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Planning documents

This page offers a comprehensive guide for planning permit approvals. It includes reporting statistics, links to pertinent legislation and documents, checklists, and information sheets for successful application submission. Additionally, it provides access to all necessary planning documents for building, developing, and business applications.​

Planning and building application forms

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Development in the City of Stirling is controlled by the following planning documents:

Planning policies

The following policies have been adopted by the City under the Local Planning Scheme No. 3 or the Local Government Act. 

The City will occasionally provide ‘working copies’ of local planning policies in addition to the adopted version. The ‘working copy’ will identify where a state planning instrument impacts on the operation of the local planning policy. The ‘working copies’ are intended to provide clarity. The City will occasionally provide ‘working copies’ of local planning policies in addition to the adopted version. The ‘working copy’ will identify where a state planning instrument impacts on the operation of the local planning policy. The ‘working copies’ are intended to provide clarity.

Document nameDownloadable files
2.3 Bed and Breakfast Accommodation331.7KB (PDF)
2.4 Home Office, Home Occupation and Home Business291.8KB (PDF)
2.5 Parking of Commercial Vehicles247.6KB (PDF)
3.1 Character Retention Guidelines Mount Lawley and Menora(PDF)
3.14 Talia Gardens Design Guidelines318.3KB (PDF)
3.1A Character Retention Guidelines Inglewood(PDF)
3.2 Civic Precinct Residential Design Guidelines338.6KB (PDF)
4.1 Reserves and Other Zones Design Guidelines252.9KB (PDF)
4.2 Mixed Use Design Guidelines356.0KB (PDF)
4.3 Industrial Design Guidelines588.4KB (PDF)
4.4 Mixed Business Design Guidelines292.9KB (PDF)
4.5 Private Institution Design Guidelines307.2KB (PDF)
5.3 Main Street Plaza Design Guidelines359.3KB (PDF)
5.7 Karrinyup Regional Centre Guidelines685.2KB (PDF)
5.8 Stirling City Centre Parking860.4KB (PDF)
5.9 Mirrabooka Town Centre Parking802.9KB (PDF)
6.1 Advertising Signs1.3MB (PDF)
6.10 Renewable Energy Systems (Adopted by Council)284.9KB (PDF)
6.10 Renewable Energy Systems (Working copy)(PDF)
6.11 Trees and Development (working copy)(PDF)
6.11 Trees and Development Guidelines293.2KB (PDF)
6.11 Trees and Development Policy (Adopted by Council)272.5KB (PDF)
6.12 Public Art on Private Land(PDF)
6.13 Markets - Exemption From Development Approval(PDF)
6.14 Footpath Trading and Activation(PDF)
6.15 Exemption from Requiring Development Approval(PDF)
6.16 Container Deposit Scheme Infrastructure(PDF)
6.18 Public Consultation(PDF)
6.3 Bin Storage Areas250.3KB (PDF)
6.4 Child Care Premises260.0KB (PDF)
6.5 Developments and Subdivisions Abutting Rights of Way382.5KB (PDF)
6.6 Landscaping (Adopted by Council)417.6KB (PDF)
6.6 Landscaping (working copy)(PDF)
6.7 Parking and Access1.6MB (PDF)
6.8 Satellite Dishes254.1KB (PDF)
6.9 Street Addressing331.3KB (PDF)

Local development plans

Local development plans are planning tools used to provide specific design provisions in comparison to those specified in the residential design codes (R-codes).

