Doubleview - Innaloo -Scarborough Local Area Plan - City of Stirling

City of Stirling 

January 2012 

Doubleview - Innaloo -Scarborough 

Local Area Plan

foreword 

As part of the City’s ongoing commitment to planning for a better future for City of Stirling residents, I am 

pleased to present the Local Area Plan for the Doubleview – Innaloo – Scarborough Local Area. The 

City is confident this plan encapsulates the community’s vision for the future planning of the Local Area 

over the next 10 to 15 years. 

The City’s Local Area Planning project identifies the unique characteristics of each Local Area within 

the City. Although each Local Area holds equal value as each other, all have very different resident 

needs and expectations. The Local Area visioning exercise undertaken by the community assists 

Council in planning for and prioritising projects within the Local Area. 

The agreed Vision for the Doubleview – Innaloo – Scarborough Local Area is: 

“Doubleview - Innaloo - Scarborough is a community that sees its future as a place 

that is attractive, refreshed and active: a place that has rebuilt communtiy lifestyle 

choices” 

The significant engagement of the local community throughout the Local Area consultation process has 

ensured that this plan, and its outcomes, is firmly founded in the community aspirations for the local area. 

This plan will also assist the City’s business units to prioritise and budget for various projects that will assist in achieving the 

desired outcomes for the Local Area. 

An implementation plan is currently being prepared which will mobilise the agreed outcomes of this plan. The various business units of 

the City will incorporate the outcomes of the implementation plans as part of their annual business unit planning. The implementation 

plans will be reviewed every three years to ensure the outcomes are met in a timely fashion. 

Realising the vision of the Doubleview – Innaloo – Scarborough Local Area is a joint effort. Council has already extensively 

consulted the community in preparing this plan, however, we welcome your ideas, comments and questions. More information on 

the Doubleview – Innaloo – Scarborough Local Area Plan is available on the City’s website www.stirling.wa.gov.au/lap, or via email 

localareaplanning@stirling.wa.gov.au, or by contacting the City on 9205 8555. 

Councillor David Boothman 


doubleview -innaloo - scarborough local area plan 

January 2012 

2

contents 

Vision 

Summary 

4 

5 

Local Area Planning 

Where does Local Area Planning fit? 

6 

7 

Sustainable Development 

8 

Community Engagement 

10 

An Interesting History 

Some key facts 

12 

13 

Key Areas 

Community Development 

Natural Environment 

Economic Development 

Movement & Transport 

Built Environment 

14 

18 

24 

32 

38 

What now? 

Key Opportunities 

46 

47 



January 2012 

3

community vision 

“Doubleview - Innaloo - Scarborough is a community that sees its future 

as a place that is attractive, refreshed and active: a place that has rebuilt 

communtiy lifestyle choices” 

Social Guiding 

Principles 

Economic Guiding 

Principles 

Environmental Guiding 

Principles 

• Provide safe environments for all 

community; 

• Build an active and vibrant 

communtiy through enhanced local 

centres and active local spaces; 

• Provide places and activities for all 

ages, including building a sense of 

community. 

• Support, build and broaden local 

business potential in building activity 

centres; 

• Provide access and transport 

solutions; 

• Provide a tourist and cultural centre 

developing an activity hub. 

• Support sustainable environments 

throught an open space, maintaining 

coastal dunes and streetscape trees; 

• Support and strengthen sustainable 

transport modes through cycleways 

and walkways and public transport. 



January 2012 

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summary 

Overall Community Priorities 

1. 

Improve access and minimise congestion through effective 

transport and network solutions. 

2. 

Refresh and re-energise local areas through supporting 

redevelopment and activity centres. 

3. 

Build sustainable lifestyles through the preservation of dunes 

and open spaces. 

top 3 places most needing of 

improvement 

1. Scarborough Beach 

2. Scarborough Beach Road 

3. Morris Place shops 

top 3 favourite places 

1. Scarborough Beach 

2. Brighton Beach 

3. Abbett Park 

top 2 safety issues 

1. Anti-social behaviour 

2. Speeding 

18% of the community felt that there was inadequate communtiy 

facilities within the Local Area. 

10.86% expressed a desire for an indoor pool. 

9.2% felt there was a lack of awareness of existing facilities / 

services / organisations. 



January 2012 

5

local area planning 

As the biggest local authority in Perth, the 

City of Stirling covers over 100 square 

kilometres of land, extending from Mt Lawley 

in the east to North Beach in the north west. 

The City has nearly 200,000 residents 

within its borders and provides over 150 

services to these people every day. 

Given the complexities and uniqueness 

of each suburb and the needs of the 

residents that live within them, The City 

has adopted a ‘place based’ planning 

approach. 

Local Area Planning commenced in 2006 

and concentrates on planning for a defined 

locality, rather than broad plans that cover the 

entire City, or plans based on individual issues. 

A focus on smaller areas allows local issues and 

the uniqueness of the area to be explored in greater 

depth, in close consultation with local communities. 

Local Area Planning Objectives 

The review of key planning issues, policies and forces acting on 

local areas within the City and the development of a coordinated 

response to these; 

The identification of specific ‘opportunities’ and ‘constraints’ 

within each local area and the development of strategies to 

address these; 

To develop a commonly embraced ‘vision’ for each local area 

which recognises areas of local significance and key attributes 

contributing to each area’s sense of place; 

To identify issues of priority to the local community and work 

with them to developing practical solutions to these, within the 

context of a regional framework; 

To foster open lines of communication between the City and the 

community; 

The Local Area Planning process examines a wide range of 

topics and issues relevant to a locality, and focuses on integrating 

social, environmental and economic initiatives into one plan that 

guides the future direction of the area. 

The community engagement process allows a variety of topics 

and issues of relevance to the Local Area and its community to 

be discussed, these include: 

• The vision for the future of the Local Area; 

• Defining the area’s character -what makes it special 

• The review the current land uses, zoning and 

• residential densities; 

• Look at the movement network - how people get around; 

• Parks, reserves and the natural environment; 

• Recreation and community facilities; 

• Improving local sustainability; 

• Safety and security; 

• Infrastructure; 

• Economic development opportunities; 

• Community building – cultural and social development. 

To create a sound and comprehensible statutory and strategic 

planning framework for each local area to allow delivery of the 

vision and plan; and 

To help ensure that each local area operates in a sustainable 

way and in balance with surrounding precincts and other areas 

of influence. 

Following the public consultation, the Plan also acts as the 

strategic policy in which to investigate and include the City’s own 

priorities and objectives for the local area. 



January 2012 

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where does local area planning fit? 



January 2012 

7

sustainable development 

The City of Stirling acknowledges that sustainable 

development is one of the most pressing issues 

of our time and that the City has a vital role to 

play at the local level in ensuring and promoting 

sustainable development. 

Through its governance role, Council 

therefore seeks to advance and strengthen 

the four interdependent and mutually 

reinforcing pillars of sustainability 

– environmental protection, social 

development, economic development 

and governance in the Stirling Local 

Government Area. 

