Scarborough normalisation passes Council

25 January 2023

The City of Stirling has submitted Scheme Amendment No. 124 to the Western Australian Planning Commission to enable transfer of planning control for the Scarborough Redevelopment Area back to the City.

DevelopmentWA, formerly the Metropolitan Redevelopment Authority, assumed planning control of the Redevelopment Area in July 2014 as part of the initiative to upgrade and revitalise the Scarborough foreshore area, a once-in-a-generation $100 million investment. State Government control of the area was always intended to be temporary.

At the 17 August 2021 Ordinary Meeting, Council considered options for the model of transferring planning control for the area to the City, a process known as normalisation. To ensure the community understood what would happen in the normalisation process, community engagement was undertaken in November 2021.

The normalisation process requires the City to introduce planning controls into its local planning scheme, and a Development Contribution Plan for the area. The ‘simple’ normalisation process was adopted, which involved incorporating the current redevelopment scheme into Local Planning Scheme No. 3 (LPS3) with minimal changes.

At its meeting on 5 April 2022, Council commenced the normalisation process by preparing Scheme Amendment No.124 and resolved that the amendment is advertised as a ‘complex amendment’ as it introduces a development contribution area with an associated development contribution plan for the Scarborough Redevelopment Area. The City sought public comment on this amendment and associated development contribution plan between 9 August 2022 and 7 October 2022.

Mayor Mark Irwin said that in recent years residents and the City have expressed concerns regarding developments approved with significant variations to the planning framework.

“While the City has previously expressed concerns with discretion around decision-making processes and in relation to height in the Scarborough Redevelopment Area, we hope the planning framework now coming back into the hands of the City will give the community their voice back in the development process.”

However, residents of Scarborough should know that the City may not be the decision-maker for large scale developments in the redevelopment area. In most instances the Metro Inner-North Joint Development Assessment Panel (DAP) may be the decision-maker, if required under the relevant DAP legislation.

Acting Director of Planning and Development Giovanna Lumbaca said that after the Scheme Amendment has been gazetted and normalisation has occurred, all development proposals will be assessed by the City against the planning framework, with recommendations provided to the relevant decision-maker.

“The Scheme Amendment introduces a new Development Contribution Plan into the City’s LPS3 to enable development contributions to be levied to collect contributions towards its investment in the beachside works and then, as funds become available, fund future works east of West Coast Highway.”

With the Scheme Amendment approved by Council in December 2022, it has now been submitted to the Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage for assessment. Ministerial approval is expected later this year before gazetting of the Scheme Amendment.

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