Document nameDownloadable files
Amana Living HN (11 Freedman Road, Menora)(PDF)
Angelico Street (HN10 Sabina Street Woodlands)1.8MB (PDF)
Beaufort Street14.0MB (PDF)
Bethanie on the Park (HN2 Plantation Street Menora)4.5MB (PDF)
Better Suburbs Neighbourhood Centres(PDF)
Carine Vision - Precinct A (HN2 Gemstone Boulevard Carine(PDF)
Carine Vision - Precinct B Lot 5 (HN 3 Gemstone Boulevard Carine)(PDF)
Carine Vision - Precinct B Lot 6 (HN 29 Silica Road Carine)(PDF)
Carine Vision - Precinct C (HN322 Marmion Avenue Carine)2.1MB (PDF)
Carine Vision - Precinct D (HN6 Gemstone Boulevard Carine)1.5MB (PDF)
Deviot Park (HN38 Old Balcatta Road Gwelup)725.4KB (PDF)
East Roselea Arise Precinct Local Development Plan(PDF)
East Roselea Centro Precinct Local Development Plan(PDF)
East Roselea Parkside Precinct Local Development Plan(PDF)
Elimatta Village (HN45 Alexander Drive Menora)3.5MB (PDF)
Herdsman Glendalough Local Development Plan(PDF)
HN2 Chieti Place and HN89 Gribble Road Gwelup836.0KB (PDF)
HN2 Erindale Road Gwelup1.3MB (PDF)
HN22 Dianella Drive Dianella3.7MB (PDF)
HN2B Rawlins Street Glendalough(PDF)
HN31 Gribble Road (HN30-HN40 Aachen Crescent Gwelup)(PDF)
Main Street DRAFT(PDF)
Main Street Plaza(PDF)
Maurice Zeffert Homes (HN 130 Cresswell Road, Dianella)(PDF)
Mirrabooka Town Centre Local Development Plan108.8MB (PDF)
Scarborough Beach Road West22.3MB (PDF)
Seven Hills (HN7 Gay Street and HN15 Osborne Road Dianella)13.9MB (PDF)
Siena Leadership Centre (HN33 Williamstown Road Doubleview)1.1MB (PDF)
Stirling City Centre - Innaloo Precinct11.3MB (PDF)
Stirling City Centre - Northern Precinct6.9MB (PDF)
Stirling City Centre - Osborne Park Precinct3.0MB (PDF)
Stirling City Centre - Southern Precinct8.1MB (PDF)
Stirling City Centre - Station Precinct6.1MB (PDF)
Stirling City Centre - Woodlands Precinct3.2MB (PDF)
The Village (HN2A Walter Road Inglewood)(PDF)
Thomas Mews Estate (HN459 and HN463 North Beach Road Gwelup)1.4MB (PDF)
Tuart Hill Local Centre1.9MB (PDF)
Walter Road West Neighbourhood Centre(PDF)

Structure Plans

Strategies

Design WA - Apartment codes

Introduction of Design WA and the apartment codes

On 24 May 2019, the State Government introduced the ‘Design WA’ initiative aimed at ensuring good design is at the centre of all development in Western Australia. 

The City encourages residents and ratepayers to have a say in the planning proposals that shape your neighbourhood and our City. This document provides an overview of the ‘Design WA’ initiative, and can be used by residents and ratepayers to comment on planning proposals for multiple dwellings (Apartments).

As part of this initiative, the following documents have come into effect:

  • State Planning Policy 7.0: Design of the Built Environment
  • State Planning Policy 7.3: Residential Design Codes Volume 2 - Apartments - the  ‘Apartment Codes’ replace Part 6 of the existing Residential Design Codes (R-Codes)
  • Design Review Guide.

These documents can be viewed on the Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage website.

In combination, these documents aim to improve the design outcomes of all forms of development by introducing 10 principles for good design against which development is to be assessed. These ‘Design Principles’ are:

1. Context and Character 6. Amenity
2. Landscape Quality   7. Legibility
3. Built Form and Scale 8. Safety
4. Functionality and Build Quality     9. Community
5. Sustainability10. Aesthetics

Design WA emphasises the importance of incorporating good design at an early stage in the development process and requires, in certain circumstances, that a ‘design statement’ be submitted. This principle is reflected in the Design Review Guide, which recommends the use of ‘Design Review Panels’, whose role is to provide independent, expert design advice on development proposals.

The introduction of Design WA fundamentally changes the way development applications that proposed ‘Apartments’ are assessed and advertised. The introduction of Design WA also means that some of the City’s planning requirements contained in Local Planning Policies and Local Development Plans have been overwritten by State Planning Policy 7.3: Residential Design Codes Volume 2 - Apartments.

To help residents and ratepayers understand the changes, and which requirements will be applied, we have prepared the following documents to make clear what requirements apply when designing an apartment development.

Will the City advertise applications for 'Apartment' developments?

The City encourages residents and ratepayers to have a say in the planning proposals that shape your neighbourhood and our City.  

Because the way that Apartments developments are to be assessed has changed, the City will advertise all of these applications. Previously the City only advertised a development application if a ‘performance based’ assessment was needed, which, in the opinion of the City, may have had an impact on the amenity of an adjoining property owner/s.

To help you understand the process of consultation, the City has prepared an information sheet titled ‘Consultation on Planning Proposals’. This document can be viewed on the City’s website and provides guidance for making a submission to a planning proposal.

We have also prepared the following document to help residents and ratepayers make comments to proposed Apartment development application.

The Apartment Codes contains more than 30 design elements, and each of these design elements has their own ‘intent’ and ‘element objective’ against which Apartment developments will be assessed. To assist you in writing your submission and ensuring your submission addresses the ‘element objectives’, all 30 design elements with the associated objectives are listed on the following document.