Putting words into action 

The City is putting its principles into action 

through numerous sustainability initiatives 

including: 

• Monitoring and reporting sustainability 

performance through the adoption of the 

international best practice Global Reporting 

Initiative and production of a Sustainability Annual 

Report each year; 

• Implementation of a range of actions identified within the 

Strategic Plan 2009-2012 including; 

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TravelSmart Programs helping the community use their 

car less and walk, cycle and catch public transport 

Fostering the establishment of community food gardens 

in local areas to build resilient, diverse and adaptive 

communities prepared for the impacts of climate 

change, peak oil and building a sense of community 

Delivery of physical activity programs including cycling 

workshops to increase the health and wellbeing of 

residents 

Contributing to the management of a green, healthy 

urban landscape through the monitoring and 

conservation of trees 

Ensuring that the community and the Council is 

prepared for the impacts of climate change through 

the development of a comprehensive climate change 

strategy and action plan including a community 

education program to help residents understand and 

contribute to a solution 

Delivery of a wide range of community workshops, 

events and programs to demonstrate how to live a 

more sustainable lifestyle making a small change that 

will make a big difference. 

The following ten principles provide a set of core 

values for consideration to help guide operational, 

strategic and governance issues and decision making. 

Principle One: Interdependence that the social, environmental 

and economic implications of a decision are all considered 

of equal importance when determining a balanced outcome; 

Principle Two: Integrated and long-term decisionmaking 

all decisions should reflect and consider the 

long term implications for our community, environment 

and economy as well as achieving short term goals; 

Principle Three: Inter and intra-generational equity managing 

and using resources for our community’s benefit now whilst 

high quality resources are retained for our future generations; 

Principle Four: Equity and human rights – provision of 

opportunities for all in our community as well as supporting 

equal rights and fair opportunities across the globe; 

Principle Five: Settlement efficiency and quality of life – 

ensuring all future development is achieving a reduced 

ecological footprint (ie. impact on the planet to produce) 

whilst meeting expectations for quality and lifestyle; 

Principle Six: Precaution – take action to avoid 

the possibility of serious or irreversible environmental 

harm even when scientific knowledge is incomplete or 

inconclusive and place the burden of proof on those who 

argue that a proposed activity will not cause significant harm; 

Principle Seven: Conserving biological diversity and ecological 

integrity – protection, retention, enhancement and 

management of the diversity of life that exist in the City of Stirling; 

Principle Eight: Internalising environmental costs– 

reflect the true cost of services including the life-cycle 

costing and ‘cradle to grave’ impact of developments 

and implementing measures to mitigate impacts; 

Principle Nine: Common good – the use and planning for 

resources that support our life (ie. air, water, natural resources) in a 

manner that is accessible to all and will not deplete them over time; 

Principle Ten: Accountability, transparency and engagement 

– our community’s involvement in sustainability is 

fundamental to our long term future and that our management 

should be accountable on a quadruple bottom line. 



January 2012 

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the City’s commitment 

The City aims to: 

Foster social development: 

The City will work to build sustainable communities that are places 

where people want to live and work, now and in the future. It will 

create places that meet the diverse needs of existing and future 

residents, are sensitive to their environment, and contribute to a 

high quality of life. These are places that are safe and inclusive, 

well planned, built and run, and that offer equality of opportunity 

and good services for all. The Stirling community needs public 

open space where they can relax and interact, with the ability to 

have a say on the way their neighbourhood is run. 

Ensure environmental protection and enhancement: 

The City will work to achieve resource efficiency across its 

operations and services with emphasis on addressing peak oil 

and climate change adaptation, water conservation and quality, 

using and managing waste as a resource and minimising the 

City’s environmental footprint. The City will work to protect and 

restore the integrity of earth’s ecological systems, with concern 

for biological diversity and the natural processes that sustain life. 

In particular, the City’s work will address biodiversity conservation, 

the management of threats and pressures, including introduced 

species, and careful and controlled management of nonrenewable 

resources, to ensure that the rates of regeneration are 

not exceeded. The City will also increase its management and use 

of renewable resources. All of these will be undertaken within 

a land-use planning framework that recognises the essential 

role of the integration of natural resource management. 

The City is committed to: 

• Managing, planning and developing in accordance with 

sustainability principles and practices; 

• Ensuring activities and operations support sustainability; 

• Promoting and encouraging sustainability in the 

community; 

• Strengthening, adjusting and building internal management 

frameworks that ensure sustainability performance is 

improved and integrated as a core part of Council’s strategic 

and operational management through effective strategic 

plans, specific action plans, training, communication, 

monitoring and reporting; 

• Systematically reviewing its internal policies, procedures, 

processes and practices to further build the organisation’s 

capacity to deliver ongoing quadruple bottom line (social, 

environmental, economic, governance) performance 

improvement. 

Foster strong economic development: 

The City supports the development of an economy that is 

adaptive, diverse and reflects the true cost of products and 

services, which will position the City to be competitive and 

achieve a positive financial and economic future. While 

maintaining and improving lifestyle and buoyant business 

activity are key considerations, the City will not pursue 

or promote activities that are not ecologically sound or 

environmentally sustainable. 

The City of Stirling acknowledges the far reaching 

consequences of an unsustainable future and commits 

to tackling the causes and effects of sustainable 

development in our changing society to deliver a secure 

long term future. 



January 2012 

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community engagement 

STEP ONE 

COMMUNITY SURVEY 

The aim of each project is to work with the 

local community in developing a long-term 

strategic plan for each local area. Community 

consultation and collaborative planning forms 

a foundation of each local area plan, and as 

such, a community engagement program is 

undertaken at the start of each project, prior 

to the local area plan being prepared. 

The community engagement programme 

for the Doubleview – Innaloo – Scarborough 

Local Area commenced with a community 

survey of residents in the Local Area. The 

survey sought to reliably measure the values, 

attitudes and priorities of residents across a range 

of topics and issues relevant to the development 

of a local area plan. In this sense it is not used 

to gain answers or solutions to specific problems 

or proposals, nor is it considered a voting process on 

certain issues. Rather, the survey results serve as a starting 

point for more in depth deliberation, through community forums, 

and detailed analysis and planning, through the preparation of a 

local area plan. 

level that the results are no more than 5% different to the results 

that would have been received if the entire population were 

surveyed. 

The preparation of this Local Area Plan has also involved analysis 

of a wide variety of documents, plans and policies that affect the 

area, the City of Stirling and the Perth metropolitan region. 

The resulting plan thus integrates strategic planning documents 

and existing direction of the City of Stirling with community 

aspirations. Another integral aspect of preparing this plan 

was working with the City’s Business Units and other relevant 

stakeholders to discuss local issues, opportunities and community 

priorities to develop widely supported and achievable outcomes 

for the Doubleview – Innaloo – Scarborough Local Area. 

