Rezoning in Perth - MRS amendment

[MRO]

I am trying to get some land I own rezoned (MRS amendment, Rural to Urban) in the Perth metro area. I submitted my request over 18 months ago and have been told that my application will be included in an omnibus (group of 10 or so smaller applications) amendment for my area but this will only go ahead when there are enough applications.

Has anyone else had to wait so long for a MRS amendment? Any suggestions on what I can do. I have already spoken to the Planning Minister who just wrote me a nice letter telling me the same I had already been told by WAPC.

WAPC have suggested it may be looked at the end of the year but I don't hold much hope. This would make it 2 years since i submitted the request.

Not really sure what to do other than sit here and get angry about it.

 

[UrbanPlanner]

How big is your site? I'm assuming it's comparatively small if the WAPC were happy to wrap it up into an omnibus amendment. However they should've given you an idea of timing at the start and how many amendments they had/needed to get the ball rolling.

unfortunately, the WAPC is currently preparing sub regional strategies to build on Directions 2031 which has essentially meant that any MRS Amendments are not being entertained until at least these sub regional strategies are advertised at the start of next year. To make matters worse the Commonwealth in undertaking a Strategic Environmental Assessment of the Perth and Peel regions which is running alongside the sub regional strategies and informing them to an extent. So if your site has a sniff of environmental value, it's unlikely the WAPC/EPA will progress it before these two bodies of work are made publicly available.

http://www.environment.gov.au/epbc/notices/assessments/perth-peel.html

If your site is big enough to warrant the cost to do so, I would suggest you commission your own technical studies to prove that the site can be readily serviced, does not hold any environmental value and forms a logical extension of the urban area. Then submit it as a standalone amendment so you have a level of control over the process, rather than being held at gunpoint by the WAPC with an omnibus amendment.

 

[westminster]

And if you don't have a town planner - I'd get one.

 

[MRO]

Thanks for the replies. I have a town planner and the submission included information relating to servicing the lots as well as written responses from Western Power and Water Corp. A basic environmental review was included but as most of the land is old farming land it is of minimal environmental value.

The application is not really that small as it includes 29 properties totalling 66 hectares (1/2 acre and 1 acre lots will be the finished product) but WAPC have considered it as a minor amendment and will not look at it on its own and wants to include it in the omnibus. WAPC have indicated it will be looked at toward the end of the year but I don't have much confidence in this being achieved. At the end of the year it will be a full 2 years since we submitted the request.

I am meeting our local state MP today to have a chat, almost certainly a waste of time but need to keep pushing this.

 

[UrbanPlanner]

That’s certainly not a small piece of land, and I'd argue it would certainly be able to be treated as a standalone amendment. No doubt it would be a minor amendment but we are currently doing one for a piece of Rural land that’s slightly smaller and that will be a standalone amendment so we can control the process (to a certain degree).

I would suggest your planner bring themselves up to speed on the sub-regional strategies and strategic environmental review (SER) – even if it's just a meeting with Anthony Muscara (who does most of the omnibus amendments), and just get a feel for what implications, if any, these bodies of work will have on your proposal. This could be why the WAPC is telling you end of the year because this loosely coincides with when these docs will be advertised. But if timing is an issue there may be ways to push it through earlier, but you will need to get yourself before the steering group and plead your case as to why it can/should be progressed now and that the SER will have no bearing on what you're doing. The link I provided has details of the Steering Group, however you/your planner will need to contact WAPC about when their next meeting is as there's no set timeframes for dates.

Cheers

 

[MRO]

Thanks Urbanplanner. We have had numerous discussions with Anthony Muscara but he wont budge on looking at it independently. I just met with local MP Frank Alban who is going to add his support behind our submission and speak to John Day and the WAPC. He has no formal power to direct them to do anything but is going to try and push for a quicker outcome for us.

I will speak to my planner about the issues you raised but I think he has dealt with them and they aren't holding up our submission.

 

[MRO]

Had some good news earlier this week. They are going to look at our MRS amendment submission as a stand alone rather than grouped in an omnibus. They are starting this week by seeking comment from the relevant parties. Fingers crossed for a smooth approval of this.

The local MP was definitely a help with this one and I recommend people speak to their local MP if they are having problems getting a fair go from any government departments.

 

[westminster]

Thumbs up!
Congrats

 

[MRO]

Thanks Westminster.

I will start a new topic as soon as I have some approvals so I can give step by step updates.

Plan is to turn 5 acres of rural into 8 urban zoned half acre lots. My parents also have two similar properties that I will be helping to develop. It is a long slow process but the returns will be well worth it if I get the approvals.