Land Use and Development
General Information
Role and Function Overview
A fundamental role and function of the Carnarvon Shire Council is to plan, implement, administer and review the orderly and sustainable use and development of all land contained within the municipality.
It is a complex, comprehensive, and time-consuming task, not always readily appreciated by the community at large and proponents of development, especially as to why it is needed and how the need arises.
Therefore, to assist residents, ratepayers, land development proponents and key stakeholders to better and further understand the Shire’s land use and development role and function, the Shire has published a 'Land Use and Development Guide'.
This guide provides an overview of the need for land use planning, its legal context, the system of land use planning that applies to Western Australia, and its context within Carnarvon.
This publication is freely available for viewing and downloading by clicking on the link below, or from the public counter of the Shire office.
Land Use & Development Guide
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Administering of Role and Function
In order to effectively and properly carry out its land use and development role and function, the Shire employs a principal town planner (Shire Planner). The present incumbent is Anthony (Tony) Dowling, a qualified town planner with over 20 years experience in the field of town planning.
Tony is supported in this role by an Assistant Town Planner and an Administrative Support Officer (both positions are currently vacant) and by relevant consultants where specialist studies, research and analysis, or design skills are required.
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Provision of Advice and Information Generally
An important part of Council’s land use and development role and function is the provision of clear, quality, and unambiguous advice and information in respect to the way the Carnarvon community desires land within the municipality to be used, developed, subdivided and managed.
To this end, a series of information sheets and advice notes are currently in preparation in order to respond to the more common land use and development type enquiries and frequently-asked-questions (FAQs). Once complete they will be made freely available for viewing and downloading from this website, and for viewing and collection at the public counter of the Shire office.
All initial and general land use and development enquiries are to be made directly to the Administration Officer (Town Planning) by either telephoning (08) 9941 0030 or emailing: planning@carnarvon.wa.gov.au
For more detailed enquiries, or to discuss preliminary proposals to rezone, use/develop, or subdivide land, an appointment should be arranged with the Shire Planner by telephoning the above number or emailing to the above email address (please note that the Shire Planner is unavailable to attend to public counter enquiries or to answer telephone enquiries of a general nature).
Where written advice or response is sought or requested or required to be given (as determined by the Shire Planner) a fee of $62.00 + GST will be charged. Payment will be required prior to the advice or response being given.
In order for staff to respond to enquiries in a timely manner and fashion, sufficient and relevant information in respect to the enquiry should be furnished. As a minimum, this should include the legal description and street address of the land in question, a location map, and sketch plans and drawings sufficient to illustrate the way in which the land is contemplated being used, developed or subdivided.
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Obtaining Independent Advice and Information
Because town planning matters can often be complex, comprehensive and wide-ranging, open to interpretation, and time-consuming to consider and resolve, proponents of land development and subdivision are strongly encouraged to engage or commission independent technical and professional specialists (such as a town planning consultant, architect or building designer) to assist them in formulating, articulating and presenting proposals requiring approval or the exercise of Council’s discretion within the Shire. An investment in such expertise upfront can save unnecessary costs and delays further down the track (where such proposals are poorly articulated, constructed and presented, or are simply inadequate) and lead to desirable and satisfactory outcomes for all relevant stakeholders in the land development process.
Independent town planning consultants available to assist land development and subdivision proponents are listed in the Perth and Great Northern Yellow Pages directories (www.yellowpages.com.au).
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Zoning Information and Enquiries
To enquire about the zoning of land, the types of uses permitted thereon, and applicable development provisions and standards, reference should made to the town planning scheme applying to the land.
The Carnarvon municipality is covered by two (2) town planning schemes.
- Town Planning Scheme (TPS) 10, which extends over the Carnarvon townsite and surrounding environs, including the existing plantation areas;
- District Zoning Scheme (DZS) 11, which extends over the balance of the municipality, including Coral Bay but excluding Bernier, Dorre and Koks Islands.
Both schemes (text and maps) are available for viewing and downloading from this website (click on the links below to view the respective schemes), or for viewing only at the public counter of the Shire Office.
Town Planning Scheme (TPS) 10
District Zoning Scheme (DZS) 11
Alternatively, both schemes may be viewed and downloaded from the website of the Western Australian Planning Commission (WAPC), then clicking on the letter 'C'.
