UDIA WA has been proactively working with Western Power and our members to resolve issues faced in securing clearances, gaining energisation, and delivering timely and much-needed housing supply. Following a roundtable UDIA organised between Western Power and our members in October a variety of actions was developed to provide ongoing updates on progress towards agreed goals. Please see the below table for updates to these actions since October.
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Action |
Who |
By when |
Status |
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Addressing/Improving consistency around UDS ‘grey areas’: |
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Review and advise attendees of the frequency of changes to the UDS |
WP |
Early November 2023 |
Ongoing |
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Ensure any changes to the UDS and/or policy interpretation are communicated to industry for consistency and to increase conformity |
WP |
Immediate, ongoing |
Ongoing |
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Work with the electrical consultants to create a complied list of issues with UDS policy interpretation to share with WP |
UDIA / Electrical consultants |
Early November 2023 |
Complete |
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Consider changes to the UDS, in consultation with industry |
WP/Electrical consultants |
Updated UDS draft will enter external stakeholder consultation period – Tentative 15th Nov – 8th Dec |
Ongoing |
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Improve transparency, engagement, and prioritisation |
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Regularly provide a month ahead view of projects in queue for transparency and to aid prioritisation |
WP |
Provide first update first week of November 2023 |
Ongoing |
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Re-introduce regular industry bulletins, covering issues relating to all forms of residential development |
WP |
By early January 2024 |
To be progressed |
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Discuss how UDIA can help facilitate a view of member priorities at a portfolio level |
WP / UDIA |
By end October 2023 |
WP is actively engaging with developers, on a project volume basis, to understand priorities across their portfolio. |
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Re-establish the quarterly consultant forums |
WP |
Hold first forum by early November 2023 |
Quarterly forums have been re-initiated, with the first one having taken place in mid-November. |
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Work with UDIA WA and developers to investigate a bond model / process to enable clearances to be issued for title creation, noting: |
WP |
Engagement with UDIA and Developers by early November, Proposed approach by December 2023, Implementation early 2024 (*Pending WP review) |
Initial engagement with UDIA WA developer members and UDIA WA’s Infrastructure SAG took place in early November. In some circumstances, industry is aware that pre-DCR clearances have been issued without bonds. WP committed to provide further guidance on the model and eligibility criteria. |
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Bond amount and what that means for onward activities will need to be equitable, and a DCR will still be required prior to energisation |
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The purpose of the bond to be agreed – a per lot fee or an allowance for remediation. DCR will still be required for safe energisation |
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Introduce a land development industry specific ‘Ask an Expert’ mechanism, noting: |
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This may mean a senior resource needs to be reallocated and it should focus on UDS-related queries. |
WP |
1 November 2023 |
Completed – Technical Queries service reintroduced |
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Review administration processes to identify efficiencies e.g. removing the need for WP engagement with local governments to verify approvals confirmed by applicants |
WP |
After next consultants meeting |
Ongoing |
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Initiate a built form process review: |
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Set up a workshop with built form developers to undertake an MP works process review |
UDIA / WP |
Engagement with UDIA WA Built Form SAG 8 November 2023 |
Complete |
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Agree timeframe for process review and implementation |
WP / UDIA |
End-November 2023 |
TBD – Initial engagement was productive and UDIA WA’s Built Form SAG members will provide further input around systemic challenges / process pain points for consideration by WP. |
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Focus on improving design conformance in all applications to reduce the volume of rework and delays: |
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Share data around the non-conformance issues to improve industry understanding and consider sharing lessons learnt through the new DCR process trial with broader industry |
WP |
Early November 2023 |
Ongoing |
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Support the new DCR process trial, including through performing audit role |
Electrical consultants |
Immediate |
Uptake increasing |
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Engage with own consultants to reinforce the expectation in scopes of work |
Developers |
Immediate, and ongoing |
Commenced and ongoing |
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Provide consultant access to SPIDA |
WP |
Commence trial by December 2023 |
Testing of a proof of concept for a new customer tool has been undertaken and provided sufficient confidence for WP to commence developing a production version. Timing for general access TBC. |
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UDIA to brief WP on the National Housing Pipeline Perth and Peel Infrastructure Requirements work |
UDIA |
Early November 2023 |
Complete |
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WP to identify potential capital items that could be included in the document |
WP |
By December 2023 |
Initial discussions commenced and consideration ongoing |