Policy Update – Residential Design Codes Apartments Policy
Part of the State Government’s planning reform agenda is to progress initiatives to achieve improved design of the built form in Western Australia, acknowledging rigid planning controls have limited effectiveness in achieving good design outcomes, especially for complex and site-specific developments. One such initiative is the introduction of the new State Planning Policy 7.3: Residential Design Codes Volume 2 – Apartments, which became operational on 24 May 2019. This policy applies to apartments and mixed-use developments and focuses on improved design outcomes using a performance based approach, rather than imposing prescriptive controls. The policy replaces the previous ‘Part 6’ of the R-Codes. Parts 1 -5 of the R-Codes have now been renamed ‘State Planning Policy 7.3: Residential Design Codes Volume 1’. Harley Dykstra, in collaboration with its preferred design specialist partners are well placed to interpret the policy settings and promote high quality design outcomes for apartment and mixed use developments by combining its expertise in urban design, site context analysis, land survey and digital mapping. We would be happy to discuss your project and assist you with interpreting this new policy framework.
