Frequently asked questions

A local planning scheme amendment is a change to part of a local planning scheme, in this case, the City's Local Planning Scheme No. 7 (External link). 

When a change is made to the scheme it is known as a scheme amendment, which can be proposed by landowners, the City, or the State Government of Western Australia.

The MRS defines the future use of land and provides the legal basis for planning in the Perth metropolitan region, dividing it into broad zones and reservations. The Western Australian Planning Commission (WAPC) prepares and administers region planning schemes for the effective planning and coordination of land use and development.

The Metropolitan Region Scheme (MRS) is administered by the WAPC, providing broad zoning and reserves for land within the Perth Metropolitan areas. Some MRS zones and reserves, such as the newly adopted ‘Urban’ zoning, require additional, more fine-grain, zonings under the City’s Local Planning Scheme No. 7 (LPS 7). 

The site was previously reserved ‘Regional Open Space - Restricted Public Access’ under MRS and did not necessitate an additional zoning under LPS 7.

This scheme amendment has been developed to align with new changes by the WAPC to the site’s zoning under the Metropolitan Region Scheme (MRS). The more detailed local planning schemes prepared by local government are required to be consistent with the MRS.

As the site is now zoned ‘Urban’ under the MRS, the City is required to amend Local Planning Scheme No. 7 (LPS 7) to allocate a zone to the site. The City is now proposing an amendment to zone the site ‘Private Community Purposes’ under LPS 7.

The proposed ‘Private Community Purposes’ zoning is defined by the following objectives in LPS 7:

• To provide sites for privately owned and operated recreation, institutions and places of worship.
• To integrate private recreation areas with public recreation areas wherever possible.
• To separate potentially noisy engine sports from incompatible uses.
• To provide for a range of privately owned community facilities and uses that are incidental and ancillary to the provision of those facilities, which are compatible with surrounding development.
• To ensure that the standard of development is in keeping with surrounding development and protects the amenity of the area.

Any proposed development on the site under the ‘Private Community Purposes’ zoning would have to align with the relevant objectives above.

All development under the proposed zoning will be assessed against the zone objectives, ensuring that a development proposal is in keeping with surrounding development and protects the amenity of the area.

The development requirements applicable to all land zoned 'Private Community Purposes' are:

1. In the absence of an approved local development plan, all non-residential development shall be designed in accordance with the following requirements:

(a) Building height – Maximum 2 storeys

(b) Primary street setback – Minimum 7.5 metres

(c) Side Setbacks – Minimum 4.5 metres

To find out about the permitted land uses under the 'Private Community Purposes' zone see pages 14-16 of the City’s Local Planning Scheme No.7 - South Perth Scheme Text (External link) (Table 4 - Zoning Table).