Shire of Murray

This strategy provides a guide for the future planning of the Shire’s rural land. It divides the rural areas into 22 precincts and sets out a range of objectives and guidelines for each precinct.Planning is undertaken at a statewide, regional and local level. The Western Australian Planning Commission undertakes the state and regional level planning in conjunction with local government. This generally focuses on the big picture or long-term and provides a context for local governments to put in place more detailed planning. The following diagram sets out the overall planning framework.

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Key documents from the state and Regional Planning Framework relevant to the Shire are set out here.

The Shire of Murray’s local planning framework consists of the following:

Draft Local Planning Strategy

This draft strategy was adopted by Council in 2005 following informal consultation with the community and sets out a desired long term planning direction for the Shire. As the WA Planning Commission’s regional planning for the South Metropolitan and Peel regions has not advanced sufficiently to provide a context to the Shire’s strategy, adoption of the draft strategy has not occurred to date. It has however provided valuable input into the Commission’s regional planning, clearly outlining where the Shire sees potential growth being undertaken in the future. Once the Commission’s regional planning has been finalized it is envisaged that the Shire’s draft strategy will be updated to reflect the regional planning and then finalized.

Local Commercial Strategy

This strategy provides a framework for guiding the planning of commercial areas within the Shire to 2016.

Local Rural Strategy

This strategy provides a guide for the future planning of the Shire’s rural land. It divides the rural areas into 22 precincts and sets out a range of objectives and guidelines for each precinct.

Town Planning Scheme No.4

The Scheme is a statutory document which sets out the Shire’s planning aims, the circumstances where planning approval is required, various zones and reserves and establishes provisions for how development and use of land may proceed.

Structure Plans

Structure plans provide a comprehensive yet flexible planning framework for the subdivision and development of new residential, industrial and commercial areas. Structure plans are also known as Outline Development Plans and are adopted under the Shire’s Town Planning Scheme.

Local Planning Policies

Local planning policies are prepared and adopted using the procedures set out in the Town Planning Scheme. They are intended to guide Council’s decisions on planning proposals, whilst not binding, Council is required to have due regard to the objectives and provisions of local planning policies before making a decision.