Rush to beat planning change

The City resolved to lodge Amendment 32 with the State Government after identifying several issues with the State’s 2010 residential design code reform.

Under current rules, multiple dwellings can be approved on land zoned R40 and above, meaning up to 250,000 more dwellings are possible in suburban areas of Stirling.

Amendment 32 to local planning scheme 3 would prohibit multiple dwellings on land zoned below R60.

City of Stirling Mayor Giovanni Italiano said the amendment had been with the Planning Minister since last year.

‘It’s been gone about nine months and we thought it was going to be about three months; we’ve been waiting a long time to hear and, of course, people are wanting to know when it’s going to happen,’ he said.

Cr Italiano said he had seen a push from developers who had invested in land coded below R60 to receive approval for high-density housing before the amendment was enacted.

‘There are people who have bought to build multiple dwellings on an R40-zoned site because it’s quite attractive in dollar terms,’ he said.

City of Stirling planning and development director Ross Povey said the City would be forced to assess multiple dwellings on land below R60 against the current policy that permits them.

‘Any application that is before us has to be assessed on the current statutory frameworks, so until the minister has made a decision on the amendment, the council has to deal with those applications with the policy we have in front of us,’ Mr Povey said.

‘We’re trying to concentrate these multiple dwellings along main activity corridors or in our major centres.

‘Obviously we have lots of other areas that are coded R40 so we’re trying to make sure that the appropriate development happens in the right places.’

Mr Day said increased density was required across Perth, with 35,350 dwellings identified as a suitable target for Stirling by 2031.

‘All local government areas must do their bit to accommodate this growth in a manner which limits urban sprawl,’ Mr Day said.