Town Planning
Town planning coordinates land use and development by balancing economic, social and environment issues. Planning policies, schemes and other statutory processes guide decisions that shape and focus on quality of life for the community.
The Tammin Town Planning Scheme No. 1 and the Residential Design Codes are the main documents that guide development in the Shire.
Planning approval is generally required prior to the use of land or construction of a building. In most cases a change of use also requires planning approval. A Building Licence is also required for construction or demolition works.
The Planning framework is governed by the Planning and Development Act 2005 and Planning and Development (Local Planning Schemes) Regulations 2015, together with State Planning Policies. The Western Australian Planning Commission is the main regulatory authority for town planning who approve scheme amendments, structure plans and subdivision.
Before commencing any development on land within the Shire, landowners and applicants are recommended to contact the Shire's Planner on 9637 0300 to discuss their proposal who will be happy to assist landowners to determine whether formal applications are required and how they can guide the applicant through the process.
Policies
The Shire of Tammin has adopted a Local Planning Policy to regulate the use and location of sea containers and outbuildings within the Shire. A copy of the Policies are available for download here:
Sea Container Policy
Outbuildings Policy
Residential Design Codes
The R-Codes are a State Planning Policy (No. 3.1) and provide a comprehensive basis for the control of residential development, including subdivision, throughout Western Australia.
All land zoned Residential have an R-Code allocated that determines the maximum density of development and are generally shown on the Scheme Map. The density code numbers approximately relate to the maximum number of dwelling units permitted on 1 hectare of land (e.g. R5, R15, R20, R40).
The R-Codes have been prepared to provide, via the deemed-to-comply provisions, a straightforward pathway to approval. Where a proposal does not achieve the deemed-to-comply provisions and therefore seeks to apply one or more design principles, the applicant will be required to demonstrate how the proposal meets the objectives of the applicable design principle(s). These types of proposals may also be subject to community consultation.
Subdivision
The Western Australian Planning Commission is responsible for determining applications for freehold and survey strata subdivisions under the Planning and Development Act 2005 and Strata Titles Act 1985.
The Shire’s role in subdivision is one of a referral agency, together with agencies such as Western Power, Water Corporation, Main Roads and Telstra. The Shire also has a role in clearing conditions of approval when a subdivision is being finalised.
The minimum lot sizes in the R-Codes will determine the subdivision potential of land zoned Residential. The Tammin Town Planning Scheme No. 1 specifies minimum lot sizes for all other zoned land.
Generally, subdivision of agricultural land is not supported unless it meets the criteria in the Scheme and relevant state planning and development control policies.
Information regarding subdivision, application forms and fees can be found on the Commission’s website at www.planning.wa.gov.au.
Bushfire Regulations
The State Government has recently announced a package of reforms to help protect lives and property against the threat of bushfires throughout Western Australia.
These reforms introduce new requirements for people intending to develop and/or build in bushfire prone areas, including the need to assess a property’s bushfire risk and take additional construction measures to limit the impact of bushfires.
They provide important information on the land use planning requirements if you are planning to develop in a designated bushfire prone area within Western Australia. These designated areas are identified on the map of bush fire prone areas, which is available on the Department of Fire and Emergency Service’s (DFES) website at http://www.dfes.wa.gov.au/regulationandcompliance/bushfireproneareas/Pages/default.aspx.
Further information about the bushfire reforms and development requirements is available from the Department of Planning at http://www.planning.wa.gov.au/7958.asp.
Links
The Shire of Tammin employs a Town Planning Officer, Joe Douglas, who can be contacted by mobile on 0429 303 101 or email joe@urp.com.au