Frequently Asked Questions

A District Structure Plan (DSP) is a planning document that guides how an area will be planned and developed in the future. 

A DSP 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.

Once approved, the DSP will guide the amendments to the Metropolitan Region Scheme, Local Planning Scheme, and individual Local Structure Plans.

The Perth and Peel@3.5million sub-regional planning frameworks, released in 2018, identified 15 Planning Investigation Areas (PIAs) in the Perth and Peel regions. In August 2023, the State Government announced the resolution of the final two outstanding Planning Investigation Areas, including the Jandakot-Treeby PIA, identifying the area suitable for urban expansion. 

As a result, the Western Australian Planning Commission (WAPC) has determined that there is a need for a DSP to be prepared, to coordinate future development of the area.

Information on these areas and the associated decisions is available online from Planning investigation areas.

The draft DSP has been prepared by planning consultants, Rowe Group.  Although the draft DSP is being prepared by consultants, the state and local government (the City of Cockburn) will be heavily involved in the process to ensure a holistic strategic plan is prepared.

The Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage is overseeing and coordinating the preparation of the draft DSP.

Following the community consultation and a further review of the draft documents, the Department will make a recommendation to the WAPC regarding the draft DSP.

The final decision on the DSP will be made by the WAPC in consultation with relevant local and state government authorities.

The following elements of the project are fixed and cannot be changed:

• Draft DSP boundary.
• The provision for the delivery of land for housing, education, recreation, and community facilities.
• The delivery of key road connections, determined by traffic analysis.
• Consideration and determination by the WAPC.
• Requirement of amendments to the Metropolitan Region Scheme and the City of Cockburn’s Local Planning Scheme (to rezone the land) to implement the draft DSP.

The community can influence several elements in the draft DSP by:

• Helping to identify additional opportunities and issues that exist in or affect the draft DSP 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 within the draft DSP area.
• Contributing to discussions on residential density.
• Making comment on public open space and their function.

The plan will apply to your property if it is located within the identified boundary (please see the DSP map under Key Documents).  

The DSP does not mean you 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 is developed and provide feedback on the draft.

Until the land's zoning is updated under the City's Local Planning Scheme, all development applications will continue to be evaluated according to the existing planning framework.

Several important steps need to happen before land within the DSP area can be subdivided. The current zoning still applies and needs to be changed first under the Metropolitan Region Scheme and the Local Planning Scheme. Following approval of the DSP and the rezoning of land, local structure planning will need to be done to ensure necessary infrastructure for future community is properly planned from the beginning.

Rural-Residential areas may contain significant environmental values (e.g. remnant bushland and/or wetlands). Therefore, these areas need to be surveyed and investigated to confirm whether the land is suitable for development or needs to be protected/conserved. It is proposed that these areas remain Rural-Residential (currently zoned Resource in the City of Cockburn’s Local Planning Scheme) until further review and approval for change is established.

Landowners/developers will need to facilitate these investigations, which may inform the preparation of future scheme amendments and local structure planning.

The draft DSP identifies areas of remnant bushland, wetlands, ecological corridors and areas of conservation value. Further detailed investigations will need to be undertaken to determine the extent of areas to be protected.

These investigations will inform the preparation of more detailed planning, such as Local Structure Plans, which set out the details for protecting environmental values in public open space and reserves.

If you are concerned about possible changes, the best thing you can do is get involved and provide as much feedback as possible. 

You can have your say by:

• completing the online survey
• writing to us at JTDSP@dplh.wa.gov.au or calling us at 6551 8002, and
• sending through your submission via post to Land Use Planning Metropolitan South, Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage, 140 William Street, Perth WA 6001.

A range of mechanisms may be used to help fund new infrastructure, required to support development within the DSP area. This could include a Development Contribution Plan (DCP), grants funding or other mechanisms.  

Items funded through a DCP may include development infrastructure (e.g. roads) and community infrastructure (e.g. sporting facilities and community centres).

The funding and delivery of infrastructure will need to ensure that the allocation of costs is transparent, equitable and accountable, and subject to consultation with the community prior to being implemented.

If a DCP is put in place, it will need to be formally included in the City of Cockburn’s Local Planning Scheme No. 3 – this process is subject to separate (statutory) public consultation processes and needs to be approved by the Minister for Planning. Funding arrangements will be investigated as part of the planning and approval of the DSP.

WAPC's State Planning Policy 5.3: Land use planning in the vicinity of Jandakot Airport guides development near the airport. The impact of the airport (e.g. aircraft noise) on potential sensitive land uses is a planning element that needs to be considered at each stage of the planning process.

In addition to this, Jandakot Airport’s airspace is protected by Australian Government legislation and regulation, and development or works which intrude into Jandakot Airport’s protected airspace may require the approval of the airport operator. This is an existing requirement and will not be affected by the draft DSP.

The draft DSP acknowledges that perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have been detected in groundwater within the DSP area. However, the exact extent of this contamination is currently unknown.

The WAPC understands that the Federal Government is currently investigating PFAS contamination at 16 airports around Australia - including Jandakot Airport. 

Further information on the Federal Government Airports Investigation Program is available online at PFAS – Airports Investigation Program.

The proponent is also investigating the impact of PFAS on land in proximity to the airport to examine whether urbanisation is appropriate. This information will need to be provided prior to final determination of the draft DSP.

The draft DSP area is located within the Jandakot Underground Water Pollution Control Area (UWPCA) and has been classified as a Priority 2 (P2) Water Source Area. The objectives of a P2 Water Source classification relate to minimising risk through management and maintenance and supporting low-risk development (e.g. rural land uses).

A potential change in this classification to cater for urbanisation is currently under review as part of the draft DSP and any subsequent Metropolitan Region Scheme amendment processes.

After advertising, the WAPC will consider the matters raised in the submissions and make a decision to either approve the draft DSP, approve the draft DSP with modifications, or not approve the draft DSP.

If the WAPC decides to approve the draft DSP, there are a number of changes to the existing planning framework that would need to occur before land within the DSP area can be subdivided and developed.

Subsequent planning processes include amendments to the Metropolitan Region Scheme and local planning scheme, the preparation of infrastructure contribution plans and local structure plans.  

A single local structure plan – that aligns with the DSP – would then need to be prepared for each precinct by landowners and/or developers.

Subject to the relevant planning and development approvals, civil works will then need to be carried out to ensure that the lots being created are suitable for development.

The timing of these processes is not certain, however, each step can take a year or more to complete, depending on the size, scale and complexity of the project.