WA’s 2025 Planning Reforms: What Surveyors, Planners & Project Managers Need to Know

Western Australia’s planning system is undergoing some of the most significant reforms in years — and if you’re involved in surveying, town planning, or project management across Perth, the Great Southern, or the South West, it’s crucial to understand what’s changing and how it affects your projects.

In this blog, we’ll break down the key updates introduced through the Planning and Development Amendment Act 2023 and related regulations, explain the new Significant Development Pathway, and provide practical guidance to help you stay ahead of the curve.

What’s Changing?

The Planning and Development Amendment Act 2023 came into effect in stages during 2024, with further regulations following in 2025. These reforms include:

• New development classification thresholds under the Significant Development Pathway: developments over certain cost or scale thresholds will now require approval by the WA Planning Commission (WAPC) or Development Assessment Panels (DAPs).

• Mandatory periodic review of local planning schemes and policies, ensuring schemes remain up to date and aligned with state policy.

• Introduction of “manner and form” requirements for planning documents: standardised templates and presentation standards to improve clarity and compliance.

• Streamlined processes for consultation and approvals, but also tighter oversight on major projects.

For developers and consultants, this means more rigorous assessment pathways for larger developments, clearer documentation expectations, and greater interaction with central planning authorities.

What These Planning Reforms Mean for Your Work

Surveyors

With updated manner and form requirements, surveyors must ensure all plans and supporting documentation meet the new standardised templates. This includes precise cadastral detail, site analyses, and environmental overlays that align with local schemes now under mandatory review.

Town Planners

Planners will need to adapt to the Significant Development Pathway for larger or complex projects — including mixed-use developments, community housing, and infrastructure exceeding new cost thresholds (e.g., $5 million for residential, $20 million for commercial). Understanding which developments trigger WAPC or DAP involvement early in the process is key to managing timelines and client expectations.

Project Managers

Project managers should prepare for the updated consultation periods and additional regulatory steps introduced by the reforms. Coordination between surveyors, planners, engineers, and local authorities will be critical to avoid delays and ensure smooth approvals under the new framework.

Regional and Perth Impact

Whether you’re working on infill developments in Perth’s urban areas or managing infrastructure projects in the Great Southern or South West, these reforms affect you. Local governments are required to review and update their schemes and policies more frequently, impacting approvals and compliance checks.

For smaller developers, awareness of the Significant Development Pathway can help in better scoping projects or bundling applications to avoid triggering more complex assessments unnecessarily.

How Harley Dykstra Can Help You Navigate the Changes

At Harley Dykstra, our multidisciplinary team of surveyors, town planners, and project managers has been closely monitoring these reforms and advising clients on their implications.

We offer:

• Tailored surveying services ensuring documentation meets the latest manner and form standards.

• Planning advice to identify when your development triggers the Significant Development Pathway and how best to engage with the WAPC and DAPs.

• Project management that integrates all regulatory steps efficiently, coordinating between consultants and authorities.

If your project is impacted by WA’s 2025 planning reforms or you want to review your local planning scheme compliance, contact us for expert guidance before key consultation windows close on 3 October 2025.

Final Thoughts

WA’s planning reforms represent a shift towards greater oversight and consistency, but with the right expertise, they can be navigated smoothly and even offer opportunities for streamlined approvals.

Stay ahead by partnering with Harley Dykstra — your local experts in surveying, planning, and project delivery across Perth and regional WA.

Contact us today to discuss how these reforms affect your upcoming developments and infrastructure projects.

References

1. Western Australian Planning Commission (WAPC). Planning and Development Amendment Act 2023 and Associated Regulations. https://www.planning.wa.gov.au/planning-reform/current-reform-initiatives/planning-and-development-amendment-act-2023-and-associated-regulations (Accessed July 2025).

2. Western Australian Planning Commission (WAPC). Significant Development Pathway. https://www.planning.wa.gov.au/significant-development-pathway (Accessed July 2025).

3. Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage (DPLH). Local Planning Policy Review and Consultation. https://haveyoursay.dplh.wa.gov.au/localplanningpolicies (Accessed July 2025).

4. Government of Western Australia. Proposed reforms to further modernise WA’s local planning system. Media Statement, 7 July 2025. https://www.wa.gov.au/government/media-statements/Cook%20Labor%20Government/Proposed-reforms-to-further-modernise-WA%27s-local-planning-system---20250707 (Accessed July 2025).

5. Western Australian Planning Commission (WAPC). Planning Reform Progress. https://www.planning.wa.gov.au/planning-reform/planning-reform-progress (Accessed July 2025).