Town Planning
Town planning coordinates the development of land by balancing economic, social and environmental issues to create liveable and sustainable communities.
The Shire of West Arthur is responsible for town planning in its municipal district and regulates all development in accordance with the requirements of the Western Australian Planning Framework, its Local Planning Strategy and Strategic Community Plan, Local Planning Scheme No.2 and a number of local planning policies and local laws. This strategic and regulatory framework guides and controls the development of land and forms the basis for all decisions made when development approval is required.
Development Applications
Most activities undertaken on your property will fall within the definition of development and require approval from the Shire prior to commencing unless an express exemption applies.
A development approval is a legal document that provides permission for specified use/s and/or works to be undertaken on a particular piece of land.
Development includes:
- Excavation works and/or fill including the clearing of native vegetation;
- The erection, construction or demolition of a building or structure;
- Building alterations or additions;
- Establishing a new use or changing the existing use of land and/or buildings thereon;
- The erection, placement and display of advertisements or signs.
Development approvals, building permits, demolition permits and on-site effluent disposal system permits require separate applications. In some cases you may require several approvals before commencing any clearing, earthworks, demolition or construction.
It is important to note failure to seek and obtain development approval prior to the commencement of development is an offence under the Planning and Development Act 2005 and may result in prosecution action, the maximum fines for which are significant.
It should also be noted there may be scope to prepare and submit a retrospective application for approval for unauthorised development to avoid the risk of prosecution action.
The Shire engages the services of a professional Town Planner who is available to assist with any enquiries. If you are contemplating undertaking any new development or formalising any unauthorised development you are encouraged to:
- contact the Town Planner (see contact details below) to discuss your proposal, including the need for approval, the application process, relevant information requirements and application fees payable; and
- read the additional information, application forms and guidance provided below.
Planning Contact Details
Mr Joe Douglas – Town Planner (Exurban Rural & Regional Planning)
Telephone: 0429 303 100
Email: joe@urp.com.au
Development Application Guide, Forms and Checklist
- Development Application Package including:
- Development Application Lodgement and Processing Guide;
- Development Application Checklist
- Form 1: Application for Development Approval;
- Form 2: Additional Information for Development Approval for Advertisements;
- Adjoining Property Owners Comment Form;
- Management Plan Template – Short Term Rental Accommodation;
- Regulated Application Fees; and
- Schedule of Development Approval Exemptions.
Click here to view document.
- Application for Copy of Building License and/or Development / Planning Approval, Written Planning Advice and Planning Exemption Advice – Click here to view document
Shire of West Arthur Local Planning Framework
The following documents form part of the Shire's local planning framework and are used to guide and inform the assessment and determination of development and local law applications. They contain details of key objectives, standards and requirements landowners need to consider and address when planning and seeking approval for any future proposed development:
The following Local Planning Polices have been adopted by Council:
- LPP No 1 Permitted Development
- LPP No 2 Rural Sheds
- LPP No 3 Heritage List
- LPP No 4 Wellington Catchment
- LPP No 6 Outbuildings
For information on the Shire's Planning Policies, please refer to the Local Planning section of the Policy Manual.
Links to State Planning Documents and Information
When considering a development application the Shire is required to have due regard to the Western Australian Planning Framework prepared by the State Government which includes the following:
- Planning and Development Act 2005 and associated regulations;
- State Planning Strategy;
- State Planning Policies and Planning Codes;
- Regional and Sub-Reginal Strategies;
- Development Control and Operational Policies;
- Position Statements; and
- Guidelines.
The following links provide access to the key documents that comprise the Western Australian Planning Framework and other useful regulatory, guidance and procedural information:
Local Planning Scheme No 2 and the Scheme Maps can be viewed on the Department of Planning Land and Heritage website:https://www.wa.gov.au/government/document-collections/shire-of-west-arthur-planning-information
The Western Australian Planning Commission has considered the Council’s report regarding the review of the Local Planning Scheme required under regulation 67 of the Planning and Development (Local Planning Schemes) Regulations 2015, and advises that it agrees with the recommendations of the report. A copy of the Commission’s decision is available
The Shire of West Arthur Local Planning Scheme No. 2 has been reviewed and endorsed by the Western Australian Planning Commission on 10 March 2023.
Links to Useful Information and Mapping Resources
The following links provide access to public mapping tools, databases and information sources that can be used to help plan for any new development, including the preparation of development and other applications when approval is required:
Short-Term Rental Accommodation Planning Regulations
The West Australian government has introduced changes to planning regulations in response to recommendations of the 2019 Parliamentary Inquiry.
The following changes are now in effect:
- A mandatory state-wide register for all short-term rental accommodation properties; and
- New planning requirements implemented by local governments through the Planning and Development (Local Planning Schemes) Amendment (Short-Term Rental Accommodation) Regulations 2024.
To find out more, and to register online, visit Planning Online.
Forms for Short-Term Rental Accommodation
Short Term Development Definitions
- short-term accommodation means temporary accommodation provided either continuously or from time to time with no guest accommodated for periods totalling more than 3 months in any 12 month period.
- bed and breakfast means a dwelling used by a resident of the dwelling to provide short-term accommodation, including breakfast, on a commercial basis for not more than 4 adult persons or one family and containing not more than 2 guest bedrooms.
- holiday accommodation means 2 or more dwellings on one lot used to provide short term accommodation for persons other than the owner of the lot.
- holiday house means a single dwelling on one lot used to provide short-term accommodation but does not include a bed and breakfast.
- tourist development means a building, or a group of buildings forming a complex, other than a bed and breakfast, a caravan park or holiday accommodation, used to provide short-term accommodation for guests, onsite facilities for the use of guests and facilities for the management of the development.
- workforce accommodation means premises, which may include modular or relocatable buildings, used primarily for the accommodation of workers engaged in construction, resource, agricultural or other industries on a temporary basis and for any associated catering, sporting and recreation facilities for the occupants and authorised visitors.
All Short Term Rental Accommodation Development Applications must include a Management Plan.
Information Sheets and Links
The following Information Sheets and links are provided to help plan for any new development and address common queries and information requests:
Current Applications
There are no current applications.