Town Planning Scheme and Documents

Town planning is designed to co-ordinate the growth and development of the town.

Planning consent is required for most building and development within the Shire and must be obtained prior to the commencement of any work.

Planning decisions are based upon the Shire of East Pilbara Town Planning Scheme No. 4 (TPS4), which designates approved land uses.

If you do not wish to make an application and you require further information specific to your land, you can submit a Planning Enquiry Form (found below). Alternatively, to discuss your proposal with a member of staff from the Shire please phone ahead and make an appointment.

Pilbara Development Assessment Panels

Town Planning Scheme No. 4

TPS4 or an amendment to it, when approved by the Minister and published in the Government Gazette, has the full force and effect as if it were enacted by the Planning and Development Act itself.

The aims of TPS4 are:

to assist the effective implementation of the State Planning Strategy and any regional plans and policies which are relevant to the Shire;
to foster efficient, hospitable and aesthetic town centres to serve as residential, civic, cultural, recreational and commercial focal points for the surrounding region;
to assist commercial, industrial and business development in order to maximise business and employment opportunities and to sustain and broaden the economic base;
to accommodate infrastructure and townsite development for the beneficial exploration and mining of minerals within the Shire;
to assist the sustainable and economic operation of the pastoral industry in the region;
to support housing choice in town sites and neighbourhoods with community identity and high levels of amenity;
to support the conservation and wise use of natural resources including land, wetlands, flora, fauna and minerals;
to conserve objects and places of natural, historic and cultural significance; and
to protect routes and corridors for the effective transportation of people and goods within the region.

The scheme achieves these aims primarily by the zoning of land, the control of land uses and the incorporation of the R codes.

The scheme requires (generally) that the approval of the Council is required prior to the development, the use or change of use of land.

Please find here the TPS4 plus the Scheme Maps.

Town Planning Scheme No. 4 amendments

The process to change or amend the scheme is complex, requires advertising and may include other forms of notice. Because of this, the Scheme amendment process may take 18 months or longer from initiation to finalisation. Many however do not reach the end for various reasons.

Please find a flow chart for this process available for download at the bottom of this page.

Residential Development and the R Codes

The Residential Design Codes (R Codes) has provided the basis for controlling residential development throughout Western Australia since 1985 and with the current version of the codes having effect from 29 April 2008.

The R Codes are prepared by the Western Australian Planning Commission and are incorporated into the Shire of East Pilbara Town Planning Scheme No 4 (TPS 4) by reference and hence have effect over the whole of the Shire.

Some of the primary purposes of the R Codes are:

To standardise the way in which Local Governments throughout WA deal with residential development.
To set the maximum density of residential development by requiring that Town Planning Schemes nominates a density code for all residential land. This is generally shown on the Scheme Map as a density code. The density code numbers approximately relate to the maximum number of dwelling units permitted on 1 hectare of land. E.g. R15, R20, R40, R100 etc. The density codes also provide for the minimum sizes to which land may be subdivided.
To provide surety of outcome in that applications which comply must be approved. The codes provide that development is required to comply with either the prescribed acceptable development or satisfy the performance criteria for each of the design elements.
Where it is proposed to use the performance criteria it is essential that satisfaction with each of the criteria relevant to the variation be achieved. Neighbours' comments may be required. The design elements may only be amended by a provision in a Town Planning Scheme or by a Local Planning Policy. The Shire of East Pilbara has both Town Planning Scheme (TPS 4) provisions and Local Planning Policies, which vary some of the R Code provisions.

Please click here for R Codes.

Municipal Inventory of Heritage Places

The Shire of East Pilbara Municipal Inventory of Heritage Places is available for download (Note: 75MB of data). Click here to download.

Local Planning Policies

Documents available for download:

TPS Amendment Flow Chart

Common Forms and Information

Revitalisation Project

Development Strategies

Newman Town Centre Development Strategy