Future planning
Development of our growing City is managed through plans, policies and rules under the Western Australian planning system. The City is committed to creating liveable communities and places through strategic land use planning.
How is the City planning for urban growth?
The Planning and Development (Local Planning Schemes) Regulations 2015 (the Regulations) require local governments to prepare a Report of Review every five years.
On 17 April 2018 Council considered a previous Report of Review which recommended the City’s current Local Planning Scheme No. 3 be repealed and replaced by Local Planning Scheme No. 4 (LPS4) (Council Resolution 0418/019).
Since the City’s previous Report of Review there have been significant changes to State legislation, the City’s local planning framework as well as demographics, development trends and forecasts. Given the City has now prepared and advertised draft LPS4, the City’s 2024 Report of Review was prepared primarily as a ‘health check’ of the City’s Local Planning Strategy.
On 11 June 2024 Council resolved to approve the Report of Review, recommending the City prepare a new Local Planning Strategy, and forward it to the West Australian Planning Commission (Council Resolution 0624/007).
In accordance with Regulation 67(2) of the Regulations, the documents below are provided for public viewing. Hard copies of these documents can be obtained at the City’s Main Administration Building.
Key report of review findings
Population growth
The City’s population increased from 227,540 in 2019 to 243,871 in 2023, and forecast to grow to 283,360 by 2041. The City’s population growth reflects the changes experienced before, during and after COVID-19. An unprecedented rapid increase from 2022 to 2024 can be attributed to the lifting of border restrictions and significantly higher net migration numbers.
Dwelling targets
The State Government’s Perth and Peel @ 3.5million frameworks set dwelling target of 124,920 total dwellings by 2031 and a total of 149,900 dwellings by 2050. The new Local Planning Strategy will be based on an up-to-date population forecast and will address the demand for new dwellings to meet the City’s forecasted population growth.
Growth areas
The existing Local Planning Strategy identifies 80 Activity Centres and approximately 20 Urban Corridors. It is impractical and inappropriate to simply rezone or increase residential densities in and around these areas without any detailed planning.
The new Local Planning Strategy will prioritise these areas and will specify planning directions and actions to manage the land use change and development of each area.
A Local Planning Strategy is essentially a ‘road map’ of the future growth directions for the City. It guides future decisions in relation to rezoning, residential density changes and funding for future services and infrastructure.
The City of Stirling's Local Planning Strategy was endorsed by the Western Australian Planning Commission on 28 October 2019. It provides the strategic basis for current and future local planning schemes, as well as guide and manage future development in the City. It is a statutory document and provides a link between state and regional strategic planning policies and local interests.
If future development within the City isn't suitably planned, population growth and increased commercial opportunities could have a detrimental impact on the City and its residents. The Local Planning Strategy provides guidance and direction to ensure coordinated and responsive land use planning across the City and to capitalise on potential growth opportunities.
Copies of the City's Local Planning Strategy can be viewed by selecting one of the links below:
Local Planning Strategy - Part One
Local Planning Strategy - Part Two
Did you know?
The Local Planning Strategy is a two part document. Part one contains the overall strategic direction for the City, while part two contains all relevant background information and an analysis of the issues the City is facing.