In order for the findings of the survey to be considered valid and 

reliable, there was a need to ensure that it reached an adequate 

volume and range of people within the community and within 

particular precincts. 

The Doubleview – Innaloo – Scarborough Local Area community 

consists of approximately 26,000 residents, covering a full range 

of ages and backgrounds, as well as property owners and a 

range of community groups. 

A ‘cold-mail’ questionnaire methodology was utilised initially with 

4,000 surveys posted to a random selection of residents and 

property owners within the study area. This random selection 

ensured that a sufficient volume and diversity of residents were 

contacted, in order for the results to adequately represent the 

views and values of the community. 

A total of 683 completed surveys were received. This provides a 

reliability of +/-5 at 95% - meaning that there is a 95% confidence 



January 2012 

10

community engagement 

STEP TWO 

COMMUNITY FORUMS 

The major components of the consultation phase included community surveys and two community forums held at the Maureen 

Grierson Communtiy Centre and the Doubleview Bowling Club in August 2010. 

The information gathered from these events was then collated and analysed for incorporation into this plan (the key results are 

presented later). 

In addition to the information gathered from community input, considerable research on the Local Area 

was also conducted to provide information both to the community and for this plan. 

The preparation of this Local Area Plan has also involved analysis of a wide variety of documents, plans 

and policies that affect the area, the City of Stirling and the Perth metropolitan region. 

The resulting plan thus integrates strategic planning documents and existing direction of the City of 

Stirling with community aspirations. Another integral aspect of preparing this plan was working with 

the City’s Business Units and other relevant stakeholders to discuss local issues, opportunities and 

community priorities to develop widely supported and achievable outcomes for the Doubleview – Innaloo 

– Scarborough Local Area. 



January 2012 

11

an interesting history 

Doubleview 

The settlement of Doubleview dates primarily from the 1890s, with land used mainly for dairy farming. Growth took 

place in the early 1900s. Significant development occurred during the post-war years, aided by the construction of 

Returned Soldiers homes. The population increased slightly from the early 1990s, a result of new dwellings being added 

to the area. 

Doubleview got its name because the suburb offers two extensive views - the Indian Ocean to the west and the 

Darling Ranges and Perth to the east. 

In 1916, developer M.L. Connor subdivided the southern portion of Doubleview, although once again blocks were 

slow to sell, and developers Dudley and Dwyer acquired the unsold lots in both parts of Doubleview in 1926. While 

they created the name for the area in an attempt to attract interest, development did not begin to accelerate until the 

government began providing Returned Soldiers homes in the northern section of Doubleview after World War Two. 

Innaloo 

Settlement of the Innaloo area dates from 

1831 when the first land grant was made. 

Growth was minimal until the 1890s and early 

1900s, with land used mainly for grazing. Significant 

development occurred from the 1940s through to the 

1960s. The population increased from the mid 1990s, a 

result of new dwellings being added to the area. 

Scarborough 

Settlement of the Scarborough area dates from 1869 when the 

first land grants were made. Growth was minimal until the 1880s, 

when land was subdivided and the area was promoted. Significant 

development occurred in the post-war years, particularly during the 

1950s. In the mid 1980s extensive redevelopment began, mainly 

along the beach frontage. The population increased slightly from the 

early 1990s, a result of new dwellings being added to the area. 

While the name Innaloo was adopted in 1927, it was originally 

referred to as Njookenbooroo; believed to be derived from the 

Aboriginal name for Herdsman Lake or a nearby swamp. 

The area now known as Innaloo was originally part of land bought 

by Thomas Mews in 1831 and, while subdivision in northern Innaloo 

was approved in 1898, development lagged for many years. The 

southern section was subdivided in 1916 but again demand was not 

high. A map drafted in the early 1920s indicates only 10 houses had 

been built in the region with the majority of land used for grazing. 

In 1915, the Education Department acquired much land in the area 

and built the Njookenbooroo School on the north-east corner of Odin 

Road but the names of the school and post office were changed in 

1927, at the request of the local progress association. 

Extensive development in the area began in the 1940s with street 

names taken from Greek mythology and the passenger list from 

the ship Rockingham. Residences in Innaloo are primarily single 

detached homes, built around the time of World War Two. Most 

are of timber-frame construction and reflect post-war design 

standards. 

The coastal suburb of Scarborough was named after the English beach 

resort of the same name located in North Yorkshire on the east coast 

of Great Britain. The name is believed to have first been used in 1892 

by Patrick Callaghan, a Melbourne developer. As land at Scarborough 

was sandy and of little agricultural value, early grants were not made 

in the area. It was not until 1869 that John Hughes and Jesse Golding 

were each given lots of 40 acres. 

In 1885 a visiting Sydney journalist explored the coastline at 

Scarborough and promoted the high quality of the beach. Encouraged 

by the publicity, some real estate agents investigated the possibility 

of developing the area. In 1885 Perth firm Laurence and Cooke 

purchased and subdivided land, followed in 1892 by Patrick Callaghan 

of Melbourne. Lots sold poorly and Scarborough was eventually resubdivided 

into smaller properties in 1914. 

The City of Stirling’s predecessor, the Perth Road Board, later put the 

land to public auction and in the years following World War II largescale 

development occurred. At that time street names in the area 

were altered to mimic the suburb’s namesake in Yorkshire. By the 

1960s there was little remaining undeveloped land. However, in the 

mid 1980s extensive redevelopment began, particularly along the 

beach frontage. 



January 2012 

12

HIGHWAY 

WEAPONESS 

ROAD 

HUNTRISS 

ODIN 

some key facts 

This Local Area includes the suburbs of 

Doubleview, Innaloo and Scarborough and is 

bound by Karrinyup Road and Newborough 

Streets in the north, the Mitchell Freeway 

crossing over to Huntriss Road in the east, 

Peasholm Street, Cobb Street and Williamstown 

Road in the south and the coastline in the 

west. 

TRIGG 

PEARL 

PARADE 

KARRINYUP 

NEWBOROUGH STREET 

SACKVILLE 

TERRACE 

KARRINYUP 

BARNES 

GWELUP 

Yuluma Park 

MITCHELL 

ROAD 

STIRLING 

Abbett 

INNALOO 

ST 

The Local Area comprises approximately 1,100 

hectares of land and is located approximately 

11 km north of the Perth Central Area. 

SCARBOROUGHBEACH 

DUKE 

ROAD 

DOUBLEVIEW 

ROAD 

CEDRIC 

ST 

FREEWAY 

There are a number of parks and Reserves 

within the Local Area that offer both active 

and passive recreation, including Bennett 

Park and John K. Lyon Reserve. Abbett Park 

offers a variety of sporting facilities, including 

football, squash, lawn bowls, tennis and cricket 

while Doubleview Primary School serves the 

educational needs of younger students in the 

area. 

COAST 

WEST 

SCARBOROUGH 

PEASHOLM 

ST 

Doubleview Local Area 

ROAD STREET 

WEMBLEY DOWNS 

SCARBOROUGH 

WOODLANDS 

LOCAL AREA BOUNDARY 

INNALOO 

BEACH 

LIEGE STREET 

STEPHENSON AVENUE 

ROAD 

NORTH 

0 

400 

METRES 

Scarborough Beach also hosts a surf lifesaving 

club and other recreation facilities. The suburb 

has two primary schools, and a library and 

community recreation centre are located near 

the eastern boundary of Scarborough. 

The population of the Local Area is well 

established with approximately 26,000 

people. 

The Local Area is characterised predominantly with residential development with ranging 

densities from R20 to R40. The Special Beach Development Zone (Amendment 457 and 

458 area) on Scarborough Beach has a maximum residential density or R160 in some 

areas. Some sites have also been identified as having a maximum building height of 12 

storeys. 



January 2012 

13

community development 

According to the 2006 Census, the Local Area is 

made up of 75% family households and 20% single 

person households. Furthermore, these figures 

show that single houses account for roughly half 

of the housing types, with the other half made 

up of duplex, apartment, flat and group housing 

developments. 

the amount of community facilities was ‘about right’. Over half of 

respondents felt that there were not enough cultural experiences, 

but it is difficult to determine whether this is a high priority factor 

in this Local Area. The other main issue which arose was the 

perceived lack of meeting places. This Local Area Plan aims 

to examine how they can improve and utilise meeting places 

throughout the area. 

issues & opportunities 

This Local Area has much less variety of 

cultural backgrounds than others within City 

of Stirling, with only 24% born overseas and 

10% speaking a second language at home. 

Neighbourhood facilities, organisations and 

programs play a significant role in building 

community relationships, developing pride of 

place and meeting community needs. There 

are numerous community programs that serve 

the area, some of which are run by the City, and 

others which are run by other government and notfor-profit 

organisations. 

The City of Stirling has a number of programs, initiatives and 

projects which aim to address these issues relating to cultural 

awareness, housing assistance, family services, community 

development and child care etc. The majority of these programs 

are initiated by the Community Services Business Unit. 

The Local Area is home to several community facilities which can 

be used for a variety of purposes and by different groups. Some 

of the more notable are the Scarborough Community Centre, 

Maureen Grierson Community Centre, Joe Camilleri Day Centre, 

Innaloo Community Centre as well as the many sporting facilities 

and halls located on the reserves within Doubleview, Innaloo and 

Scarborough. 

OVERVIEW – SUMMARY OF COMMUNITY CONSULTATION 

The main themes and priorities which emerged from consultation 

was the desire to see the City encourage planned activities 

around community hubs, improve facilities and community events. 

These priorities seem to focus on developing and encouraging 

community participation. 

The surveys asked residents what they felt about the amount 

and range of community facilities, groups, meeting places, sports 

and recreation opportunities and cultural experiences. Other 

than Cultural experiences, the majority of respondents felt that 

The amenity and facilities provided by Public Open Space also 

aids community participation and interaction. According to the 

community surveys, over 75% of people use local community 

facilities provided. Of these people, around 55% play sport or 

exercise within the Local Area, depicting the relatively high local 

participation of community activities both passive and active 

recreation. 

Another interesting outcome of the surveys revealed that the 

majority of respondents felt they were either ‘somewhat aware’ 

or ‘not at all’ aware of the community services/support groups 

that exists in the community. It is difficult however to attract and 

capture exactly what are resident’s interests, preferences and 

availabilities from the survey alone, with the workshops providing 

such qualitative information. 

Several priorities were identified in the workshops relating to 

community aspirations. Suggestions such as seniors groups, 

family parks, community gardens, community event, a coastal 

public swimming pool, beach facilities, street fairs etc. These 

suggestions mainly fall under the City’s Community Development 

and Parks and Recreation Business Units. 

Community Events and Programs 

One of the keys to a connected community is social events 

and programs. The City undertakes many programs targeted 

to families, youth, seniors, schools, community organisations, 

sporting clubs and many other interest areas. One of the major 

issues that local residents have is that they are unaware of all 

these programs, events and activities they are able to join. 

Community workshops found that people are interested to 

participate in community events, groups and sports but are 

often unable to find information regarding these activities. It was 

also noted that these events and activities should be targeted 

to different demographic groups such as families, seniors, youth 

and special interest groups. 

Events and festivals are good tools to introduce people to 



January 2012 

14


Community Top Priorities 

1. To create and improve existing community events and 

programs within the Local Area to encourage participation 

and interaction. 

2. To improve and promote existing community and recreational 

facilities. 

3. To improve safety and crime prevention within the Local 

Area. 

available resources and facilities such as public open space, 

community centres, schools and community groups. These 

events offer a way to unite community members and create a 

forum to share some of the many unique elements of individual 

residents. The use of these facilities and contribution by groups 

introduces people to such programs, events and organisations. 

Facility Improvements 

A major element which was identified by the community 

consultation was the use of Public Open Space and community 

participation. The City owns and manages numerous community 

facilities throughout the local area, such as sporting clubs, 

community centres, theatres, autumn clubs, and facilities within 

parks and reserves. These facilities aim to serve residents with a 

variety of interests and needs. 

In order to develop the quality and type of improvements required 

for community facilities, it is vital that the City and Community 

Organisations work together to develop proposals to rejuvenate 

these facilities. In regards to Sporting Clubs, upgrades to clubrooms 

and ovals could be recommended, upgraded floodlighting, toilets 

and change rooms. Parks could have improved toilet, seating 

and drinking water facilities. 

Another strategy which could assist in improving public facilities 

would be to increase participation and users of these facilities 

and organisations. Once again the City would need to work in 

conjunction with these clubs to market and inform local residents 

of all the community groups and facilities within their local area. 

As mentioned in the Natural Environment Focus Area, residents 

also expressed a desire to see Public Open Space be increasingly 

multi-use. On this basis facilities would need to be adapted to suit 

the different uses of the parks and community centres. 

Swimming Pool 

A community issue which has been attracting a profile by 

local residents in Doubleview and Scarborough relates to the 

construction of a Coastal Area swimming pool. 



January 2012 

15




January 2012 

16


Local residents have been lobbying Council in relation to this 

issue with a resolution on the matter being delayed due to a 

range of contributing factors. 

Outcomes to Achieve 

A Special Electors meeting was held on the 7th April 2011 and 

was attended by almost 500 local residents. The outcomes of 

this meeting was that the City would prepare a Council Report 

which the main objectives to determine a Coastal Pool Working 

Group, the appointment of a Project Officer and a Architect. 

Furthermore the scope of the project is to be reviewed as well as 

potential funding options considered. The Council has resolved 

to prioritise this project. 

There are some financial constraints associated with this project 

with high development costs expected. Several development 

sites are also under consideration, with the Hamersley Golf 

Course being identified as a potential site. 

1. 

2. 

3. 

4. 

Introduce new and existing community programs to 

residents within the Local Area. 

Hold events which attract people from within and 

surrounding the Local Area, to help encourage 

community interaction. 

Target events and programs to people of all age groups, 

needs, interests and capabilities. 

Attracting City budget to improving community facilities, 

such as Community/Day Centres, Sports Clubrooms 

and reserve facilities. 

Safety and Crime 

The community consultation showed that one of the major issues 

for residents is Community Safety. The main concerns relate to 

anti-social behaviour and speeding/traffic offenses. The people 

with most concern regarding these issues however are those 

residents in Doubleview; whereas the Crime Statistics below 

show that this suburb has a much lower crime rate than other 

suburbs in the Local Area. The most common type of crime within 

the Local Area is assault and burglary. 

5. 

6. 

Continue to work closely with the WA police to help 

reduce crime in the Local Area. 

Integrate Crime Prevention Through Environmental 

design principles to road and house designs. 

Sometimes actual crime rates do not reflect the ‘perception of 

crime’ amongst residents. Some of the steps to combating this 

problem are to educate residents regarding crime prevention 

methods and to better connect residents with their community. 

There is research available which suggests that neighbourhoods 

that are more active in the community and take time to get to 

know their neighbours are more likely to feel safer within and 

outside their homes. 

The community plays an important role in local safety and security 

and must continue to report suspicious activities, crimes and 

problems to the Western Australian Police or the City’s security 

services. The City of Stirling’s Community Safety Business Unit 

facilitates the development of a safe and secure environment 

through the operation of a 24-hour security patrol service. As 

part of the ‘Safer Suburbs’ program, the City has initiated the 

‘Hotspots’ initiative which patrols and monitors popular areas. 

This program is run in conjunction with the WA Police and 

has already encountered great success. The installation of 

CCTV systems in and around Scarborough Beach and the 

proposed Morris Place shopping centre are examples of such 

improvements. 

The City has also initiated the development of a Crime Prevention 

Through Environmental Design (CPTED) Policy. This policy will 

ensure that crime prevention has been considered in the design 

of all development applications to the City. Most principles are 

based on natural surveillance such as the use of low fences, 

lighting, street facing living areas as well as visible single entry 

points. Use of these methods act as a deterrent for criminal acts 

and anti-social behaviour, as well as better connecting homes 

to the streets. Such design principles should be adopted for all 

development applications and urban design projects. 



January 2012 

17

natural environment 


The Doubleview-Innaloo-Scarborough Local Area is 

home to many local parks and reserves. It is also 

located along one of Perth’s most beautiful coastline, 

often referred as the Sunset Coast. These green 

spaces offer facilities for a variety of uses of both 

passive and active recreation. 

The provision of outdoor space was considered 

to be of significance to residents of the Local 

Area. The community surveys identified the 

top two favourite places within the Local Area 

are the beaches and parks/reserves. Some 

of the major parks within the Local Area are 

Abbett Park, Deanmore Square Reserve, 

Butlers Reserve, Bennett Park, Millett Selina 

Reserve, Birralee Hertha Reserve, Yuluma 

Park and La Grange Dongara Reserve. These 

parks along with several other pocket parks 

service the various needs and uses for residents 

in the Local Area. 

The only regional conservation area within this Local 

Area is the Scarborough Beach Reserve consisting of over 

42 hectares of dune conservation areas and shoreline. This area 

is protected and maintained under the City’s Local Biodiversity 

Strategy and the Coastal Foreshore Action Plans as well as 

several State Government Planning Policies. Development 

within the Scarborough Beach area falls within the Special Beach 

Development Zone, which is controlled by special provisions 

under LPS 3 Scheme Text. 


There were high levels of satisfaction with the provision for 

parks and reserves in the Local Area, whereby 82% of survey 

respondents felt that the provision of parks and reserves was 

‘about right’. The workshops identified that one of the main 

priorities regarding the natural environment was regarding 

maintaining and improving existing Public Open Space. 

80% of respondents felt that the provision of parks is more 

important than increased facilities within existing parks. The 

majority of people also believed that the parks and ovals 

adequately provided for sporting activities and active recreation 

pursuits for current needs. On this basis, it is considered that the 

residents are generally satisfied with the quality and quantity of 

parks in their area, but prefers the focus to be on maintenance 

and improvement of existing facilities. 

Although the residents appeared to be satisfied with the quality of 

local parks and other open spaces, there were many suggestions 

which were put forward as a result of the community workshops 

and surveys undertaken. Some ideas which were suggested 

included the use of open spaces as community hubs, increased 

pocket parks, improved streetscapes, water conservation, 

rooftop/community gardens, greenway linkages, improved park 

facilities and many more. 

The community expressed a desire to focus on maintaining 

and retaining existing parks within the Local Area. The loss of 

any existing POS was not considered acceptable. There was 

particular concern for schools subdividing land for private/ 

residential developments.The issue with infill developments 

impacting on the natural environment was also raised. 

The workshops also highlighted many strong feelings regarding 

the conservation of the natural environment, including the 

conservation and improved management of the coastal dunes as 

well as an enhanced tree policy, protecting trees and vegetation 

on both private and public land. With a significant amount of 

infill development in this Local Area, the community felt it was 

important to retain as much vegetation as possible. 

Public Open Space 

The characteristics of public open space vary throughout the 

Local Area depending on their function. The parks include 

grassed areas, heavily landscaped areas, barbeque facilities, 

playgrounds, sporting fields, and water wise features. 

The residents have identified a preference for larger more active 

parks. There is a strong response to ensure that the amounts 

of parks are not reduced. In regards to the amount of functional 

parks, this Local Area does have insufficient amount of areas 

zoned ‘Public Open Space’. It has been estimated that if this Local 

Area developed to its full potential under the current residential 

zones, the distribution of Public Open Space would reduce by 

about 40% per capita. One way of avoiding any negative impacts 

associated with this drop, would be to acquire more land, improve 

existing parks to make them more useable and provide for a 

larger catchment size. 

According to the State’s Liveable Neighbourhood Strategy, 

residential areas should have some form of Public Open Space 

within a 400 metre walkable catchment. Doubleview contains a 

small area where there is no park within there required catchment. 

This area is located adjacent to Hale School roughly bounded by 



January 2012 

18



1. 

Maintain and Improve Public Open Space. 

Ewen Street in the north, Huntriss Road in the east, Williams 

Town Road in the south and Queenscliff Road in the west. The 

City of Stirling will need to address this issue by investigating 

ways to acquire land to meet this requirement; which could 

potentially include joining forces with Hale School to allow public 

use of their sporting fields. 

2. 

3. 

Protect and create active and vibrant streetscapes. 

Create multi-purpose parks and other forms of public open 

space within the local area, to appeal to multiple users and 

clubs. 

