Thousands more Perth properties to be subdivided under major shake-up

Tens of thousands more Western Australian home owners will be able to subdivide their properties under a major shake-up of planning rules aimed at boosting housing supply as Perth continues to fall short of its infill targets.

Housing Minister John Carey said an overhaul of residential design codes, or R-Codes, would allow about 50,000 more residential properties to be subdivided.

It would allow residential blocks of 700 square metres to be subdivided for blocks zoned 'R20' and below, which is a low-density classification that applies to the most common residential properties across Perth's metropolitan area.

That is a decrease from the current minimum block size of 900sqm.

Mr Carey described the proposed reforms as a "game changer" that would unlock more land for housing and streamline processes to make it easier to build homes.

He said it was the biggest change to R-Codes in three decades and would have the biggest impact on low-density suburbs located north and south of Perth, including Joondalup.

"The proposed changes enable tens of thousands of existing properties to be subdivided that couldn't previously, providing more opportunities for housing in existing suburbs," he said.

Mr Carey also released a so-called "health check" on the government's plan to provide adequate housing to accommodate a population of 3.5 million across the Perth and Peel regions by 2050.

It acknowledged Perth's annual urban infill rate continued to fall below the 47 per cent target.

But the data showed there had at least been an increase from 34 per cent in 2023 to 39 per cent in 2024.

Cutting red tape

The suite of changes is also aimed at cutting bureaucracy so that more simple residential projects, such as single houses, renovations, patios and carports, no longer need planning approval.

They would also aim to halve the approval time for single dwellings from 60 to 30 days.

Other changes under consideration include:

Removing minimum parking requirements for apartments and granny flats;

Increasing density from two storeys to three storeys in R40 zones;

Reviewing building heights in medium and high-density areas.

When asked whether he was expecting resistance to the changes, Mr Carey said he understood change could be difficult.

"The choice is we cut red tape, enable more infill or alternatively build to Geraldton,"

he said.

He "absolutely rejected" the idea the changes would normalise a lower standard of living for those who could not afford the Australian dream of a four-bedroom house on a large block.

"Around the world, cities do this already and do it successfully," Mr Carey said.

"Cities that have more infill are better, they're more walkable, they have vibrant shop fronts, they have strong local economies. This is about giving people choice."

Mr Carey said he was confident infrastructure in Perth's suburbs would not be overwhelmed.

"Many of these suburbs are actually at under capacity in terms of their zoning," he said.

Industry support

The move has been backed by the Property Council of WA, the Planning Institute of Australia and the Housing Industry Association.

Cameron Leckey from the WA branch of the Planning Institute of Australia said he encouraged any move to increase density in areas where infrastructure already exists.

"We are thrilled to see [R-codes] simplified to free up planners to do what we do best, which is to think strategically and plan for the state rather than get bogged down in regulatory matters," he said.

Housing Industry Association WA executive director Michael McGowan said the changes would allow higher density in suburbs like Bull Creek, Ballajura and Belmont where there was existing infrastructure.

"Several things in the building cycle have become over-complex, and the ability to strip that back [and] make it more simple to deliver housing ... is going to be really critical for housing supply," he said.

Mr Carey said the proposed changes would be released for public consultation later this year, with implementation expected in July 2027.