City of Stirling welcomes state planning push to cut red tape and unlock housing supply
The City of Stirling has welcomed plans to cut red tape and unlock housing supply through reforms to WA’s Residential Design Codes (R-Codes).
R-Codes – set by the WA Government and applied by local governments – are the planning and design rules that guide residential development across the state.
Planning and Lands Minister John Carey revealed the proposed reforms today, just over a year after he announced he had initiated a review of the codes.
The draft reforms are expected to be released for public consultation by the WA Government later this year and implemented from mid-2027.
City of Stirling Mayor Mark Irwin AM backed the intent of the changes – to reduce unnecessary complexity, accelerate approvals and deliver more infill housing.
“We support making the system easier to understand, faster to navigate and more responsive to the needs of our community,” Mayor Irwin said.
“This aligns with work the City has done in recent years to streamline our planning framework and provide greater clarity and consistency for residents and businesses.
“A clear and efficient planning system benefits everyone – from families looking to build a home to builders wanting more certainty and communities that need more housing.”
The proposed reforms would allow more Western Australians to subdivide their blocks by removing the requirement for average lot sizes in areas zoned R20 and below, meaning the minimum block size required for subdivision in R20 areas would be reduced from 900sqm to 700sqm.
They would also increase housing density in R40 areas by allowing three storeys instead of two, remove minimum parking requirements for apartments and granny flats, allow more simple residential projects to proceed without the need for planning approval and shorten assessment timeframes for others.
“On the surface, these reforms look like they strike a good balance between maintaining commonsense planning outcomes and delivering a much-needed boost in housing supply,” Mayor Irwin said.
“It’s important that we find solutions to WA’s housing shortage with our rate of population growth continuing to outstrip every other state and territory.
“We understand there will be concerns from some residents about how these changes might impact the liveability of their neighbourhoods, and it’s important to note that everyone will get a chance to have their say during consultation.
“We look forward to reviewing the draft reforms in detail and continuing to work closely on planning with the WA Government, industry and our community.”
