- New policy improves strategic planning for future primary and secondary schools
- Early engagement with the Department of Education required by developers
- Policy considers planning for early childhood education and education support facilities
A new planning policy has come into effect today that will guide the location and selection of development sites for new Government and private schools across Western Australia.
Operational Policy 2.4 - Planning for School Sites delivers a contemporary approach to planning for future Government and private schools, ensures a more transparent approach to cash in lieu arrangements, and enables childcare facilities to be co-located.
The policy requires school sites to be strategically located - with a minimum of three street frontages - and must consider bikes, scooters, and other transport modes to improve neighbourhood traffic networks and road safety.
Sites must also be large enough to cater for childcare or education support facilities where required.
Developers will be required to engage with the Department of Education (DoE) early in the planning process, to ensure Government school sites are unencumbered and able to be developed, reducing the cost to taxpayers and enabling more efficient delivery of schools.
The policy also includes a reduced ratio of one Government primary school per 1,500 lots, meaning early engagement will enable the DoE to manage enrolments at new schools.
The new policy can be found online at https://www.dplh.wa.gov.au/school-sites.
As stated by Planning Minister Rita Saffioti:
"This policy addresses many issues experienced in the delivery of new schools in residential communities, and will ensure future schools are located in areas that support improved traffic networks, associated services, and incur less cost and barriers to construction.
"It provides clarity for developers on the requirements for site selection for schools when master planning a new community, or alternatively sets a more equitable formula for calculating developer contributions in circumstances where allocation of land is not an option.
"Our Government is committed to streamlining the planning process to ensure it delivers what the community needs."
As stated by Education and Training Minister Sue Ellery:
"We have delivered on our commitment to introduce new guidelines for planning for future Government and private schools that deliver fairer guidance to the development industry and return improved benefits for Western Australian families.
"We also wanted a policy that would ensure consideration was given to co-located childcare and education support needs when planning for new schools.
"This policy will ensure that thousands of Western Australians investing in new homes and new residential communities have greater certainty on the future delivery of local schools."
