Other planning matters | City of Subiaco

Freehold (Green Title) and survey-strata subdivision

The subdivision of land in the state, including the amalgamation of lots, is controlled by the Western Australian Planning Commission (WAPC) through the Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage (DPLH).

The City acts as a referral body, providing comments on subdivision proposals.

General information, applications forms, submission requirement checklists and a guide to the fees payable for all subdivision applications are available on the DPLH website.

Strata subdivision

Built Strata applications (Form 15A/15C) are granted by local governments through delegation from the WAPC.

Further information and application forms is available on the DPLH website or by contacting the City's Planning Services team on 9237 9222 or city@subiaco.wa.gov.au.

The City’s Planning Services team allocates street numbers to all properties within the City. Street numbers to new developments, subdivisions and amalgamations are allocated according to the Australian/New Zealand Standard – Geographic Information – Rural and Urban Addressing. Reallocation of street numbers is also considered under this standard.

The City will consider a street number change if a property is subdivided, amalgamated or if there are difficulties in identifying the property.

For more information or to request a change, please see the street numbering information sheet, or request for street numbering application form.

If you are concerned:

a development is occuring without approval, or
a development is occuring contrary to an approval, or
a land use is operating without approval

Please notify the City.

All enquiries and complaints are to be made in writing to the City using the Formal Planning Complaint Form. You may submit your form by post or by email. Your personal information will be kept confidential and will not be released to alleged offenders without your consent.

Important Note: The City may not respond to anonymous complaints as the validity of the complaint may not be verifiable.

This information enables the City to contact you for further information, and notify you of the outcome of the investigation. Please note, compliance matters may take time to investigate and resolve. Should you want an update, you are welcome to contact the City on 9237 9222 or city@subiaco.wa.gov.au.

Compliance matters are managed according to Local Planning Policy 7.5 Planning Compliance.

You can request copies of development approvals and associated plans held by the City. If you only require building plans, please fill out the Request for Copies of Building Plans on the Building applications and forms page.

For a written copy of an approval, complete the request for planning approvals and return it to the City via email (City@Subiaco.wa.gov.au).

The City cannot guarantee that the requested plans or information are available in the City's records, as this depends on the recordkeeping process in place when the plan or information was created. The City will check if there are approvals before requesting the fee.

Once the fee has been paid, this process may take up to 10 business days to issue the approval(s).

For further information, please contact the City on 9237 9222.

There are a range of resources available to help you undertake development in the City of Subiaco:

Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage (DPLH) - DPLH is the state government authority responsible for overarching strategic outcomes within Western Australia. DPLH deal with subdivision applications, and identifying and conserving heritage places.
Landgate - Landgate is the Western Australian authority responsible for all land information and geographic data including maps and title searches.
State Administrative Tribunal - State Administrative Tribunal (SAT) is the government body responsible for reviewing local government decisions, including lodging appeals against council decisions.
Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety - the Dividing Fences Act 1961 deals with issues on dividing boundary fences which separate the land of different owners. Dividing/boundary fences behind the street setback line are not governed by planning controls. DEMIRS also manage STRA registration.
Western Australian Legislation - the Parliamentary Counsel's Office website hosts Western Australian legislation and statutory information, including the Planning and Development Act 2005.
Telecommunications in New Developments - If you are a developer or owner-builder, there are important Commonwealth telecommunications rules you need to comply with. For more information visit the link above.

The City of Subiaco Design Review Panel (the Panel) is established as a body which the City may consult in assessing development proposals and other related matters under the provisions of the relevant Planning Scheme. The Panel does not have a decision-making function but can provide independent and impartial recommendations to the City on architectural and design aspects of any planning proposal or related matter.

The Panel consists of four to seven leading experts who meet on the third Wednesday of each month as required. Design Review Panel Meetings are not open to the public.

Design Review Panel – Nomination Period Closed

For further information, please see Local Planning Policy 7.1: Design Review Panel Terms of Reference

Short-term rental accommodation (STRA) refers to the practice of renting out a property (or part of a property) for a relatively short period of time, usually on a nightly or weekly basis.

The State Government has recently changed planning regulations which means the City will no longer be able to exempt certain types of STRA from the need to obtain development approval.

We are currently in a transition period as regulations have changed but not all aspects have been implemented. There is still some uncertainty on how the amended regulations will be implemented in detail and how this will affect properties within the City of Subiaco. It is recommended that you check back here periodically for any updates.

Further information can be found here, including an FAQ.

From 1 January 2025, all STRAs need to be registered. To register, please visit the Department of Energy, Mines, Industry, Regulation and Safety (DEMIRS) website.

General information regarding STRAs register is located here.

Please direct any queries to DEMIRS:
Email: stra.enquiries@demirs.wa.gov.au
Phone: 1300 304 054