- Cook Government releases revised Residential Design Codes Volume 1 incorporating the Medium Density Code
- Changes support the delivery of housing supply and diversity across the State
- Amendments to granny flat provisions cut unnecessary red tape and enhance housing choice
- New standards come into effect on 10 April 2024
The Cook Government has published the revised Residential Design Codes Volume 1 (R-Codes), which boost housing supply and choice while improving design standards across the State.
The changes respond to industry feedback to help reduce any further impacts on the residential construction sector and keep the cost of delivering affordable housing down.
Single homes in areas coded R40 and below will not be subject to the 2023 draft Medium Density Code provisions and existing standards from the R-Codes will continue to apply, minimising impacts on popular housing products in new residential estates.
The 2023 draft Medium Density Code provisions will apply to single houses coded R50 and above, grouped dwellings coded R30 and above, and multiple dwellings coded R30-60, with minor modifications to some provisions.
The revised R-Codes retain the site area incentives for small dwellings and accessible dwellings in areas coded R30 and above, promoting greater housing diversity.
Changes to granny flat provisions are also incorporated in the revised R-Codes and relax existing planning exemptions by removing the previous minimum 350 square metre lot size requirement and no longer requiring the granny flat to be compatible with the existing dwelling.
Most provisions in the revised R-Codes will come into effect on 10 April 2024, while implementation of a small number of new provisions subject to existing planning instruments, such as a structure plan, will be supported by a 24-month transition period.
Consequential amendments to the existing Apartment R-Codes (Volume 2) have also been published to ensure consistency with the revised R-Codes Volume 1.
Detailed guidance on the new policy provisions and transitional arrangements is available at wa.gov.au/dplh
As stated by Planning Minister John Carey:
“The Cook Government continues to lead the nation through our planning reforms designed to boost housing supply in Western Australia, demonstrating our commitment to the National Planning Reform Blueprint agreed to by National Cabinet.
“Working with stakeholders and industry, the revised R-Codes will facilitate opportunities for greater housing supply and choice, while continuing to improve design standards across the State.
“The policy also incorporates a number of measures that improve liveability, including the enhancement of neighbourhood tree canopies through incentives for tree retention, and requirements to provide new trees and deep soil zones in all medium density developments.”