In many high density residential neighbourhoods, there have 

been examples of sumps being converted into parks, wetlands, 

and playgrounds. Another possible way to better use sumps is to 

convert them into a community garden, creating many benefits 

to residents to enhance their connectivity, interaction and 

sustainability. There are many innovative and environmentally 

friendly ways to make this safe, sustainable, user-friendly and 

green. These multi-functional stormwater disposal sites can also 

tackle the issue of low public open space in the Doubleview Local 


Some of the major issues the City has toward providing Public 

Open Space include: 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Established suburbs, leading to difficultly to acquire land in 

highly developed areas; 

Funding; 

Coordinated planning and management of public open 

space; 

Prioritising maintaining and upgrading existing parks over 

establishing new parks; 

Issues with the land such as acid-sulphate soils, water 

drainage, connectivity, accessibility, catchment size, 

maintenance etc; 

Lack of water supply; 

Change in dwelling size and population density, adding 

higher demand on POS; 

Balancing community needs and expectations; 

Prioritising which sort of parks is required e.g. Football, 

cricket, hockey, soccer ovals, or playgrounds, barbeque, 

bushland areas, etc. 

A major resource constraint is the availability of water to irrigate 

public open space. The provision of bore water utilised by the 



January 2012 

19


MAJOR OPEN SPACE 



January 2012 

20


City for reticulation of public open space is controlled by licences 

that are issued by the State’s Department of Water. 

Streetscapes 

The Doubleview-Innaloo-Scarborough Local Area is a well 

established suburb, this usually equates to areas with mature 

trees stretching the lengths of residential and commercial streets. 

Although the City is responsible for pruning the street trees, it is 

the land owner’s responsibility to maintain the verge. 

Well maintained, green, neat and flowing streetscapes improve 

an areas sense of place, green network as well as property 

value. It is the property owner’s best interest to maintain their 

front verges and gardens. The City has a variety of programs and 

policies to control the appearance of these important residential 

networks. 

As with many communities across Australia, residents and local 

councils are having difficulty arriving at a consensus regarding 

verge trees and treatments. It is difficult to find balance between 

providing a green streetscape, water-sensitive verge treatments 

and potentially provision for parking. 

The City is in a similar position to Perth metropolitan area 

residents when addressing streetscapes in relation to water 

restrictions. As a result the City is continuously trying to discover 

more sustainable, multipurpose and beautified ways of improving 

streetscapes. 

Sustainable Environment 

Sustainability is becoming more important to the community, 

whether it relates to the protection of native bushland, active 

lifestyles, building design, energy efficiency, recycling or 

renewable energy. Therefore it is vital that the community as well 

as the City implement more ‘sustainable’ practices. 

In respondent’s observations regarding sustainability in the natural 

environment, comments tended to focus on the preservation 

and conservation of the coastal dunes as well as the retention 

on mature trees and bushland on both private and public land. 

The local beaches, particularly Scarborough Beach have been 

named as the Local Area’s ‘best place’ and ‘community heart’. 

With these places of such value to the community, it allows the 

City to focus their efforts on these places. 

The community had strong opinion against the use of ‘Box Trees’, 

lawn and other water-consuming alternatives. The Box tree was 

originally used by the City as early as the 1920s and is well 

established in the Local Area as the species is very tolerant to 

local climatic conditions. The City has no policy to cease the use 

of these trees, particularly in avenues which are already lined 

with this species. Research by the City identified that regardless 

is which species was planted in city verges, complaints would still 

be made by the community. Box trees outlived almost all other 

specied planted, are whiteant resistent and create leafy avenues 

which the community values. More information about this can be 

obtained from the Parks & Reserves Business Unit. 

All verge treatments must comply with Thoroughfare and Public 

Places Local Law 2009, under ‘Division 3 - Verge treatments’. 

The City is also currently drafting a Tree Retention and Protection 

When Developing Land Policy, which has the main objectives 

of: 

• 

• 

• 

balancing the provisions of development opportunities with 

protection of a healthy natural environmental; 

help protect the quality and amenity of neighbourhoods and 

streetscapes; 

ensure that appropriate trees are planted to preserve or 

enhance the City’s desirable ‘green’ character. 

The community suggested more involved ways in which people 

can be more self-sufficient in their consumption and energy use. 

Some of these solutions can include establishing vegetable 

gardens for example, in underutilised areas such as rooftops, 

balconies, hanging baskets, grassed areas, etc. Some locations 

such as redeveloped sumps, within this Local Area also have 

potential to provide a community garden. 

The City has adopted a Policy which will provide funding from its 

Community Food Garden Grant Program for eligible community 

food garden projects within the City. The policy sets out the 

City’s position on requests for grants under the Community 

Food Garden Grant Program. It outlines information on funding 

levels, applications and the key criteria for assessment of an 

application. 

Several areas within this Local Area, particularly in Doubleview 

and Scarborough have been identified as potential sites for 

community gardens. These gardens are supported by the City 

through the above mentioned policy, but are required to be 

established and run by members of the local community. 

Many Greenfield sites are being cleared to make way for 

residential and commercial development. Along with other Local 



January 2012 

21


Governments, the City of Stirling is trying to innovate in protecting, 

retaining and maintaining our natural environment. The City has 

a range of Policies and management plans which recommend 

other means of encouraging sustainable practices. 

Multi-purpose and Functional Public Open Space 

As mentioned, the residents appear to be content with the 

amount of public open space in the area. A common theme was 

that they would rather see facilities improved than increase the 

number of parks. The community surveys, identified over 80% 

of respondents felt that parks did not adequately provide for 

sporting and recreation. 

With continued infill developments and society demonstrating 

greater participation in sporting and physical activities, it is vital 

that the City can still provide adequate space and facilities. 

Acquiring land in established suburbs is difficult, so therefore 

it is more effective to maximise the potential of existing parks. 

Most ovals can be used for several sports codes throughout 

the seasons, as well as for other informal activities such as dog 

training, walking, personal training, etc. These parks could also 

provide areas for playgrounds, conservation and other passive 

recreation. 

Another way of increasing public open space and increasing 

variety is to create ‘greenways’. These link existing ‘green’ areas 

such as parks, reserves, the coast, schools, even civic areas. 

Investigation could also be made by converting laneways and as 

previously mentioned, sumps into open space. 

Many of these issues and objectives have been investigated 

through the City’s Public Open Space Strategy. This Strategy is 

continuously referred to in other relating policies and management 

plans to help enable its objectives. The City’s Recreation and 

Leisure and Parks and Reserves Business Units are continuously 

working on improving the City’s Public Open Space. 



January 2012 

22



1. 

Initiate ‘Tidy Street’ campaign to encourage residents to 

maintain their streets and verges. 

2. 

Investigate a new condition to be placed on Development 

Applications outlining owner responsibilites for 

maintaining the verge. 

3. 

To investigate ways in which the City acquire land or 

utilise existing privately owned land within the local area 

that has been identified as having a shortfall of POS. 

4. 

That the facilities provided at the parks are regularly 

maintained and patrolled to minimise graffiti and 

vandalism. 

5. 

Investigate the implementation of ‘Green Ways’ 

throughout the Local Area, connecting the existing parks 

and reserves through a network of natural corridors, 

protecting as much as possible the naturally occurring 

vegetation as possible. 

6. 

Continue to implement the Public Open Space Strategy 

in accordance with its objectives. 

7. 

To advise the community when the ‘Tree Retention and 

Protection when developing land’ Policy is advertised 

for public comments. 



January 2012 

23

economic development 

issues & op portunities 

Despite the Local Area comprising predominantly 

residential zoned land, the Local Area plays 

an important role in the economic diversity of 

the City, the most notable being Scarborough 

Beach and its immediate surrounds. There 

are several other areas of local economic 

significance, including the Doubleview 

commercial area (Scarborough Beach 

Road) and Morris Place. There are other 

smaller local centres operating throughout 

the Local Area servicing the day to day / 

convenience needs of the neighbourhood; 

however these three have been identified 

as the local centres of priority within the 

Local Area. 11% of the community sampled 

disclosed that they worked within the Local 

Area demonstrating the strong economic 

environment. 

The area of land identified as the ‘Stirling City 

Centre’ is located directly on the eastern boundary 

of the Local Area and forms one of the City’s largest 

economic investment projects. The City is working 

in partnership with the Department of Planning and other 

government agencies under the banner of the Stirling City Centre 

Alliance. This project is being shaped to deliver an additional 

30,000 jobs within the precinct and to house an additional 

30,000 permanent residents. Labelled as Perth’s second CBD 

its economic benefits on a regional level i.e. across the whole of 

Perth and within the City of Stirling will be significant. 

The Osborne Park industrial area is also located to the east of 

the Local Area, adjacent to the Stirling City Centre and forms a 

primary employment hub within the City of Stirling and the Perth 

metropolitan area. Osborne Park has evolved over time from 

traditional heavy industrial and manufacturing land uses, to bulky 

goods, showroom and even office land uses in certain precincts, 

despite the zoning of the land remaining ‘Industrial’. The City’s 

‘Industrial Areas in Transition Strategy’ was adopted by Council 

in 2004 to appropriately manage this transition of land uses with 

many of the recommendations of the Strategy being implemented 

to date, most of which relating to the Balcatta industrial area. 

The permitted land uses within the Osborne Park industrial areas 

still prohibits the operation of retail and shop uses, protecting 

the industrial nature of the land and the integrity of surrounding 

identified retail areas. 12,000 workers are employed within the 

City’s industrial areas and remain the City’s second highest 

industry employment centres. 

The City of Stirling records indicate that between 2005 and 2010, 

358 home businesses, home occupations and home offices were 

approved. Whilst resulting in a minimal proportion of employment 

overall, the appropriate distribution of home based work should 

continue to be encouraged. 

Part of the City’s role is to ensure that the location and function 

of the commercially zoned land not only works in harmony with 

one another but also integrates with the residential community 

surrounding it. These ‘Activity Centres’ or ‘Local Centres’ can 

function as a focal point or meeting place for the community whilst 

meeting the functionality of a localised shopping area as well 

employment hubs. These centres, many first developed as the 

‘corner deli’ and expanded over time, also present opportunities to 

increased the activity and diversity of neighbourhoods, including 

the opportunity for more people to access the centre through 

increased residential densities in and around the centre. 

This Local Area plan aims to strengthen and consolidate the 

already established nodes of activity and local centres within 

the Local Area, achieving connectivity and accessibility to these 

areas by the local community. 


The community survey undertaken as part of the community 

consultation identified a top 3 ‘types’ of places that most need 

to be improved/changed. Number 1 on this list was identified 

as the ‘shopping and entertainment precincts’. The survey also 

identified the top ‘places’ the community desired to see improved 

/ changed. Scarborough Beach was earmarked as the number 

1 position in this category, with the number 3 position awarded 

to the Morris Place shopping area. These results highlight the 

importance for the City’s continued investment in the ongoing 

development and rejuvenation of such areas. 

These sentiments were echoed by the community workshop 

participants who expressed their desires to see a significant 

improvement in the existing shopping areas, most importantly the 

Morris Place shopping area and the Scarborough Beach area. 

Participants wanted to see an increase in commercial activity and 

the quality of permanent entertainment and activity areas, which 

was supported by 50% of survey respondents believing that 

there was ‘not enough’ evening and entertainment activity. 44% 

thought that the amount of evening and entertainment activity 

was ‘about right’. 



January 2012 

24



42% of survey respondents stated that when they caught up with 

friends they did so within the Local Area, however, of the most 

common things that was said to be missing is restaurants and 

cafés as well as evening and entertainment opportunities. 

1. 

2. 

3. 

To revitalise, expand and create local activity centres, 

creating community hubs and offering a variety of exciting 

and diverse land uses to the community. 

Support and encourage local business and employment 

generation within the Local Area. 

To improve tourist activity by re-energising Scarborough 

Beach with cultural activities, restaurants, accommodation 

and a pool. 

Another emerging theme which was highlighted throughout both 

the surveys and the workshops was the emphasis for tourism 

development within Scarborough Beach and its surrounding 

areas. This included the revitalisation of the White Sands site, 

the BP site, the Luna site, and the tenancies of Observation City 

facing the ocean. A strategy suggested by residents was the 

implementation of extended shopping hours for Scarborough 

which increase the sustainability of tourism based attractions. 

Rejuvenation of the appearance of local centres and 

Scarborough beach and to improve the diversity of land 

uses 

One of the primary issues identified by the participants of the 

workshops and the survey results was the need to re-energise 

the appearance of local centres within the Local Area. This is 

a view strongly supported by the City and implemented in part 

through the City’s ‘Local Centres Improvement Program’. 

The primary objective of this Program is to nurture Local Centres 

and their capacity to provide accessible local shopping and 

services, local employment and a community focus by: 

• Improvements to the appearance, streetscape and image 

of centres; 

• Improvements to the layout and operation of centres; 

• Improvements to the accessibility of centres; and 

• Identification and response to key issues facing centres. 

The City adopts an inclusive process to its urban design studies, 

involving both property owners and the local community. 

The success of projects to date can largely be attributed to a 

partnership approach being undertaken between the City and 

business and property owners. 

The City has identified various Local Centres across the City to 



January 2012 

25


participate in this program. In this Local Area, the Morris Place 

shopping area has already been the subject of substantial Council 

upgrades in order to stimulate the gradual redevelopment of the 

centre. 

The City cannot, however, force landowners to upgrade their 

property or spend funds on private land, thus relying on the 

participation of the landowners to achieve the highest and best 

outcome. 

With the introduction of the City’s new Local Planning Scheme 

No. 3 in 2010, all non-residential land i.e. commercial zoned 

land has an automatic residential component of high density 

Residential R80. This is provided as an incentive to owners of 

these local centres to explore the true highest and best use of 

the centre while assisting in delivering a quality asset back to the 

community. 

