Karnup District Structure Plan

Along with some land already zoned ‘Urban Deferred’ on Stakehill Road, around 2000 hectares of land in Karnup has been identified as an ‘Urban Expansion Area’ by the State Government, within the South Metropolitan Peel Sub-regional Planning Framework (‘the Framework’). The land has been identified as a key future urban growth corridor within the south-west corridor of Metropolitan Perth since the 1980s.

The Framework requires the preparation of a District Structure Plan to guide future development within the area.

The City is leading the process and has engaged a Consultant Team to prepare the District Structure Plan.

A District Structure Plan provides a long-term vision for urban development in a particular area.  It is the culmination of extensive technical investigations, and consultation with community, local and State Government, and service providers.

The District Structure Plan will guide future land uses, identify the location of major roads, coordinate major community infrastructure, identify the location and size of activity centres, and identify the location distribution and size of open space to protect environmental assets and provide amenity to the community.

It also identifies matters to be addressed by subsequent planning stages and provides the basis for the preparation of (Local) Structure Plans over smaller precincts within the District Structure Plan area.

The Planning Framework identifies the following key features for inclusion in the District Structure Plan:

• a new District Activity Centre (ie. shopping centre);
• a ‘Specialised Node’ as a strategic site for longer-term public uses, centrally located between Rockingham–Kwinana and Mandurah–Pinjarra, and providing for a range of regional public facilities which may include education, health and other future ancillary uses;
• a 50 ha Regional Sporting Facility site;
• a future railway station (Karnup Train Station) and associated transport connections; and
• various changes to the regional transport hierarchy.

The District Structure Plan will also be informed by a range of adopted and draft strategies, policies and studies prepared by State Government, and by the City, which provide context for the planning of the area, including those prepared recently to support the Local Planning Strategy.

District Structure Plans can be prepared by landowners or stakeholders within a future urban area. In this instance, the City has committed to prepare the District Structure Plan to enable an independent and impartial view in achieving the best outcomes for the community.

The Western Australian Planning Commission is responsible for approving the District Structure Plan.

Land in Karnup can be developed once these processes are complete:

• District Structure Plan;
• Metropolitan Region Scheme rezoning;
• Local Planning Scheme rezoning;
• Structure Plan(s);
• Infrastructure contribution agreements (also called Development Contribution Agreements); and
• Subdivision approval.

The above processes are expected to take a number of years to complete (possibly up to 10 years). Once the land is zoned and structure planning processes complete, it will be up to the individual landowners to determine when development occurs.

The process of preparing the District Structure Plan project is as follows:

1. Background Assessment and Reporting: opportunities and constraints analysis including environmental considerations, bushfire, servicing, traffic and transport, Aboriginal heritage etc.
2. Preparation of a Mosquito Risk Assessment and Management Plan (refer below)
3. Referral of background report to the WAPC and Council
4. Project Visioning: development of a project vision for the District Structure Plan which includes engagement with the community, Environmental Advisory Committee and Councillors
5. Referral of community outcomes and vision report to Council
6. Preparation of District Structure Plan
7. Referral of draft District Structure Plan to Council, seeking consent to advertise
8. Public advertising of draft District Structure Plan
9. Review of submissions and final revision of draft District Structure Plan
10. Referral of final draft District Structure Plan to Council, seeking endorsement of recommendation to WAPC
11. Referral of District Structure Plan to WAPC, seeking approval

The initial stages of the project, comprising points 1-3 above, are expected to be completed in late 2023.

Depending on the outcome of the Mosquito Risk Assessment and Management Plan, the Project Visioning and other phases including community engagement, are expected to commence late 2023 or early 2024.

Overall, the District Structure Plan is expected to take around three years to complete.

Landowners are not obligated to sell or develop their land, and may continue to occupy and use their land as they currently do (or are subsequently approved to do).

Individual landowners will have the option to either sell their land to a developer or a third party or develop their land themselves.

Land is usually only compulsorily acquired by State Government if it is required for a regional infrastructure purpose (such as a regional road or railway, or for regional open space, for example).

Determining rates is very complex and involves a wide range of factors, some of which are the jurisdiction of the State Government. It is not possible to provide general advice as to whether, and by how much, rates may be affected by the preparation of the District Structure Plan.  

Rates are influenced by whether the property is assessed under Gross Rental Value (GRV) or Unimproved Value (UV), and this classification may change over time.  In addition, rate yield requirements and rates in the dollar is a decision made by Council through the annual budget adoption. These are matters the City is unable to be definitive about.

Information on how rates are calculated is available on the Rates page. 

Information on how property valuations are calculated by Landgate is available on the Landgate website.

