More granny flat exemptions give another boost for housing choice

• Western Australia's planning reforms lead the way with ancillary dwelling exemptions
• Planning approval not required for compliant granny flats up to 70sqm
• Revised Residential Design Codes remove minimum lot size for exemption and requirement for extra car bay
• Cook Government planning reform program boosting delivery of housing supply

The Cook Government has introduced relaxed amendments to Residential Design Codes (R-Codes) aimed at boosting housing supply through removing the minimum lot size requirements for an ancillary dwelling commonly known as a granny flat.

This latest planning reform will see amendments to the R-Codes that will extend exemptions for compliant ancillary dwellings – or granny flats. Compliant granny flats on residential lots of any size in Western Australia will no longer require approval under the latest State planning reform initiative to help boost housing supply.

Previously, a minimum lot size of 350sqm was required for an ancillary dwelling or granny flat. However, where a granny flat meets the deemed to comply provisions of the R-Codes it may be exempt from development approval.

Any granny flat will need to meet setback requirements and must not exceed 70m2.

In addition to the removal of the minimum lot size, changes made under the SPP 7.3 Residential Design Codes (Part C Medium Density provisions) in most cases mean an ancillary dwelling will not be required to provide a parking bay, except for ancillary dwellings in some densities and proposed in locations where a car is more likely to be needed due to distance from public transport.

The changes made under the R-Codes in relation to parking have been designed to allow for greater flexibility when considering parking requirements and reduce the extent of covered parking on-site, thereby opening up more of the lot for either dwelling space or garden space.

These reforms build on previous initiatives that removed the need for planning approval for some change-of-use applications and small residential projects such as pergolas and decks.

They also complement the Cook Government's $2.6 billion investment in housing and homelessness measures, which includes funding to deliver 4,000 new social homes.

The amended State Planning Policy 7.3 will be released in mid-March 2024 and will become operational by mid-April 2024.

Contact your local council for information about building an ancillary dwelling on your property and whether an exemption applies. To find out more about the State's planning reforms, visit wa.gov.au/planning-reform.

Comments attributed to Planning Minister John Carey:

"Our Government continues to do everything we can to bolster the supply of housing throughout Western Australia – including through major planning reforms that cut red tape.

"Ancillary dwellings or – as we know them in Western Australia – granny flats can be an affordable, efficient and suitable housing option, including for rental properties and elderly family members seeking to downsize and remain in the community they love.

"By removing the minimum lot size for compliant ancillary dwellings, and allowing grouped dwellings to have ancillary dwellings, the Cook Government is further streamlining planning processes and cutting unnecessary red tape to open up more opportunities for new housing.

"A minimum lot size will no longer apply, extending the existing exemption across more residential properties and opening the option of establishing a granny flat for more Western Australians.

"This is just one of a number of major changes to Western Australia's planning system that will accelerate the delivery of housing supply across the State.

"These reforms are a key pillar of our plans to boost housing supply and align with the National Planning Reform Blueprint agreed to by National Cabinet and complement our unprecedented $2.6 billion investment in housing and homelessness measures."