Frequently Asked Questions
FAQs - Click to expand
- Provision for the delivery of land for conservation, housing, education, recreation, and community facilities.
- The need for key road connections, determined by traffic analysis.
- Consideration and determination of the draft District Structure Plan by the WAPC.
- Helping to identify additional opportunities and issues that affect the area.
- Providing comment on the potential location of social and community infrastructure.
- Helping to define key elements of the public realm.
- Identifying matters relating to the future use of land.
What is a District Structure Plan?
A district structure plan provides consideration of broad strategic land use and infrastructure coordination across a large area. Importantly, this long-term plan does not rezone the land – it sets out the steps needed to allow rezoning to occur.
Why does Carabooda need a district structure plan?
In November 2024, the WAPC resolved that the area should be developed for urban purposes and that a district structure plan is necessary to guide the integrated and sustainable development of the area.
The draft District Structure Plan has been prepared in accordance with that resolution.
Who has prepared the draft District Structure Plan?
The draft District Structure Plan has been prepared by Acumen Development Solutions (Acumen), at their own cost, on behalf of the WAPC. Acumen acts for a number of landowners in the area.
Acumen has appointed a multidisciplinary team of consultants to prepare the draft documents, including town planners, urban designers, environmental scientists, botanists, bushfire practitioners, economists, civil engineers, geologists, hydrologists, and transport engineers.What is the role of Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage and WAPC in this project?
The Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage is responsible for assessing the draft District Structure Plan and undertaking consultation on behalf of the WAPC.
Following community consultation and engagement with local and state government authorities, the Department will undertake a further review of the draft documents and make a recommendation to the WAPC regarding the draft District Structure Plan.
The final decision on the District Structure Plan will be made by the WAPC.What elements of the project are fixed and cannot be changed?
The following elements of the project are fixed and cannot be changed:
What can be influenced by the community in the draft DSP?
The community can influence several elements by:
How will the DSP impact my property?
The draft District Structure Plan will apply to your property if it is located within the identified boundary (please see the DSP map under Key Documents).
It does not mean landowners have an obligation to develop but will provide the framework for future subdivision and zoning, when a landowner chooses to develop/subdivide.
This advertising process is an opportunity to help inform how the area could be developed and provide feedback on the draft DSP.How soon will development occur? Can I develop or subdivide my property if it is located within the DSP area?
Several important steps need to happen before land within the draft District Structure Plan area can be subdivided.
Land will first need to be rezoned under the Metropolitan Region Scheme and the Local Planning Scheme.
Local structure plans will then need to be prepared to provide more detailed guidance for future development and infrastructure.
The timing of these processes is not certain, however, each step can take a year or more to complete, depending on the complexity of the project.How has the draft District Structure Plan boundary been determined?
The draft District Structure Plan boundary is consistent with the WAPC’s 2024 preliminary consideration for urbanising the area and allows for a road interface to adjoining rural areas to mitigate land-use conflicts. Importantly, the proposed boundary also avoids environmental and landscape impacts to the adjoining Lake Nowergup and Lake Carabooda wetlands to the west and State Forest 65 to the east.
How will the environment be protected?
The draft District Structure Plan identifies over 250 hectares of conservation areas to protect significant environmental values. This seeks to protect approximately 70% of existing native vegetation within the site and has been informed by detailed environmental surveys.
The draft DSP has been considered by the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) as a pilot project for early engagement as part of district structure planning. The EPA commended the approach taken in the draft DSP and advised that its impacts had been substantially mitigated through the proposed environmental protections and enhancements (refer to the EPA Advice under Key Documents).
How will urban development impact existing rural activities and resource extraction/quarries?
Existing land uses within and adjacent to the draft DSP area may continue operating in accordance with relevant approvals. It is the developer’s responsibility to provide suitable separation distances and interface arrangements when introducing new sensitive uses (such as residential dwellings).