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Project Update

    • on May 1, 2015 the Draft North-East Sub Regional Planning Framework was released by the Western Australian Planning Commission in which Brooklands has been identified for “urban expansion”;
    • on 18 December, 2015 the Brooklands Metropolitan Region Scheme Amendment request was submitted to the Western Australian Planning Commission requesting that specific lots within the Brooklands precinct be rezoned from “Rural” to “Urban”;
    • properties have been inspected by civil and environmental engineers;
    • ground water monitoring bores have been sunk on various properties and water levels have been monitored over the past 12 months. Water monitoring data has also been obtained from the Avonlee project on Park Street;
    • western power, water corp, telstra, nbn etc. have all supported the proposed residential development;
    • additional planners have been engaged;
    • the WA state election has delayed the finalisation of the North-East Sub Regional Planning Framework by the Western Australian Planning Commission. The expected release date is now June 2017 however, the Project Manager, Progress Developments has obtained approval for the Brooklands Residential Development Project to move forward independently;
    • on Thursday, 4 May, 2017 Project Manager, Chris Lewis met with the Honourable Rita Saffioti MLA (Member for West Swan), Minister for Transport; Planning; Lands. The Minister is very supportive of the development  having already met with property owners on site in her capacity as the West Swan MLA. As a consequence questions were asked in the Legislative Council on behalf of property owners in relation to the future rezoning of this land. Brooklands has now been identified for urban expansion in the Draft North-East Sub Regional Planning Framework released by the WAPC on May 1, 2015;
    • the Minister’s recent announcements of the MetroNet rail project and the new Lord Street are significant outcomes for the Brooklands Residential Development Project and conversely, the Brooklands Residential Development Project will substantially add to the justification for building  these projects;
    • subsequent to the meeting with the Minister on 4 May, Progress Developments have written to the Department of Planning, again requesting that the MRS amendment be sent to the State Planning Committee with a recommendation for approval to advertise;
    • Brooklands has been transferred from the Swan Valley/Gidgeannup Ward to the newly named Whiteman Ward. Brooklands has also been added to the Ellenbrook local structure plan which has been adopted by council. In my opinion this is complete recognition by the City of Swan that Brooklands is now an urban precinct. As already stated it only makes sense from a practical planning and an urban growth point of view that this area be rezoned to urban and that this precinct is included within the Whiteman Ward accordingly. It is now an infill area and is more efficient to develop than outer metropolitan areas in terms of supporting service and transport infrastructure, jobs and key amenities such as schools and shops;
    • on Wednesday, 23 August, 2017 the Western Australian Planning Commission initiated the Metropolitan Region Scheme amendment to Urban;
    • on 14 February 2018 the City of Swan Council resolved unanimously to advise the West Australian Planning Commission (WAPC) that it supports the Metropolitan Region Scheme Amendment (1329/57) proposal to include the Henley Brook Urban Precinct in the “Urban” zone under the Metropolitan Region Scheme (MRS);
    • on Friday, 23 March 2018 the final Perth and Peel@3.5million suite of land use planning and infrastructure frameworks were released. There were no changes for Brooklands which is still identified for “urban expansion”.  This outcome now sets in concrete the state level policy that supports the development of the Brooklands Private Estate, which is reinforced by the long awaited key transport projects now in play:-
      • new Lord Street;
      • 300 bay park and ride bus transport;
      • METRONET – Whiteman Train Station;
      • NorthLink;
      • Henley Brook Avenue extension to Reid Highway.
  • It should be noted that:
    Pursuant to section 126(3) of the Planning and Development Act 2005, the WAPC has the option of concurrently rezoning land that is being zoned Urban under the MRS, to a “Development” zone (or similar), in the corresponding Local Planning Scheme.               

    The WAPC agreed to the land being zoned Urban within MRS amendment 1329/57 being transferred to the Residential Development zone in the City of Swan Local Planning Scheme No. 17. This amendment to Local Planning Scheme No. 17 is effective from the date of publication of this notice in the Government Gazette.

  • 26 July 2019 – Proposed Henley Brook Local Structure Plan
    The proposed Structure Plan has been prepared to guide the subdivision and development of approximately 233 hectares of land within Henley Brook, generally bound by Lord Street to the west, Gnangara Road to the north, the planned Henley Brook Avenue to the east, and Park Street to the south.Key aspects of the proposed Structure Plan include:              

    • Estimated 3,500 new residential dwellings at medium-range densities of between R40 to R60 and associated internal road network;
    • Total estimated population of 9,800 people;
    • Two (2) public primary school sites;
    • Approximately 35 hectares of public open space for recreation and flood storage, comprised of 9 individual public open spaces and a central linear network along the Dampier to Bunbury Natural Gas Pipeline and Parmelia Gas Pipeline alignments and the St Leonards Creek waterway; and,
    • Reserves for Water Corporation infrastructure.
    • All documents and plans associated with the application can be viewed on the City’s website:
      https://www.swan.wa.gov.au/Your-Community/Have-your-say/Planning-notices/Proposed-structure-plans/SWAN-SP20194-Henley-Brook-Local-Structure-Plan

The City of Swan Council, at its meeting held on 8 April 2020, considered the above matter and resolved to recommend that the applicant undertake the following modifications to the Henley Brook Local Structure Plan.

It would seem that the City of Swan want their cake and eat it too!

Clearly, there has been absolutely no consideration for the property owners who live within the Henley Brook (Brooklands) LSP! Particularly, for those property owners east of the pipeline where R5-R10 and R25 residential zoning codes have been imposed.

Case in point, I have lived on my 5 acre property in Henley Brook (Brooklands) which is located on Park Street for the past 37 years. I am now at a stage in my life where I would like to downsize to a smaller block and house in this great location. The new Henley Brook subdivision now affords me this opportunity. However, given that a City of Swan councillor (not even from the Whiteman ward!) has imposed R5-R10 zoning over my land I am now burdened with a minimum lot size of 1000m2 which is completely unacceptable.

Apparently, these larger lot sizes on the Park Street side of the Henley Brook LSP are to act as an interface with the larger lots on the southern side of Park Street.

In my opinion, the larger lots are not required and it is very obvious that this has been nothing but a self-serving exercise by councillors to appease Morgan Fields residents in an effort to justify their own existence at the expense of existing property owners!  There is something profoundly wrong when some “Johnny-come-lately” councillor can impose their will over a $400 million plus project! Very disappointing to say the least and testimony to why the City of Swan has such a bad planning reputation Australia wide!

However, here are my reasons why the larger lots are not required:-

  • Park Street is to be widened another 6 metres;
  • an additional linear corridor of public open space along the full extent of the southern edge of the LSP abutting Park Street to a width of 8 metres in order to provide a tree buffer zone has been recommended;
  • there will be no access/egress to the new lots via Park Street due to projected traffic volume thus requiring the possible installation of a “slip road” to the width of 5 metres;
  • people who own the larger lots on the Southern side of Park Street are wanting to downsize and subdivide as well in the future. It is critical that Planners take this into consideration.

All up, that is another 19 meters of land that will be added to the front boundary of the new Park Street lots which is a more than adequate interface in itself!

Lot sizes within the LSP area should be developed in accordance with Planning Policy. Not only has there been no consideration for existing property owners the lot sizes as recommended above do not meet the density targets for new urban growth areas and hopefully they will not be supported by the WAPC. Notwithstanding, an appeal to the State Administrative Tribunal will ensure.

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