The Urban Development Institute of Australia (UDIA WA) has welcomed the State Government’s proposed Residential Design Code reforms, describing them as an important step toward increasing housing supply, housing choice and affordability across Perth.
UDIA WA said the reforms respond to many of the issues industry has consistently identified through the Residential Design Codes review process, particularly the need to reduce unnecessary complexity, improve certainty and unlock additional housing opportunities within established suburbs.
“At a time when Western Australia continues to face significant housing pressures, reforms that help deliver more homes, faster, should be welcomed,” UDIA WA CEO Tanya Steinbeck said.
“We have consistently advocated for a planning framework that is simpler, faster and provides greater certainty for both industry and the community.
“Importantly, the package focuses on removing unnecessary barriers and complexity that can delay projects, increase costs and ultimately limit housing supply.”
Perth & Peel ‘health check’
“The latest Perth and Peel @ 3.5 Million health check demonstrates that Perth remains below its long-term infill housing target, despite recent improvement. Removing barriers to delivering well-designed precinct and smaller scale infill development is a necessary part of the supply solution,” Ms Steinbeck said.
“A whole-of-government approach to increasing housing supply remains critical in order to fully realise the benefits of planning reform, including ensuring that community and essential services infrastructure keep pace with accommodating an increased population within the current urban footprint,” Ms Steinbeck said.
Streamlining approvals
UDIA WA also welcomed the Government’s focus on reducing approval timeframes and removing planning approval requirements for many straightforward residential projects.
Ms Steinbeck said other proposed reforms aimed at reducing apartment and granny flat parking requirements and increasing flexibility in medium-density areas could further assist housing affordability and diversity.
“Reforms that support apartments, ancillary dwellings, townhouses and other medium-density housing forms will be increasingly important as Perth continues to grow,” Ms Steinbeck said.
UDIA WA also welcomed ongoing work to simplify the structure of the R-Codes and make them easier to interpret and administer.
“Industry has long supported a clearer and more user-friendly code structure that reduces duplication, improves consistency and makes the planning system easier to navigate,” Ms Steinbeck said.
“A planning framework that is easier to understand benefits everyone — homeowners, local governments, builders, planners and investors alike,” Ms Steinbeck said.
Public consultation
While welcoming the overall direction of the reforms, UDIA WA said it looked forward to reviewing the detailed draft changes when they are released for public consultation later this year.
“We appreciate the collaborative approach that has been taken throughout the review process and we look forward to continuing to work constructively with Government as the reforms progress,” Ms Steinbeck said.
“The overall direction of these reforms is strongly aligned with the need to increase housing supply, improve housing choice and support more efficient delivery of homes across Perth,” Ms Steinbeck said.
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Contact:
Gemma Osiejak
Executive Manager Communications & Engagement
P: 0421 506 819
E: gosiejak@udiawa.com.au