The Western Australian Planning Commission (WAPC) is currently undergoing a review of the R-Codes. In light of this, the Property Council of Australia has proactively made a proposal which would see the introduction of a third tier in the R-Codes to enable increased seniors housing through the redevelopment of parts of existing retirement villages.
While industry welcomes the reduction of the trigger to receive a plot ratio bonus for aged and dependent person dwellings from five (5) to two (2) units, which is proposed in the current R-Code review, it does not support retirement villages. In addition, the current 33% density bonus for aged persons dwellings has no practical use for existing retirement villages which could, potentially, provide substantially more seniors’ housing.
The Property Council of Australia is therefore proposing the inclusion in the R-Codes of a new density bonus specifically for retirement villages (which could be easily identified and defined as a developments which operate under the Retirement Villages Act).
The bonus should take the form of an effective or deemed increase in the R-Coding for the site on which a village sits so that, for instance, a site designated R30 would be given a 100% increase to R60. That would enable villages – and particularly older villages which are already fully built under their original zoning – to build higher density apartments on parts of their sites without having to go through a rezoning process for the entire site.
You can read our full submission to the WAPC below: