Planning
Local Planning Scheme No. 6 Amendment 3
All healthy and vibrant communities require a mix of areas for living, working and recreation and to this end, the Shire of Ravensthorpe's Planning department:
- Controls where and what type of building or development takes place
- Regulates the use of land throughout the Shire.
- Ensures that all new subdivisions are designed to incorporate integration of all the relevant facilities.
These controls all help to ensure that a pleasant living and working environment is maintained for the Community as a whole.
Planning Approval
All land within the Shire of Ravensthorpe is subject to the Shire’s Town Planning Scheme No 6. Therefore if you are intending to use a property for a particular purpose or intend to build on a property you first need to obtain planning approval from the Shire. This applies to both urban and rural land.
We recommend you contact the Shire’s Planning Officer in the early stages of planning for your development to ascertain how the Shire’s requirements may apply to your proposal.
Planning decisions are made by the Shire based on the Shire of Ravensthorpe’s Town Planning Scheme No. 6 and can often involve consultation with the community, Council and relevant State Government departments. If planning approval is granted, it is usually subject to a range of conditions. For a planning application form and the applicable fees and charges please contact the Shire's Planning Officer or click on the link below;
Planning Application
Planning Application Checklist
The assessment process is summarised as follows:
Planning in Bushfire Prone Areas
Large areas of the Shire of Ravensthorpe are prone to bushfires due to topography, vegetation and climate. In 2015 the state government released a suite of reforms in response to the Keelty Report 2011 that apply across the state and elevate bush fire issues to the highest level of planning policy.
The Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES), Building Commission and Western Australian Planning Commission (WAPC) collectively released:
- State Planning Policy 3.7 ‘Planning in Bushfire Prone Areas’;
- Amendments to Planning Regulations;
- Amendments to Building Regulations;
- An order by the Fire & Emergency Services Commissioner designating bushfire prone areas;
- Published the Map of Bushfire Prone areas; and
- Published the Guidelines for Planning in Bushfire Prone Areas
Approval Process
The first step is to check the state-wide mapping designating 'bushfire prone' areas, this can be found at: https://maps.slip.wa.gov.au/landgate/bushfireprone2016/.
If any part of your property is designated 'bushfire prone, then:
- Review the requirements of the Shire's Local Planning Policy 15 - Developing in a Bushfire Prone Area;
- If you are located in Ravensthorpe or Hopetoun town sites, then the Shire has prepared a BAL Contour Plan that applies a BAL rating to your property you can choose to use; or
- If you are located outside of those town sites, then you will need to have a site specific Bushfire Attack Level (BAL) Assessment prepared by an accredited person, these can be found at: http://www.fpaa.com.au/bpad.aspx.
The BAL Assessment then informs the design response to the bushfire threat. Development requirements can include:
- Constructing in accordance with Australian Standard 3959 'Construction of buildings in bushfire prone areas'. A copy can be made available for viewing at the Shire office; and
- Compliant access, turnarounds for emergency service vehicles, water for fire fighting and 'Asset Protection Zones' (APZ). APZ are low fuel areas immediately around the house.
Council has prepared a local planning policy that clarifies what is required with a development in a Bushfire prone area.
The WAPC "Guidelines for Planning in Bushfire Prone Areas" establish the standards for developing in a bushfire prone area. These can be found at: http://www.planning.wa.gov.au/8194.asp
More Information
This information is intended as a brief overview of the current building and planning requirements in relation to building houses, ancillary dwellings and associated outbuildings in bushfire prone areas within the Shire of Ravensthorpe.
Very good information sheets and ‘Frequently Asked Questions’ pages provide more detailed information and are available on both the Department of Planning and Building Commission websites:
Strategic Planning
At a state-wide level, the Western Australian Planning Commission (WAPC) is responsible for the State Planning Strategy, which aims to coordinate and promote regional land use planning and development in Western Australia. A revised State Planning Strategy drafted in 2012 is now available.
At the local government level, Council and the WAPC have adopted a draft Local Planning Strategy that sets the broad strategic planning ‘direction’ for the Shire for the next 20 years. The vision of the document is "to ensure land uses provide a quality lifestyle with a high level of infrastructure to support a diverse and sustainable economy that is in harmony with the environment."
The Strategy is to be read in conjunction with Town Planning Scheme No.6
Town Planning Scheme No.6
All land in the Shire of Ravensthorpe is subject to Town Planning Scheme controls; all development and change of use requires Planning Approval.
Development within the Shire of Ravensthorpe is administered through Town Planning Scheme No.6 which was gazetted in 2003. The Town Planning Scheme consists of the Scheme Text and Maps.
The Town Planning Scheme calls up the Residential Design Codes of WA (the R-Codes) to control development in residential areas.
Town Planning Scheme No. 6
Council has been in process of reviewing Town Planning Scheme No. 5 and has adopted revised Local Planning Scheme No.6, subject to modifications. This new Local Planning Scheme has been forwarded to the Western Australian Planning Commission for final assessment and once approved will supersede Town Planning Scheme No. 5.
A copy of the DRAFT Local Planning Scheme No. 6, which includes both text, maps and recommended modifications are found at the following link:
LPS6 Text Following Council 15.12.16
LPS6 Maps Draft
LPS6 Schedule for Modifications
Local Planning Policies
A number of Local Planning Policies have been adopted to guide certain types of development in the Shire, they have been compiled into a single manual. Click here to download the Local Planning Policy Manual.
The Shire of Ravensthorpe and WAPC adopted the Hopetoun Development Area Outline Development Plan in 2004 to guide the development of Mary Anne Waters (the western portion of Hopetoun subdivided in the mid 2000’s). This document provides the planning framework to guide the future staged development of the area and the co-ordinated provision of infrastructure and services.
Subdivision Applications
New lots are created through the land subdivision and amalgamation process. This process is controlled by the Western Australian Planning Commission, with assistance from local government.
A subdivision application form and application guide with fee schedule can be downloaded from the Western Australian Planning Commission’s website.
The Shire has adopted the Local Government Guidelines for Subdivisional Development to set the standard for infrastructure expected as part of any subdivision.
Amending the Planning Scheme
If a use is not allowed under the Planning Scheme, Council may agree to amend it to allow for different uses. A number of factors need to be taken into account when an Amendment to a Planning Scheme is proposed. Generally, Council must be satisfied that:
- an explanatory report clearly defining what is proposed is prepared; and
- affects on the environment are considered and that social and economic effects have been addressed.
All Planning Scheme Amendments will have an accompanying fee that will need to be paid before the matter is determined. Please refer to Planning Fees and Charges for an application form and details of related charges.