be as long as they are, and that will be changed. The ability to
undertake local and regional planning scheme amendments concurrently will also
be put in place, and that will generally be the default process. We will make
changes to the structured planning approval process so that final approval will
rest with the WA Planning Commission. Local governments will continue to have a
substantial role to consult with their local communities and to make input into
the development of structure plans but the decisions will ultimately be made by
the Planning Commission rather than the dual approvals process that largely
exists at the moment.
The thresholds for use of development assessment panels will
also change. We are lowering the minimum threshold from $3 million to $2 million
so that people have the option of using assessment panels at that lower level
if they wish to, but they will also have the option of opting out of the panel
process for up to $10 million or, in the case of the City of Perth, $20 million.
If people have confidence in the local government's approvals process,
there will be a greater range in which they can stay with their current system
or they can choose to go to the development assessment system.
Although there are other changes, I will just mention that we
will have a greater focus on ensuring high quality design outcomes for higher
density urban infill projects—multi�unit residential developments.
Given the increasing focus on this form of housing in the Perth metropolitan
area, it is essential that we ensure that there will be good design outcomes.
More detail is contained within the document that has been put out publicly
today, ''Planning makes it happen: phase two—Blueprint for
planning reform'', which is available on the Department of Planning's
website.
In conclusion, I commend all those officers in the Department
of Planning, members of the Planning Commission and also staff in my own office
who have put in a great deal of time and effort and contributed their expertise
in dealing with the detail of these reforms to ensure that what is put forward
is not only realistic but also significant in ensuring that we have a better
planning system in place.
members agree that having a planning and land use approvals system in Western
Australia that is contemporary and ensures timely decision-making is essential
to deal with the population growth pressures and the economic growth occurring
in Western Australia. This issue has been a key priority of the government,
particularly in the planning portfolio, since we were first elected in 2008.
Substantial changes were made in phase 1 of planning reform three or four years
ago, including legislative change, which was obviously supported by the
Parliament, and established development assessment panels and ensured that
planning scheme amendments could be required to be initiated. Since the Liberal–National
government was re-elected early last year, we have undertaken the second phase
of planning reform and a discussion paper was put out for public consultation.
Feedback came from the local government sector, the development sector, the
building industry and also the planning profession. Having had all of that
feedback, the government has now made decisions about which changes should be
made and where further reform should occur.
In relation to the member's question about individual
building approvals and people undertaking renovations such as adding second
storeys and so on, the particular change is that planning approval will not be
necessary if the planning approval currently required for developments by some
local governments—I think it is 11 across the metropolitan area—complies
with the R-codes, as they generally do. Of course, it will be necessary to get
a separate building licence, but removing the requirement for planning approval
will have the effect of reducing quite substantially the time needed to get an
approval and get on with the project in those cases.
A whole range of significant changes are being put in place,
including our intention to reduce the time required for the advertising of both
regional and local planning scheme amendments. Given modern communications such
as the use of the internet and so on, we do not think the current time frames
need to be as long as they are, and that will be changed. The ability to
undertake local and regional planning scheme amendments concurrently will also
be put in place, and that will generally be the default process. We will make
changes to the structured planning approval process so that final approval will
rest with the WA Planning Commission. Local governments will continue to have a
substantial role to consult with their local communities and to make input into
the development of structure plans but the decisions will ultimately be made by
the Planning Commission rather than the dual approvals process that largely
exists at the moment.
The thresholds for use of development assessment panels will
also change. We are lowering the minimum threshold from $3 million to $2 million
so that people have the option of using assessment panels at that lower level
if they wish to, but they will also have the option of opting out of the panel
process for up to $10 million or, in the case of the City of Perth, $20 million.
If people have confidence in the local government's approvals process,
there will be a greater range in which they can stay with their current system
or they can choose to go to the development assessment system.
Although there are other changes, I will just mention that we
will have a greater focus on ensuring high quality design outcomes for higher
density urban infill projects—multi�unit residential developments.
Given the increasing focus on this form of housing in the Perth metropolitan
area, it is essential that we ensure that there will be good design outcomes.
More detail is contained within the document that has been put out publicly
today, ''Planning makes it happen: phase two—Blueprint for
planning reform'', which is available on the Department of Planning's
website.
In conclusion, I commend all those officers in the Department
of Planning, members of the Planning Commission and also staff in my own office
who have put in a great deal of time and effort and contributed their expertise
in dealing with the detail of these reforms to ensure that what is put forward
is not only realistic but also significant in ensuring that we have a better
planning system in place.
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