Frequently asked questions

Purpose-built student accommodation is primarily accommodation for:

• students while studying at a tertiary education facility; and
• that typically provides students with a principal place of residence for three months or more; and
• that may have shared facilities, such as a communal living room, kitchen and amenities; and 
• that may provide accommodation for staff or visiting staff to a tertiary education facility.

• With Australia’s growing reputation as a destination for international students, there is a growing need for good quality student housing that can enhance the student experience with flow-on benefits to the local economy. 
• There is currently no specific guidance within the State planning framework to support the assessment of purpose-built student accommodation, making it difficult for proponents to identify which provisions will be used by assessors or decisions makers to achieve good design outcomes, amenity, safety and functionality.
• This draft Position Statement has been prepared to:
  • provide clear guidance to purpose-built student accommodation providers / developers, peak industry bodies, planning consultants, State and local government on design considerations, such as amenity provisions and building aesthetics, to ensure high-quality living environments for students.
  • Address key planning considerations including proximity to educational institutions and transport, carparking and traffic management, the potential for adaptive reuse, and ensuring purpose-built student accommodation developments integrate with their surroundings.

• We are seeking feedback from key stakeholders and other interested parties to assist in ensuring the guidance provided within the position statement is relevant and useful for industry and developers, 
• The ‘draft – public consultation – not intended for decision making policy’ label means that the policy will likely require more significant refining post-public consultation, therefore, it is not intended for the document to be used by the WAPC in decision making.
• The position statement will be advertised for a period of 90 days (between 13 June – 11 September 2025). 

• In addition to purpose-built student accommodation, there are other residential land uses such as aged persons, specialist disability and co-living accommodation that does not sit comfortably within the R-Codes.  
• The WAPC is investigating whether it may be appropriate to have some consistency across the State in terms of policy for these residential land uses which are not dwellings in the traditional sense.  
• An option maybe for these land uses to be incorporated into the R-Codes, a separate Planning Code or another policy instrument. 
• This approach would enable more detailed guidance on built form, minimum and average room sizes and communal open spaces, and more tailored assessment criteria for each of these residential land uses.  
• A specific question has been included at the end of the feedback form, to assist in further discussion. 

• At the end of the consultation period, all the submitted feedback will be reviewed and there may be further modifications to the proposed document.  
• The Position Statement will then be considered by the WAPC for final determination