WA rolls out new planning system

05 MAR 2024 By Orana Durney-Benson 10 min read Tax & Legal

The ribbon has been cut on the Cook government’s upgraded planning system, including a new and improved website.

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As of 1 March, new planning reforms are in place across Western Australia in a bid to “cut unnecessary red tape” and “streamline and accelerate the delivery of housing throughout Western Australia”.

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The state government has touted the reforms as “leading the way” on the federal government’s National Planning Reform Blueprint announced last August.

John Carey, state Minister for Housing, stated: “Today marks a significant milestone in our reform agenda to create a modern planning system.”

The Western Australian planning changes include a revamped website, a new online system for the lodgement and tracking of applications, reforms to Development Assessment Panels (DAPs), and a new Significant Development Pathway (SDP).

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The new SDP is designed to be a permanent replacement for the temporary Part 17 development pathway that was established in 2020 during COVID-19.

While local governments will continue to have input into planning decisions, projects valued over $20 million in the Perth metropolitan region or $5 million in regional areas will be fast-tracked to the state-level Western Australian Planning Commission.

In addition, the new DAP pathway is now wholly opt-in for all community housing projects and for most new development proposals worth over $2 million.

“From today, most development applications can be lodged either with the local government authority or through the Development Assessment Panel system,” explained Minister Carey.

“Importantly, the reforms – including a new website and lodgement portal – bring greater clarity to the planning system, making it easier for all users to navigate and understand,” he added.

The Western Australian planning reforms come in the wake of a slew of changes to planning laws and systems across Australia.

In November last year, the ACT introduced a new Planning Act for the first time in 15 years.

At the time of the launch, territory Planning Minister Mick Gentleman stated that the new act “will mean Canberrans have the services and infrastructure they need now and into the future” as the population continues to boom.

That same month, the Victorian government announced a “bold” plan to clear the state’s backlog of 1,400 pending development applications.

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