In the process of preparing the District Structure Plan, the optimal location for uses such as major roads and other infrastructure, open space and community facilities, schools and activity centres is identified.

A district-wide infrastructure contribution plan (also called a Development Contribution Plan), expected to be administered by the City, will establish timeframes for the delivery of this infrastructure and how costs will be shared equitably amongst landowners. This is to ensure a fair and reasonable outcome so that one landowner is not disadvantaged over another because of the type of land use identified over their land.

The preparation of the District Structure Plan will include a number of opportunities for landowners to provide their input into the Plan. This will include workshops and other consultation processes which are expected to commence during 2024.

In addition, the District Structure Plan is required to be advertised formally for public comment at which time landowners will have an opportunity to lodge a submission on the recommended outcomes for the land. The submissions will be formally considered by the Council and State Government, and in subsequent rezoning processes outlined above, by the Minister for Planning.

Identification of trees and other vegetation, particularly habitat trees, is a key requirement of the technical investigations which will inform preparation of the District Structure Plan. This work will include a Black Cockatoo Habitat Assessment. Consistent with the City’s sustainability framework, significant trees and other vegetation will be identified, and wherever possible, included within areas of open space, or within road reserves.  These areas provide the best chance of protecting existing vegetation.

It is relevant to note that preparation of the Planning Framework included consideration of environmental values at a strategic level, and resulted in several areas being excluded from 'Urban Expansion' area. This includes the exclusion of much of the Stakehill Special Rural Area and two areas of land within the District Structure Plan area from consideration for urban development (see below). 

Depending on the outcome of technical investigations undertaken to inform the District Structure Plan, the extent of the 'Urban' zone for future rezoning under the MRS may also change.

To help inform the environmental investigations, the Project Team’s Environmental Consultants may contact you to seek approval to enter your property to assess the existing trees and vegetation, and to determine if any trees provide habitat for black cockatoos. While the City would encourage you to allow access to your property, there is no obligation to do so.

If you would like to allow access to your property for tree and vegetation surveys (or if you do not wish to allow access) please advise us via Rock Port.

The study area borders the Serpentine River, where there are large tracts of saltmarsh providing mosquito breeding habitat. The City is currently undertaking a Mosquito Monitoring Program to understand the impact and extent of mosquitos affecting the area. 

The Project Team will be required to analyse the outcomes of the monitoring program, and prepare a Mosquito Management Plan and Risk Assessment in the initial stages of the project. The Management Plan will identify recommendations for the District Structure Plan to reduce exposure by future residents (and other occupants of the area) to offsite mosquito breeding, and to manage possible disease risk.

Following consideration of the outcomes by the Council and State Government, the implications of mosquitos on future urban development will be able to be understood and the project will either proceed based on the agreed scope, or pause until such time as the implications are understood and a path forward is identified.

The State Government, through METRONET, is preparing a Precinct Structure Plan for the land adjacent to the proposed Karnup Station. A final draft Precinct Structure Plan has yet to be prepared and submitted to the City for assessment.

Officers from the City are members of a METRONET working party that is overseeing the preparation of the Precinct Structure Plan.

The District Structure Plan will consider the broader strategic issues that may impact on the Precinct Structure Plan. The implementation of the Precinct Structure Plan will be closely connected to the District Structure Plan outcomes.

The Karnup Train Station will be constructed by the State Government and its timing for delivery is unknown to the City at this time.

The State Government is currently inviting proposals to transform the site of the proposed Karnup Train Station and adjacent land into a thriving community hub.

It has released the Karnup Station Precinct Problem and Opportunity Statement which seeks feedback from the market interested in constructing a new passenger train station, and transit-oriented community and precinct.

Submissions for the Karnup Problem and Opportunity Statement close on 17 July 2023 

Find out more

A regular boundary has been identified for the Structure Plan area. Where land is not identified as Urban expansion, or Urban, matters such as interface and access will form part of the District Structure Plan considerations.

There will be a number of opportunities for the community to be involved in the preparation of the District Structure Plan. In the early stages of the project, the Project Team will prepare a Community Engagement Plan, consistent with the City’s procedures, which will inform the consultation process.

The engagement process will include two community workshops during the process, and there will be opportunities for formal comment through the statutory advertising process. 

Consultation is likely to commence during 2024, following the background review and preparation of the Mosquito Management Plan and Risk Assessment.

These FAQs and the City’s website will be updated periodically while the District Structure Plan is being prepared.

Questions and comments can be lodged via Rock Port.

You can also contact the City’s Karnup District Structure Plan team with any enquiries on 9528 0333.