Ordinary Meeting of Council 8 February 2006
1.3 DRAFT POLICIES FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF URBAN GROWTH
(All Wards) (Community Planning)
KEY ISSUES
• Urban growth is one of the major issues facing the City of Swan over the next decade, with over 2,500ha of land potentially available for urban development;
• Planning for sustainable growth within the City therefore needs to consider ways of managing this growth to ensure that it is viable and delivers quality new communities. Planning also needs to recognise that the development and redevelopment of urban areas in Swan is a positive and desirable direction for the City.
• The City has therefore commenced preparation of an Urban Growth Strategy to provide clear direction on the preferred form and sequence of development within new urban areas and major redevelopment sites within existing urban areas. This strategy will set standards for development and identify the necessary actions for Council to ensure that infrastructure and ongoing management is coordinated between the City, developers and State agencies.
• In the interim, given the current development pressure it is considered prudent to prepare a number of Town Planning Scheme (TPS) Policies to provide immediate and direct planning controls for these and any future proposals.
• A suite of four policies addressing Urban Growth, Neighbourhood Planning, Environmental Planning; and Community and Economic Development Planning have therefore been prepared as interim policies for Council to guide current urban growth. It is proposed that these policies be adopted under Clause 2.4A of Town Planning Scheme No. 9 (TPS9).
• Once the Urban Growth Strategy is finalised and adopted by the City, these Policies will be reviewed and updated to reflect the more detailed assessment and recommendations for development control for new urban growth.
It is recommended that Council resolve to advertise the four draft policies presented in this report for public comment for a period of 28 days.
BACKGROUND
The City of Swan is facing considerable development pressure almost wholly attributed to the growth in new urban development in the urban growth corridor between Ellenbrook and Caversham. The City is experiencing a strong population growth rate of around 2.7% per year, compared with the Perth metropolitan region 1.8% per year. There is approximately 2,500 hectares of land within Swan either currently zoned MRS Urban and currently being developed or subject to Structure Planning and major TPS Amendments that will potentially change this zoning to Urban in the short to medium term.
The City faces several significant planning and management challenges in dealing with new urban development:
Ordinary Meeting of Council 8 February 2006
• Providing equitable public transport options via the Transit Reserve and future Perth to Darwin Highway to connect Ellenbrook to the Midland Strategic Regional Centre.
Such a connection will reduce reliance on cars and funnel people to employment and services thus supporting the considerable State infrastructure investments in these Regional Centres.
• Demonstrate sustainable decision-making through a strategy-led planning system with a whole-of-government partnership approach and pro-active leadership.
• Model longer-term infrastructure costs, look for cost sharing opportunities and gain agreements to cost and provision responsibilities, building on the City’s leadership in negotiated developer contributions at Ellenbrook and the Vale and addressing new challenges of coordinating infrastructure contributions from around 250 landowners.
• Coordinate infrastructure provision and use this to influence the priorities and sequence of urban growth, including consideration of growth within key infill sites at Midland, Stratton and Middle Swan.
• preserve and manage significant environmental features and Swan regional character
• coordinating and providing sustainable levels of community facilities and services, including equitable transport systems and facilitating community empowerment through community capacity building.
• Develop and provide incentives for housing diversity and innovation so that housing product matches demographic, lifestyle and sustainability needs.
• Creating a wide range of local employment and learning opportunities to service the rapidly growing population through business development and growth and skill development.
• Need for guidance, partnerships and statutory controls to achieve holistic integrated structure planning that isn’t dominated by land use but encompasses all facets of quality of life including community and economic development plans.
• Creation of a sense of place that builds on Swan’s unique and diverse characteristics while promoting a cohesive regional identity.
The City is currently preparing an Urban Growth Strategy that will provide a preferred form and sequence of development within new urban areas and major redevelopment sites within existing urban areas. This strategy will set standards for development and identify the necessary actions for Council to ensure that infrastructure and ongoing management is coordinated between the City, developers and State agencies.
In the interim, given the current development pressure and the preparation of several major Structure Plans and TPS Amendments in the new urban areas, in particular at Albion, West Swan and Caversham, it is considered prudent to prepare a number of Town Planning Scheme (TPS) Policies to provide immediate and direct planning controls for these and any future proposals
It is proposed that once the Urban Growth Strategy is finalised and adopted by the City, that the Urban Growth Policies will be reviewed and updated to reflect the more detailed assessment and recommendations for development control for new urban growth.
