Project Details

Project Status : In Progress

Estimated Completion Date : TBC

Location : bound by Weston Road, Pickering Brook Road, Carinyah Road, Davey Road, Isaacs Road, McCorkill Road and Repatriation Road in Pickering Brook

The site is zoned rural under the MRS and Rural Agriculture under the City’s Local Planning Scheme No. 3 (LPS3). The Site covers an area of approximately 90 hectares comprising 37 land parcels bound by Weston Road, Pickering Brook Road, Carinyah Road, Davey Road, Isaacs Road, McCorkill Road and Repatriation Road.

Background

The City’s Local Planning Strategy (LPS), endorsed by the WAPC in 2013, identifies the Pickering Brook Townsite Expansion as an urban investigation area. The strategy of the LPS is to ‘review the Pickering Brook Townsite with the intention of consolidating the uses and giving it a focus.’ To achieve this, the LPS will ‘undertake comprehensive planning analysis of the Pickering Brook Townsite and surrounds to investigate potential for the creation of new lots.’

The site is zoned rural under the MRS and Rural Agriculture under the City’s Local Planning Scheme No. 3 (LPS3), and covers an area of approximately 90 hectares. This is made up of 37 land parcels bound by Weston Road, Pickering Brook Road, Carinyah Road, Davey Road, Isaacs Road, McCorkill Road and Repatriation Road.

Work to Date

In 2015 The Planning Group (TPG) was appointed to conduct preliminary investigations into the area and liaise with State Government stakeholders. The City worked in conjunction with TPG to identify constraints and opportunities and conduct technical studies in the area. These technical studies included:

• Environmental Impact Assessment
• Flora and Vegetation Assessment
• Transport Impact Assessment
• Infrastructure Servicing Report
• Bushfire Hazard Assessment
• District Water Management Strategy

In March OCM 2016 Council moved to request that the Western Australian Planning Commission (WAPC) initiate an amendment to the MRS, rezoning Pickering Brook Town Site Expansion Area from Rural to Urban, from Rural Agriculture to Urban Development under LPS3.  

Since March 2016 the City’s officers have been working with the Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage (DPLH), Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES), Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (DWER) and the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) to respond to any issues arising from the proposal.

Decision

The Pickering Brook Townsite Expansion Area MRS request went to the Meeting of the WAPC on 25 October 2017. The WAPC resolved to refuse to initiate the proposal for the following reasons:

• The proposed amendment area is not identified for urban expansion purposes in the draft North-East Sub-regional Planning Framework
• It does not comply with the requirements of State Planning Policy 3. 7 - Planning in Bushfire Prone Areas as an extreme bushfire hazard exists making the location unsuitable and inappropriate for intensification.
• A District Water Management Strategy has not been approved by the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation.

Next Steps

Due to the WAPC’s decision to refuse the MRS Amendment, any future proposals for development within Pickering Brook will need to be identified as part of the City’s Local Planning Strategy 2019, which is currently being developed.

For further information on this project please contact the City's Planning Services during office hours:
Telephone: (08) 9257 9938
Email: enquiries@kalamunda.wa.gov.au