ACA WA Advocacy Prevails
After several months of committed advocacy and campaigning led by ACA WA Vice-President Kate Fitzgerald, the ACA WA is delighted to share that the once-deferred Medium Density Code has been reintroduced. This will help ensure the supply of well-designed housing in suburbs and infill precincts for the State.
The ACA WA congratulates the State Government and John Carey MLA for the introduction of the new Medium Density Codes. ACA WA Vice-President Kate Fitzgerald led the campaign to re-introduce the Codes after they were unexpectedly deferred last year.
Alongside Sandy Anghie (Australian Institute of Architects), the WA Local Government Association (WALGA) and the Planning Institute of Australia, Kate maintained that the deferral of the Code would reduce housing supply in Western Australia, at a time when the housing market is stressed. The existing R Codes were written four decades ago to guide the design of single, detached homes and were a barrier to increasing the supply of smaller, more diverse types of homes, like terraces and townhouses.
An ACA industry survey demonstrated that businesses delivering infill had experienced a 75% increase in demand for medium density in the lead up to the introduction of the new Code. This data was invaluable as we met with the Minister and advocated alongside our industry partners. See more here.
The new Code and other policy improvements will come into effect in early March, including the removal of minimum lot sizes for ancillary dwellings. We are delighted West Australian homeowners, architects and developers will be able to choose an assessment pathway that meets their needs and deliver better housing for our State.
Thank you to our members for supporting us throughout this campaign! You can read the WA Government’s statement here.