REPORT
The proposed Policies provide a consistent and comprehensive set of objectives and detailed planning requirements for major urban developments proposals within the new urban areas and larger sites within existing urban areas that are the subject of Structure
Ordinary Meeting of Council 8 February 2006
Planning. The policies will assist to address a number of key challenges in managing urban growth namely:
• Provision, timing and contribution to major infrastructure items such as roads, drainage, public transport and open space
• Planning for community facilities and services and coordination of provision with other agencies
• Management of on-site and off-site environmental impacts such as quality and quantity of ground and surface water, drainage, acid sulphate soils, management of wetlands and natural areas
• Provision of local employment and economic development opportunities through commercial development and home-based business
• Co-ordination and timing of development
Without guidance on the City’s objectives for urban growth and detailed requirements to be reflected in Structure Plans, there is a threat that the approval of development in new urban areas may result in:
• Inappropriate design and servicing of urban areas that does not reflect the demographic, social and economic needs of the community
• Inappropriate quality of development that contributes to a longer-term financial burden on the City to manage and maintain
• Downstream and long-term environmental impacts
• Inability to adequately fund and roll-out essential and desirable public infrastructure
In addition, the processes proposed in the policies provide the City with an opportunity to assess the longer-term financial and operational impacts of urban growth. This analysis must be reflected in the City’s organisation planning for future community services implications and operational workload.
OUTLINE OF POLICIES
A suite of four policies is proposed and an overview of the key components with the focus of each policy provided in the following section of the report:
Urban Growth Policy
This policy has been drafted as the umbrella policy to guide urban growth. In particular this policy:
• Provides detailed objectives for urban growth and priority areas for urban development that reflects the planning timeframes contained within Regional Planning Strategies to ensure an orderly and manageable sequence of development.
• Clearly states the City’s criteria for dealing with ad-hoc proposals outside of priority areas.
• Requests comprehensive information and early consultation with the City and other key agencies in the preparation of proposals.
• Where relevant, requires Structure Plans and TPS Amendments to be prepared and advertised concurrently.
• Requires adequate landowner consultation by the proponent, where there is multiple landownership within the Structure Plan area.
Ordinary Meeting of Council 8 February 2006
• Requires the preparation of a financial report (including life-cycle costings) to allow the financial and operational impacts of development to be assessed and infrastructure contributions are negotiated so that comprehensive Development Contributions Plans are prepared
Neighbourhood Planning Policy
This policy sets out detailed objectives and planning requirements for residential development, transport and access and integration with surrounding rural, natural and urban areas, in particular:
• Development must address, where required, buffers and/or separation mechanisms between urban development and adjoining rural and natural areas.
• Must prepare comprehensive traffic impact assessments and plan for wider transport modes.
• Must prepare Detailed Site Plans for commercial centres.
• Development must provide for housing diversity and meet density targets to ensure longer-term sustainability of public transport services and local community and commercial services and activity.
• Development should be staged to support the efficient provision of infrastructure.
Environmental Planning Policy
This policy sets out detailed objectives and planning requirements for the assessment and management of environmental impacts, in particular:
• Requires a Statement of Potential Environmental Impacts to be prepared where development is likely to have significant impacts within the site, off-site or where impacts may be cumulative
• Requires a range of Management Plans to be prepared for BushForever sites, Conservation Category wetlands, ground and surface water systems and acid sulphate soils and any significant environmental features.
• Requirements for pre-development monitoring of hydrology, ground and surface water, biodiversity and geotechnical profile to enable robust predictions of development impacts and recommended management of issues
• Require regionally significant natural areas to be managed by appropriate State agencies and zoned MRS "Parks and Recreation" and no management responsibilities to be assigned to the City, unless it is in the City's strategic interests
• Minimum management responsibilities and timeframes for natural areas and water management systems
• Support for water conservation and re-use schemes especially for watering community and public facilities where there is undue cost implications for the City
• Key principles for water management including environmental flows maintained at pre-development levels, no increase in nutrient levels, stormwater treatment at source where possible, utilisation of natural drainage channels where possible, use of non-structural treatments where cost-effective and sustainable, no support for wet detention basins (i.e. artificial lakes) unless demonstrated as environmentally and financially effective,
• Requirements for investigation of acid sulphate soils and key principles for the management
• Requirements for Fire Management Plans
Ordinary Meeting of Council 8 February 2006
Community and Economic Planning Policy
This policy sets out detailed objectives and planning requirements for the community and economic development, in particular:
• require a Community and Economic Development Plan to be prepared
• must consider social and economic constraints and opportunities
• long-term outline of community facilities and service needs
• financial assessment and life-cycle costing
• commitment to Community Fund for early provision of community facilities, services and community development programs
CONCLUSION
It is essential that the structure and management of new urban areas is properly planned to deliver the best possible short and long-term outcomes for the City and community.
The Urban Growth Policies put in place a consistent and comprehensive set of objectives and requirements for major urban developments to provide clear direction and certainty for the preparation of plans for new urban areas. They clearly set out the hierarchy of plans and management documents required for assessment of new urban development and demand comprehensive information from proponents to demonstrate the sustainability of their proposals. This will ensure that urban development meets the City and wider regional sustainability needs and can be longer-term social, economic, environmental and financial/operational impacts can be assessed and managed.
The Policies recognise that the development and redevelopment of urban areas in Swan is a positive and desirable direction for the City. However, at the same time, development must strive to meet current standards of best practice, enhance the long- term quality of life of our residents and be financially sustainable.
The policies will be adopted under the TPS to enable the Council to deal effectively with structure plans and major TPS Amendments for urban zones and provide clear guidance upfront for applicants. Most importantly, the Policies will prevent decisions being made without consideration of their wider implications and impacts and allow the Council to better manage the substantial growth of the City for the long-term public interest.
It is recommended that the City grant permission to advertise the Policies in accordance with the procedure set out in Clause 2.4A of the Town Planning Scheme No. for a period of 28 days.
OPTIONS AND IMPLICATIONS
Option 1: Council may resolve to allow the draft policies to be advertised for public comment in accordance with Clause 2.4A of Town Planning Scheme No. 9. This is the preferred option.
Implications: The draft policies will be advertised for a period of 28 days in accordance with Clause 2.4A of Town Planning Scheme No. 9. Following the advertising period Council will consider the submissions received and whether to further modify the draft policies prior to adoption.
Option 2: Council may resolve to not proceed with advertising of the draft policies.
This is not the preferred option.
Implications: The City will continue to assess and approve major proposals for new urban development without comprehensive policy guidance.
Ordinary Meeting of Council 8 February 2006
ATTACHMENTS
Draft Urban Growth Policy POL-C-102,
Draft Neighbourhood Planning Policy POL-C-103, Draft Environmental Planning Policy POL-C-104
Draft Community and Economic Planning Policy POL-C-105.
STRATEGIC IMPLICATIONS
The Policies puts in place a consistent and comprehensive set of objectives and requirements for major urban developments to provide clear direction and certainty for the preparation of plans for new urban areas. They clearly set out the hierarchy of plans and management documents required for assessment of new urban development and demand comprehensive information from proponents to demonstrate the sustainability of their proposals. This will ensure that urban development meets the City and wider regional sustainability needs and can be longer-term social, economic, environmental and financial/operational impacts can be assessed and managed.
The Policies are seen to align with all KRAs within the City's Corporate Plan including KRA 1: Leading the City of Swan.
STATUTORY ENVIRONMENT
The adoption of the policies under Clause 2.4A of the Town Planning Scheme will enable the City’s strategic objectives and detailed planning, environmental and community and economic development requirements for planning and managing urban growth to be enforced through the statutory planning system. The policies provide clear and upfront direction for proponents preparing Structure Plans and Development Plans and will improve the negotiation of satisfactory planning outcomes and improved assessment and approval times.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
There are no direct financial implications in implementing the policies through the statutory planning system. However, the requirement for provision of a financial report accompanying Structure Plans and preparation of Development Contributions Plan will provide the City with greater ability to assess and plan for the financial implications of population growth.
RECOMMENDATION
That the Council resolve to:
Ordinary Meeting of Council 8 February 2006
1) Advertise the draft Urban Growth Policy POL-C-102 for public comment for a period of 28 days, in accordance with Clause 2.4A of Town Planning Scheme No.
9;
2) Advertise the draft Neighbourhood Planning Policy POL-C-103 for public comment for a period of 28 days, in accordance with Clause 2.4A of Town Planning Scheme No. 9;
3) Advertise the draft Environmental Planning Policy POL-C-104 for public comment for a period of 28 days, in accordance with Clause 2.4A of Town Planning Scheme No. 9;
4) Advertise the draft Community and Economic Planning Policy POL-C-105 for public comment for a period of 28 days, in accordance with Clause 2.4A of Town
Planning Scheme No. 9;
5) Consider the proposed policies after the close of the advertising period along with any submissions received during the advertising period.
