Proposed R-Codes changes are now open for public comment in Western Australia, with the State Government seeking feedback on reforms that would make it easier to build a granny flat, put up an apartment block or subdivide a residential lot. The measures form part of a wider package of R-Codes reforms announced in July, which aims to boost housing supply by simplifying the codes, allowing more lots to be subdivided and cutting approval times.
For many households, the changes could make it simpler to house an ageing parent or a grown-up child, or to downsize without leaving the neighbourhood.
Key R-Codes changes proposed
The proposed changes include:
- The maximum floor space for a granny flat would rise from 70 to 90 square metres.
- Minimum car parking requirements for granny flats would be abolished.
- Rear boundary setbacks for granny flats in lower-density areas would be reduced.
- More granny flats would be exempt from council planning approval, needing only a building permit. Planning and Lands Minister John Carey said this would spare owners a planning approval process that can take two or three months.
- The current R-AC apartment codes would be replaced by a simpler ‘low’, ‘mid’ and ‘high’ rise structure, with higher building heights proposed.
- A new ‘Mid Rise’ code would support buildings of up to six storeys.
- Two new ‘High Rise’ codes would support development of up to 16 and 20 storeys respectively.
- Average lot size requirements for R10 to R25 would be scrapped in Perth and Peel, making more than 70,000 existing residential properties eligible for subdivision.
Public consultation runs until 26 February 2027, and submissions can be made through Have Your Say WA. Feedback will help shape the final R-Codes before they go to the Western Australian Planning Commission for consideration. The reforms are intended to complement the Government’s investment of more than A$10.8 billion in housing and homelessness measures.
Read More: Planning Act changes pass ACT Assembly to speed up housing approvals
General information only, not legal advice. Check the official source before acting.
Source: Western Australian Government.
