A new planning policy and guidelines on developing activity centres have been released for public comment.
Announcing the move, Minister for Planning, Rita Saffioti said activity centres were vibrant, consolidated community hubs providing retail, commercial and entertainment opportunities where people lived, worked and recreated.
She said planning policies provided guidance on delivering a mix of residential, economic and lifestyle uses when planning and developing major centres, ensuring they were integrated with public transport and delivered consistently across the State.
“The draft policy and implementation guidelines follow a review to update the current 10-year-old policy,” Ms Saffioti said.
She said the proposed new policy included simplifying and streamlining content to reflect the maturity of the policy; guidance on retail planning and sustainability assessment; and the expansion of the geographic scope of the policy outside Perth and Peel to include Bunbury.
“The draft policy is part of the State Government’s planning reform agenda to create a more contemporary planning system and assist the State’s economic recovery from COVID-19,” Ms Saffioti said.
“The new proposed policy seeks to achieve a mix of activities that create vibrant communities — diverse housing options, supported by local commercial and retail businesses and quality public transport links.”
Public consultation on the draft policy and guidelines close on 12 February, 2021 with details available at this PS News link.
