R-Codes changes open for public comment

Last week, the State Government announced that reforms to the Residential Design Codes (R-Codes) are now open for public comment until February 26, 2027.

The R-Codes are the statewide planning and design standards in Western Australia which regulate residential development, determining important elements such as minimum block subdivision requirements, building setbacks, open space and housing density.

The R-Codes apply to all residential projects across WA – from single homes to large apartment buildings – and are managed by the Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage.

The reforms currently open for comment aim to increase the diversity of housing available to the market, particularly in infill (existing) areas, through simplification and cutting red tape.

Under the proposed reforms, one of the biggest changes would be the abolition of the average lot size requirement for land coded R25 and below.

Given the most common zoning in suburban neighbourhoods is R20, this will allow residential property owners with a block sized about 700sqm within an R20-coded area to potentially subdivide. That is down from the current 900sqm minimum.

A key part of the reforms is also supporting apartment development by providing greater flexibility while maintaining appropriate planning, design and amenity outcomes.

Proposed changes relating to apartment development include removing minimum resident car parking requirements and reducing visitor car parking requirements in some locations, introducing new building height limits under some zonings to better reflect the scale of apartment development being delivered today and simplifying setback requirements.

All these changes aim to ensure quality development outcomes for the community and future residents while supporting project feasibility across a range of locations.

At a time when WA continues to face significant housing pressures, reforms such as these have the potential to help deliver significantly more homes faster.

The reforms also aim to cut unnecessary red tape so simpler residential projects, such as single houses, renovations, patios and carports, no longer require planning approval.

New changes to granny flat standards include lifting the maximum floor space from 70sqm to 90sqm, abolishing minimum car parking requirements and reducing rear lot boundary setback in lower-density areas. More granny flats will also be exempt from council planning approvals.

While the reforms are promising, UDIA WA will continue to advocate for the need for community and essential services infrastructure to keep pace with the increased population accommodated within our urban areas.

This means strategic forward planning for essential water and power infrastructure, as well as social infrastructure such as schools, sporting facilities and public open space.