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New Land use ‘Rulebook’ Moves a Step Closer
The Shire of Augusta Margaret River’s Council approved the latest draft of a new Local Planning Scheme at a special council meeting held last night.
Local Planning Scheme 2, or LPS2, will act as the new ‘rulebook’ for land use across our Shire and aims to guide development and manage growth in a way that protects the character of our local towns, safeguards the environment and meets the future needs of residents.
Shire President Julia Meldrum said the decision marked the culmination of a six-year process involving extensive community consultation.
“LPS2 will shape the future of our Shire, so it was critical to involve our residents and incorporate as many perspectives as possible into our decision-making,” she said.
“Over 90 modifications were made to the draft document which reflects our commitment to listening to our community. While no scheme will address everyone’s concerns, we’ve carefully balanced competing priorities and believe LPS2 strikes the right balance between growth and conservation to protect our regions biodiversity and help our community to thrive.”
“The consultation process also highlighted a range of issues that are important to our community, which Council will look to address through upcoming projects and processes.”
Notice was also given of an intent to further investigate the introduction of a Special Control Area, which might improve Bush Fire Safety through a process independent of the LPS2. The potential use of Special Control Areas in locations with extreme bushfire risk was raised by residents and community groups during a public meeting last week, as a means to adding extra development controls in identified areas.
“Our community knows all too well the devastating impact of bush fires and mitigating the risk of bush fire is something we all take very seriously,” said the Shire President.
“Before we can consider the use of Special Control Areas in this way, we need to thoroughly investigate how they’d work and where they’d be applied. We’d also want to involve our community and affected landowners in the decision-making process through extensive consultation, just as we have for the LPS2.”
LPS2 must now be reviewed by the WA Planning Commission and will need approval from the State's Planning Minister before implementation. The Shire President expressed hope that the WAPC would recognise what make the Shire unique.
“Our LPS2 reflects what makes Augusta-Margaret River so special, and we hope the WAPC will recognise and support this.”
She also commended the dedication of Shire staff in developing the scheme.
“As members of the community themselves, our staff have worked tirelessly to develop a strrong, forward-thinking plan that supports sustainable development and will protect everything that makes our Shire a great place to live.”