FAQs

A Scheme Amendment is a change to the zoning and/or permissibility of uses within the City's Town Planning Scheme. When an application to rezone land or the City proposes a change to the Scheme, the process is known as a Scheme Amendment. A Scheme Amendment can be proposed by a landowner/s, the City of Armadale or the Western Australian State Government.

 Scheme Amendments may be initiated for many different reasons, such as:

 a change in zoning to accommodate a type of development for which the site is deemed suitable;

• a change in the Residential Density Code on the Scheme Maps for a specific location or precinct;
• a change in the wording of Scheme Text (the written part of the local planning regulations); or
• to correct any inconsistency or errors in the Scheme Maps or Scheme Text.

Amendment 129 is a Town Planning Scheme Amendment to Town Planning Scheme No. 4 (TPS 4). Amendment 129 proposes to change the wording of the Scheme Text in Clause 3.14 of Schedule 9B to extend the operating lifespan for Development Contribution Plan No. 3 (North Forrestdale) from 20 to 30 years. 

Should the Amendment be adopted and formally gazetted, the Development Contribution Plan will then operate until 2037.

All of the land associated with Development Contribution Area No. 3 is identified Special Control Area No. 3 Map in the City's Town Planning Scheme No. 4.

Established in 2007, Development Contribution Plan No. 3 (DCP 3) has been operating successfully in delivering material benefits for the Piara Waters and Harrisdale communities for almost 13 years. In order to continue the successful implementation of DCP 3, an extension to the operational lifespan of the DCP is required for the following reasons:

 1) DCP Operating Lifespan and Undeveloped areas: the DCP operating lifespan should align with development timeframes. There are several residential estates and areas that are highly unlikely to be fully developed prior to the expiry of the DCP.

 2) Progress of DCP Infrastructure Implementation: With the introduction of the expansion area, including land on Warton Road being incorporated into the DCP as part of the Major review, new infrastructure was included into the Development Contribution Area. There are several DCP projects yet to be commenced or fully implemented.

 3) DCP closure: if and when Council decides to propose closure of DCP 3, the administrative process for this is unlikely to be completed prior to the expiration of the DCP.

The Department of Planning Lands and Heritage have recently agreed that the Scheme Amendment can be released for advertising, for the purpose of public review and to call for submissions from the public.

Prior to proceeding further with the Scheme Amendment process and making final recommendations to the Western Australian Planning Commission, Council will consider any submissions received on the proposal from the public and government agencies. 

Please submit any comments you wish to make by the end of the close period - refer main page.

All of the landowners that fall within the area identified in the attached Special Control Area No. 3 Map are being consulted.

In addition, Amendment 129 is being advertised through newspaper advertisements and all information is available on the City’s website. Anyone interested in the proposal can provide feedback through making a submission by email or in hard-copy form.

If you wish to comment on Amendment 129 and the City wrote to you directly, please complete the Submission Form provided.   

A hardcopy of the Submission Form can also be obtained from the City’s Administration Building at 7 Orchard Avenue Armadale during business hours 8:15 to 4:45 Monday to Friday, or you may request a copy to be mailed or emailed.

You must lodge your submission with the City by Friday 3 July 2026. You can either post the Submission Form back to the City (Locked Bag 2, Armadale WA 6992), deliver it to the City’s Administration Building (7 Orchard Avenue Armadale) or email it to: info@armadale.wa.gov.au 

 An information sheet with tips on how to write a submission can be found on the City’s website via the link below.

https://www.armadale.wa.gov.au/information-sheets-forms-and-fees-building-planning

The City will not publish your name and address in the Council reports on the outcomes of the Public Review and Submissions Period. However, your full comments may be reproduced and published in planning reports. Note that a schedule of submissions, including the full details of submitters, are provided confidentially to Councillors however, this will not be made available to the public. The schedule and copy of all submissions are also provided to the Western Australian Planning Commission.

Scheme Amendments may take several months following Council’s final adoption decision before the State Government’s final decision is known, however, the City will advise all persons who make a submission of the final outcome.

 If you lodge a submission on Amendment 129 the City will write to or email you at the following stages:

 1.    When Council has made a decision to adopt the Amendment for final approval and forwarding its recommendation to the Western Australia Planning Commission; and

2.    When the Hon. Minister for Planning has issued a final decision on the Scheme Amendment.

After the close of the Public Review and Submissions Period, the City will summarise all submissions received from the public and government agencies and prepare a planning report for Council’s consideration at a future round of Council meetings. Council can determine to either adopt Scheme Amendment 129 for final approval, with or without modifications, or resolve to not support the amendment. 

Council’s decision is then forwarded to the Western Australian Planning Commission, which considers the proposal and submissions before making a final recommendation to the Minister for Planning. The Minister may grant final approval to the scheme amendment, with or without modifications, or may refuse to approve the scheme amendment. The final decision rests with the Hon. Minister for Planning.

An approved Scheme Amendment becomes part of the statutory Town Planning Scheme on the date it is published in the Government Gazette following the Minister’s decision. The City will publish the updated Town Planning Scheme (including Maps and Text) on its website following gazettal of the Amendment.

 If Amendment 129 proceeds to final approval by the Hon. Minister for Planning, the expiry period for DCP 3 will be extended from 23 January 2027 to 23 January 2037.