The Shire's new Local Planning Scheme formally approved
The Shire of Augusta Margaret River’s new Local Planning Scheme has officially come into effect, following its publication in the State Government Gazette on 29 September 2026.
The publication of the new planning scheme marks the completion of an eight-year process, involving extensive community consultation, stakeholder engagement and detailed review.
The Shire’s Local Planning Scheme 2, or LPS2, is the new ‘rulebook’ for land use across Augusta Margaret River and will guide development to manage growth in line with local priorities, as outlined in the Local Planning Strategy.
Key changes included in the new scheme include:
• Increased residential densities in and around the Margaret River and Augusta town centres.
• Recognition of the importance of agricultural land by zoning it ‘Priority Agriculture’.
• Locally appropriate environmental controls which aim to protect remnant vegetation and endangered fauna.
• Larger ancillary dwellings (granny flats) of up to 120 square metres on rural and rural residential properties, increased from the previous 70 square metre limit.*
During the approval process, several provisions included in the Shire’s final draft were not supported by the State and were removed or amended. These included:
• Rezoning land in Gracetown currently earmarked for development to Environmental Conservation.
• Additional protection for large trees.
• Sustainability provisions aimed at improving the quality and liveability of new homes across the Shire, such as thermal efficiency.
Shire President Julia Jean-Rice said the objective of LPS2 was to establish a planning framework that protects the character of the Shire and its natural environment while responding to the future needs of the community.
“While no scheme will address everyone’s concerns, we’ve carefully considered competing priorities and believe LPS2 strikes the right balance between growth and conservation to protect our region’s biodiversity and help our community to thrive,” said President Jean-Rice.
“We are disappointed that some of the changes supported by Council following extensive community consultation were not retained through the State approval process.
“Our community told us what matters to them - including protecting our natural environment, safeguarding our significant trees and managing development in places such as Gracetown.
“It’s unfortunate that the WAPC has removed or diluted some of the changes in favour of standardised rules for the state, which fails to recognise what makes the Shire unique.”
President Jean-Rice said the Shire would continue to advocate for planning outcomes that reflect the unique characteristics and needs of the Augusta Margaret River community.
“We remain committed to advocating for our community’s interests and ensuring planning processes reflect local needs and priorities.”
Eight years of planning and community input
The LPS2 review has been an extensive process, beginning eight years ago and involving multiple stages of State Government review and community consultation.
As part of the legislated scheme review process, an initial draft was referred to the WAPC for review. The WAPC directed the Shire to make several changes before the scheme could proceed to public advertising.
The draft LPS2 was advertised for public comment in late 2023, with the community invited to provide feedback through public meetings, stakeholder meetings and drop-in sessions.
More than 800 submissions were received from community members and carefully reviewed by Shire staff.
Following this consultation, Council endorsed the final draft of LPS2 in November 2024, including around 100 changes to the publicly advertised draft.
Shire President Julia Jean-Rice commended Shire staff for their work throughout the lengthy process.
“As members of the community themselves, our staff have worked tirelessly to develop a strong, forward-thinking plan that supports sustainable development to protect everything that makes our Shire a great place to live.”
“We thank everyone who took the time to participate in the consultation process and share their views. Community input has been an important part of developing LPS2.”
LPS2 is now in effect and will provide the planning framework for land use and development across the Shire into the future.
*Changes to granny flats
Under the new planning scheme, the maximum size of an ancillary dwelling has increased from 70 to 120 square metres on rural/ rural residential zoned properties. The objective of this change is to allow for additional long-term housing, be it for intergenerational living or for worker accommodation, not short-term rental accommodation (STRA)..
Under changes introduced by the State Government in 2025, hosted short-term rental accommodation does not require development approval where the host lives on the property. However, the accommodation must be registered under the State’s Short-Term Rental Accommodation Register.