Urban planning

A Local Planning Strategy is essentially a ‘road map’ of the future growth directions for the City. It guides future decisions in relation to rezoning, residential density changes and funding for future services and infrastructure.

The City of Stirling's Local Planning Strategy was endorsed by the Western Australian Planning Commission on 28 October 2019. It provides the strategic basis for current and future local planning schemes, as well as guide and manage future development in the City. It is a statutory document and provides a link between state and regional strategic planning policies and local interests.

If future development within the City isn't suitably planned, population growth and increased commercial opportunities could have a detrimental impact on the City and its residents. The Local Planning Strategy provides guidance and direction to ensure coordinated and responsive land use planning across the City and to capitalise on potential growth opportunities.

Copies of the City's Local Planning Strategy can be viewed by selecting one of the links below:

Local Planning Strategy - Part One

Local Planning Strategy - Part Two

A Local Planning Scheme is a statutory document that sets out zonings and other classifications over land and provides rules and requirements that control land use and development in the City. It also sets out the processes that must be followed to obtain planning approvals.

The City's Local Planning Strategy guides the zoning and regulations in the Local Planning Scheme.

Local Planning Scheme No. 3 controls the development and use of land across the City of Stirling (with the exception of the land within the Scarborough redevelopment area). The formal Scheme documents comprise of the Scheme Text and Scheme Maps and must be read in conjunction with the Local Planning Scheme No. 3 - Policy Manual.

Planning and Development (Local Planning Scheme) Regulations 2015

The Planning and Development (Local Planning Scheme) Regulations 2015 were gazetted on 25 August 2015 and took effect on 19 October 2015.

The Regulations include the Deemed Provisions (Schedule 2) which automatically apply to all local planning schemes in Western Australia; and therefore override numerous provisions of the City's Local Planning Scheme No. 3; Schedule 2 of the Regulations is therefore to be read in conjunction with Local Planning Scheme No.3 and prevails in the case of any inconsistencies.

For more information, please visit the Western Australian Planning Commission website.

The City over the 2016/17 and 2017/18 financial years undertook a detailed review of the City’s Local Planning Scheme No. 3 (LPS3). This review was required in order to satisfy the requirements of Part 6 of the Planning and Development (Local Planning Schemes) Regulations 2015, which requires a scheme to be reviewed every five years.

The Scheme Review Report concluded that in the time that LPS3 has been operating, there have been significant changes to State Government policy and legislation that impacts on the operation of the Scheme. Furthermore, analysis of the performance of LPS3 demonstrated that it was not delivering on all of its objectives. Given the extent of changes required to ensure that LPS3 can deliver on its aims and objectives, the Scheme Review Report recommended that it be repealed and replaced with a new Scheme.

The Scheme Review Report was presented to Council at its meeting on 17 April 2018 where it resolved to approve the report recommendations and forward the report to the Western Australian Planning Commission (Council Resolution 0418/019 refers). The Scheme Review Report was subsequently forward to the Western Australian Planning Commission on 2 May 2018.

On 16 January 2019 the Western Australian Planning Commission (WAPC) wrote to the City advising that it had considered the report on the review of Local Planning Scheme No. 3, and advised that it agreed with the recommendations of the report that a new local planning scheme be prepared.

The City intends to commence the preparation of the new draft scheme, Local Planning Scheme No. 4, in the 2019/20 financial year. Subject to ongoing funding being provided, the preparation of the new draft scheme is expected to take 3 – 4 years, following which the process of WAPC consent to advertise, advertising and WAPC decision will be undertaken.

Pursuant to Regulation 67(2) of the Planning and Development (Local Planning Schemes) Regulations 2015, the documents below are hereby provided for public viewing. Hard copies of these documents are also available for viewing at the City’s Main Administration Building.

• Western Australian Planning Commission Decision on Review on Local Planning Scheme No.3
• Scheme Review Report on Local Planning Scheme No.3
• Appendix One - Background Analysis
• Appendix Two - Performance Criteria Analysis
• Appendix Three - Options Development and Scoping Paper.