This will help you understand the factors against which a decision maker, being either the City of Stirling, the Western Australian Planning Commission, the Metro North-West Joint Development Assessment Panel, or the State Administrative Tribunal, will assess a development application for Apartments.

Apartment codes consultation form

What are the changes to how the City assess 'Apartment' developments?

Before the Apartment Codes came into effect, there were two avenues by which Apartments were assessed, the first being a ‘deemed-to-comply’ pathway (which means that if you met these deemed-to-comply requirements, your application ought to be approved because the R-Codes states that ‘the decision-maker shall not refuse to grant approval to an application where the application satisfies the deemed-to-comply provisions of the R-Codes’. The second pathway was that the City, through the assessment process, could undertake a ‘design principle’ assessment (which means that an applicant had to be able to demonstrate why their design was acceptable). 

The previous approach to Apartment developments meant that the R-Codes did not always deliver good design outcomes.

The new approach is a primarily a ‘performance based’ approach, where applications for Apartment developments need to demonstrate that the design of the development meets the objectives of each of the design elements of the Apartment Codes.

To assist applicants with their design, the Apartment Codes lists ‘Acceptable Outcomes’ which, if met, may mean that a design meets the objectives of the Apartment Codes. However, these are not a ‘deemed-to-comply’ pathway and the development proposals will be assessed in context of the entire Apartment building design to ensure the objectives of each of the design elements are achieved.

What is the role of the Design Review Panel in the assessment process?

Council introduced the City of Stirling Design Review Panel on 24 January 2019 before Design WA came into effect on 24 May 2019. The following types of development application may be referred to the Design Review Panel:

  • Development Applications valued at $2 million (with some exceptions)
  • Multiple Dwelling applications equal to or greater than 10 dwellings
  • Preliminary development proposals located within the City, where referred by the Manager Development Services.

The referral of development applications to the Design Review Panel, including requests for Pre Development Application advice, is at the discretion of the Manager Development Services. More information on how the Design Review Panel operates can be obtained by contacting the City’s Senior Development Engagement Officer on (08) 9205 8555.

Information sheets

Document nameDownloadable files
6.11 Trees and Development Guidelines293.2KB (PDF)
6.18 Public Consultation(PDF)
Accredited Fast-Track Applicants(PDF)
Ancillary Dwelling Information Sheet247.5KB (PDF)
Bushfire Prone Areas Information Sheet112.9KB (PDF)
Carports and Garages Information Sheet2.4MB (PDF)
City of Stirling Excavation Permit(PDF)
Consultation on Planning Proposals Information Sheet186.3KB (PDF)
Deemed to Comply Check Application Form - Grouped dwellings(PDF)
Deemed to Comply Check Information sheet - single house(PDF)
Development Assessment Panel Information Sheet2.1MB (PDF)
Development on Heritage Properties Information Sheet86.9KB (PDF)
Development Services Customer Service Agreement(PDF)
Dividing Fences Information Sheet(PDF)
Driveways, Crossovers and Driveway Tapers Information Sheet134.2KB (PDF)
External Fixtures Information Sheet - Single Houses and Grouped Dwellings(PDF)
Home Office, Occupation and Business Information Sheet244.5KB (PDF)
Local Development Plans - Summary Table Identifying Prevailing Apartment Code Provisions(PDF)
Local Planning Policies - Summary Table Identifying Prevailing Apartment Code Provisions(PDF)
LPS3 Scheme Amendment - Rezoning Information Sheet420.2KB (PDF)
Outbuildings Information Sheet156.6KB (PDF)
Patio Information Sheet877.6KB (PDF)
Renting My Property for Holiday Accommodation(PDF)
Residential Additions Information Sheet350.0KB (PDF)
Residential Subdivisions - Information Sheet279.6KB (PDF)
Retaining Walls Information Sheet210.8KB (PDF)
Right of Way Construction - Information Sheet345.6KB (PDF)
Single House Information Sheet461.2KB (PDF)
State Administrative Tribunal Information Sheet888.8KB (PDF)
Stirling Fast-Track (Development Applications) Information Guide(PDF)
Street Walls and Fences Information(PDF)
Subdivision Clearances - Information Sheet200.0KB (PDF)

Checklists

Scarborough Redevelopment Area

The following is a summary of the relevant planning legislation that provide a legislative framework for decision making on approvals issued by the City of Stirling:

For more information, please visit the Western Australian Legislation website.

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Verge permits

Verges play an important role in our streets by establishing an area for street trees, lawns and gardens. They also accomodate overhead and underground utilities such as power, water, gas and communications infrastructure.

If you're developing your property, a verge permit is required for all building or demolition work on the adjacent property.

Search the City's central hub for documents and publications
Click here