Due to current commercial arrangements with the State of Western Australia, hardcopies of both schemes are unavailable for purchase from the Shire Office. They may only be purchased from the office of the Department for Planning and Infrastructure (DPI) located in Albert Facey House, 469 Wellington Street, Perth (Tel: 9264 7777).
Where written confirmation of a zoning of land is requested, this will be issued in the form of a zoning certificate, upon payment of a $62.00 (+ GST) fee.
Similarly, additional written advice in respect to the types of uses that can be carried out on land, the standards and provisions applicable to such development, and the process of approval to realise a proposed or desired use/development of land, can also be provided for a fee of $62 + GST.
In respect to determining or gauging the development potential of land (eg. the number of dwelling units that could be developed on land zoned Residential and coded R30), it is recommended that independent professional advice and assistance be sought (eg. from an architect, building designer, or consultant town planner).
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Development on the Ningaloo Coast
Given the Statewide importance and significance of the Ningaloo reef and its adjacent coastline in terms of its marine biodiversity, public recreation, and natural heritage, future use and development of this coast (of which part of it is contained within the Shire) is subject to a number of development control instruments.
These include:
- The Shire’s District Zoning Scheme (DZS) 11;
- Western Australian Planning Commission Statement of Planning Policy (SPP) 2.6—State Coastal Planning Policy;
- Western Australian Planning Commission Statement of Planning Policy (SPP) 6.3—Ningaloo Coast;
- Western Australian Planning Commission Ningaloo Coast Regional Interim Development Order (NCRIDO)
The NCRIDO is a precursor to a proposed regional planning scheme that will extend (at least) over the whole length of the Ningaloo reef and its adjacent coast which traverses parts of both the Carnarvon and Exmouth Shires. It is understood that formulation of the proposed regional planning scheme will commence in 2008.
The application of SPP’s 2.6 and 6.3 and the NCRIDO is administered by the Ningaloo Sustainable Development Office (NSDO) which is located at Suite 5, Carnarvon Business Centre, Robinson Street, Carnarvon 6701 (Tel: 9941 3559; Fax: 9941 1067; email: Arleen.Schmertz@dpi.wa.gov.au)
For further information in regard to SPPs 2.6 and 6.3, and the NCRIDO, please contact the NSDO direct.
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Land Subdivision and Information and Enquiries
The Western Australian Planning Commission (WAPC) is the authority responsible for governing and administering the amalgamation and subdivision of freehold and strata-survey titled land within Western Australia.
To amalgamate or subdivide freehold and strata-survey titled land within the Shire, an application is to be made to the Commission (not the Shire). However, to assist it in determining whether to grant preliminary approval to an application to amalgamate or subdivide land within the Shire, the WAPC will refer a copy of the application to the Shire for Council’s consideration and determination.
Generally, Council’s determination of an application and subsequent advice to the WAPC (support for or objection to the application) will largely be based on the degree to which the proposal is deemed-to-comply with relevant policies, provisions and standards of the prevailing town planning scheme, adopted or endorsed subdivision guide plans applying to the land, and other applicable Council policies and standards.
Therefore, in investigating the capability of a legal land or building parcel within the Shire being able to be amalgamated or subdivided, reference should be made to the prevailing town planning scheme in the first instance (click on the links in the section ‘Zoning Information and Enquiries’ to view the Shire’s two town planning schemes).
For information about how to make and lodge an application to amalgamate or subdivide freehold and strata-survey titled land within the Shire, the approval process (including flow-charts), and to download relevant application forms and for a list of fees and charges associated with making an application please refer to the WAPC website.
Copies of the above-referenced information and forms are also available from the public counter of the Shire Office.
For any queries in respect to the amalgamation and subdivision process, the making, lodging and tracking of an application to its determination, please contact the WAPC direct.
Contact details for the WAPC are as follows:
Street/Postal Address: Albert Facey House, 469 Wellington Street PERTH WA 6000
Telephone Number: (08) 9941 0030 Fax Number: (08) 9264 7566
Email address: corporate@wapc.wa.gov.au
Website address: www.wapc.wa.gov.au
In respect to calculating or determining the potential number of lots that might be yielded from a subdivision of land, especially where new lots are proposed to provide stock for say, housing and industrial estate development, it is recommended that an independent and professional town planning consultant, licensed surveyor, or civil engineer, should be engaged or commissioned to assist.
Shire town planning staff are unable to assist in this aspect.
Strategic Plans, Policies & Studies
Proposed Boundary Road Rezoning - Position Paper
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