Planning Services

The Role of Planning

Planning Services plays a fundamental role in the achievement of broad strategic aims of the Shire in terms of its physical development and the social development of the Community.

How It Is Carried Out

The aims are put into practice through:

Implementation of the Town Planning Scheme through the assessment and control of land use, subdivision and development. Reserving land for parks, roads, schools and civic purposes.
The preparation of broad strategic plans and policies to provide a framework for Town Planning decisions and the improvement of areas throughout the Shire.
Assisting with the progression of Native Title Claims that exist throughout areas of the Shire.
Assisting with the preparation and implementation of Community Layout Plans for town based and remote Aboriginal Communities.

Statutory Planning

Applications

Development, subdivision and home occupation applications are processed by Planning Services.

Assessment is based on the standards prescribed by the Town Planning Scheme and Planning Policies, and processing is considered in the following ways:

Complying applications may be processed without being presented to a meeting of Council.
Where they involve a discretionary decision, the applications are considered at a meeting of Council.
Where neighbours are affected by variations to standards, their comments are taken into account when decisions are made.

Subdivision Applications

Subdivision applications are determined by the Western Australian Planning Commission (WAPC). However, Council still has an important role in providing the Commission with recommendations on subdivision proposals, and with the checking of conditions of subdivision approval.

For further information the WAPC can be reached via www.planning.wa.gov.au.

If you intend to develop or change the use of your land you must first obtain planning approval from Council by lodging a Development Application Form

Planning for Aboriginal Communities

The Shire in conjunction with the Western Australian Planning Commission (WAPC) is responsible for the implementation of the Planning for Aboriginal communities project, which is guided by the WAPCs Statement of Planning Policy No 3.2 Planning for Aboriginal Communities. The project seeks to improve living and environmental health conditions in large, permanent and remote Aboriginal communities through the preparation and implementation of community layout plans.

The project offers a number of benefits for Aboriginal communities, as well as government agencies and service providers. Town planning provides an opportunity to achieve co-ordination when constructing housing and infrastructure in communities and allow Aboriginal people to control what happens in their communities.

The Shire works closely with the WAPC, the Department of Housing and Works [Aboriginal Housing and Infrastructure Directorate] and the Department of Indigenous Affairs, regional communities, the private sector and government on this project.

There are 54 remote Aboriginal communities located throughout the Shire. Details of endorsed community layout plans within the Shire can be viewed on the WAPCs website.

Documents

File Type	File Size	File Name	File Description
	320kb	Planning and Building Guidelines	Building Licence and/or Planning Consent Application and guidelines.
	59kb	Home Occupations	Information on the definition of a Home Occupation and associated planning/permit requirements.
	232kb	Planning Policy	Planning objectives and policies extract from the Policy Manual set by the Shire of Derby/West Kimberley.
	1075kb	Residential Planning Codes of WA	A guide for Planning Authorities on the Residential Planning Codes of Western Australia.
	484kb	Town Planning Scheme	Shire of Derby/West Kimberley Town Planning Scheme No. 5.