Draft Local Planning Policy 46 – Sustainable Development

The Town of Victoria Park is calling for feedback on a proposed new Local Planning Policy that aims to improve sustainability outcomes for new developments.

The draft policy proposes flexible design options and guidance, empowering landowners to create sustainable buildings without unnecessary barriers or excessive costs.

What is sustainable development?

Sustainable development aims to meet the needs of the present without compromising future generations. It’s about sustaining economic growth and social inclusion while protecting the environment.

Sustainable design incorporates energy efficiency, pollution and waste reduction, recycling and resource recovery, and environmentally friendly construction practices.

Sustainable development is a strong theme in the Town’s Strategic Community Plan 2022-2032 (SCP):

• The SCP’s first environmental priority (protect and enhance the natural environment) includes goals relating to protecting and increasing tree canopy, reducing carbon emissions, and encouraging residents to live more sustainably.
• The SCP’s third environmental priority (enhance liveability through smart planning urban design and development) aims to improve water and energy efficiency of new development to improve quality of life for our community.

Encouraging sustainable development is also a core component in the Town’s Climate Emergency Plan, Local Planning Strategy, and Local Planning Scheme.

Local Planning Policy 46 is divided into two parts – Part A applies to residential development applications and Part B applies to non-residential development.

Part A: residential development

Part A of LPP46 proposes sustainability requirements for new single houses, grouped dwellings, and multiple dwellings in areas coded R60 and below.

How it works:

• New development must achieve a minimum number of ‘sustainability points’ across 21 different of sustainability measures.
• The 21 sustainability measures are weighted based on their ecological benefit and the difficulty/cost to implement (e.g. rainwater tank = 15 points, retention of 8m+ tree = 45 points).
• Applicants are given the flexibility to make up the required points however they choose. This could be through as little as three categories or as many as seven. Applicants do not need to address all 21 categories.
• New single houses, grouped dwellings, and multiple dwellings coded R60 or lower must achieve a minimum of 100 points.
• Significant additions or alterations (greater than 50% of the existing internal floor space) to existing dwellings must achieve a minimum of 60 points.
• The proposed sustainability measures include things like solar power, rainwater tanks, ceiling fans, and tree retention. The full list and the associated weightings are available to view in the draft LPP46 here, and a supplementary document explaining each sustainability measure is available here.

Part B: Non-Residential Development

Part B proposes a requirement for all non-residential developments with a gross floor area of 1,000m2 or more to be designed and constructed to achieve a rating of at least 4 Green Stars using the appropriate Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) Green Star rating tool. The GBCA explanatory material outlines the Green Star ratings as:

• 1 Star = minimum practice
• 2 Stars = average practice
• 3 stars = good practice
• 4 stars = best practice
• 5 stars = Australian excellence
• 6 stars = world leadership

Sustainability vs. cost

Local Planning Policy 46 is designed to avoid creating unnecessary barriers to development or significantly increasing the cost of housing, recognising that housing and development affordability is a pressing issue for many. While sustainable development may involve higher initial costs, it often results in long-term utility savings through improved energy and water efficiency, ultimately offsetting initial expenses.

The policy aims to strike a balance between improving sustainability outcomes, encouraging development, and keeping costs minimal.

Share your thoughts

The draft Local Planning Policy 46 – Sustainable Development is available to view below.

• Draft LPP46 – Sustainable Development

The Town is inviting feedback from residents, developers, and interested community members from Tuesday 28 January to Tuesday 25 February 2025. To comment on the draft policy, fill out our quick online survey here or get in touch with us directly at admin@vicpark.wa.gov.au or call 9311 8111.

For more information contact the Town on 9311 8111 or admin@vicpark.wa.gov.au