In considering the re-development of local centres within the 

Local Area, the City encourages the general principles of mixed 

use development i.e. commercial and residential land uses as 

well as the increase of residential density in the area immediately 

surrounding the local centre, a 200 metre buffer is generally 

considered appropriate to encourage walkability to the centres. 

In determining the most appropriate density for residential 

land surrounding each identified centre, the City’s Planning 

and Sustainability Strategy 

will identify the principles 

or criteria which will assist 

this determination. This 

will take into consideration 

such factors as the existing 

residential density, state of 

the current housing stock and 

where opportunities are to 

redevelop and also identifying 

a minimum lot size for potential 

development sites. 

They demonstrate the potential to function independently as well 

as engaging the surrounding area in encouraging substantial 

residential density increases. 

These centres are identified on the Key Opportunities Plan and 

include a 200m walkable catchment zone for potential increase 

in residential density. 

Further to the formal identification of these centres and the 

development buffer around them, it is also proposed to identify 

the Doubleview commercial area as a ‘Town Centre’. 

There was equal support for and against the development of the 

local centre concept in the Local Area. Almost 67.7% of all survey 

respondents support the development of a place or places within 

the Local Area where there is a lot of activity. On the other hand, 

approximately 68.7% of respondents indicated that they would 

like the area to be a quiet place. 

Meanwhile, almost 90% of respondents indicated that an urban 

village feel to the area would be good, with greater provision for 

pedestrians and cyclists facilities in the area. 

Most respondents indicated that they felt that most aspects and 

amenities in their Local Area were ‘about right’. The aspect that 

respondents most strongly felt needed to be increased was the 

Within this Local Area, the 

Morris Place shopping centre, 

the Brighton Road shopping 

area, the Doubleview commercial area (where the IGA is located) 

amd the Doric Street shops are the local centres identified 

as priority local centres, or known by this Local Area Plan as 

Neighbourhood Centres. These centres are considered to be the 

most ‘desirable’ centres for redevelopment within the Local Area. 

number of evening and entertainment opportunities, with 32% 

listing ‘not enough range’ and 18.5% listing simply ‘not enough’. 

Only 44% of respondents indicated that this aspect was about 

right. 



January 2012 

26


It is envisioned that the continued and ongoing partnership 

between the City and the landowners of the identified 

collated into five themes: 

• Safety; 

• Local Economy and Growth; 

• Community and Lifestyle; 

• Environment and Sustainability; 

• Governance. 

Based on stakeholder feedback and analysis, the revised Master 

Plan makes 36 recommendations. The key elements of the 

Revised Master Plan addresses the following aspects (refer to 

the Master Plan Diagram): 

neighbourhood centres would attract these types of uses to the 

area. The ‘Local Centre’ zoning is the most generous of the City’s 

zones allowing a great variety of land uses; however, the City has 

little to no influence in the final land use or business proprietor 

which enters the tenancy. 

• Scarborough Beach Road / West Entry Plaza 

• The Esplanade; 

• Upper Promenade; 

• Lower Promenade; 

• Beach Park; 

• Family Beach and Park; 

• Commercial and Retail Opportunities; 

• West Coast Highway; 

• Streetscape Improvements; 

• Commercial Node and Extended Surf Club. 

The issues facing Scarborough Beach are many of the same 

issues facing the local centres. Single ownership and current 

demand for tenancies within existing buildings delay the incentive 

to redevelop. The Observation City hotel in Scarborough is one 

of the largest stakeholders of land at the beach front and as such 

has a large influence on how many tenancies are available to let 

and the resultant built form. 

The realm in which the City does have control is the land reserved 

under the Local Planning Scheme No. 3, i.e. the foreshore reserve. 

on 2nd August 2011 Council adopted the Revised Scarborouh 

Beach Master Plan following the partial implementation of the 

2005 Scarborough Beach Master Plan, including the beach 

ampitheatre and streetscape enhancements to the Esplanade 

and adjacent pedestrian areas. The review of the Master Plan 

was undertaken to consider the impacts of climate change, sea 

level rise, economic activation, place making and the longer term 

cost implications. 

The original SEAS objectives were redefined to better reflect the 

intended vision for the study area and provide a more meaningful 

direction on actions for change. The objectives have been 

Further to the continued implementation of the Scarborough 

Beach Master Plan and the Local Centres Improvement Program 

within the Local Area as ongoing projects, it is proposed that 

the City begin to identify the Scarborough beach area and 

its surrounds (i.e. the SEAS area) as a district centre. This 

classification will then align Scarborough to be consistent with 

the State Governments State Planning Policy 4.2 Activity Centres 

for Perth and Peel. 

To this end, it is recommended that the land zoned ‘Mixed Use’ 

within the Scarborough beach locality is rezoned to ‘District 

Centre” under the provisions of Local Planning Scheme No. 

3 and that an appropriate Centre Plan be prepared following 

Gazettal of the zone. 

To protect the amount of tourist accommodation and 

activities within Scarborough 

Many of the community workshop participants expressed concern 

at the diminishing and bad quality of the tourist accommodation 

within the Local Area, particularly for those within close proximity 



January 2012 

27


to Scarborough beach. 

Scarborough beach was identified by the community as forming 

one of the ‘hearts’ of the Local Area, attracting visitors and 

locals alike due to its natural characteristics i.e. the beach and 

its entertainment opportunities. Scarborough beach was also 

however identified as being one of the places in greatest need of 

improvement within the Local Area. 

Inflated development costs however, driven the by high demand 

on skilled workers and resources as well as the increasing 

value of residential and commercial developments has created 

an economic environment which provides little to no incentives 

for new hotel developments. Between 2006 and 2009 only an 

additional 200 rooms were added to existing (approx) 5500 

usable rooms in Perth, a growth rate of only 3.6%. 

The community workshop participants re-iterated their desire to 

see more tourist orientated investment, including the provision 

of more tourist accommodation as well as encouraging more 

tourist activity operators to locate within the area. It was also the 

retention of the existing tourist accommodation in Scarborough 

which was of concern to the community. 

The Perth Hotel Economic Impact Study also examines the 

role of State Government and its policy positions in relation to 

Currently in Scarborough there is approximately 24 tourist 

orientated or short stay accommodation facilities, approximately 

50% of which being self contained apartments and approximately 

30% being backpackers accommodation. Bed and breakfast and 

Hotel accommodation forms a minority percentage of overall 

facilities. In saying that however, Observation City, whilst only 

one of two Hotels in the area is the largest facility with over 300 

rooms provided over 16 floors. 

Despite the provision of such accommodation within the Local 

Area by a range of operators, there appears to be continuous 

pressure on landowners by the market for redevelopment to the 

highest and best use of the land which normally only includes 

either permanent residential or commercial development. 

The City’s Local Planning Scheme No. 3 currently requires 

however, that 25% of all developments within Scarborough Beach 

be used for short stay accommodation in order to counteract 

some of this pressure. 

Tourism WA plays an important role in working with Government 

agencies and also monitors the provision of Hotel accommodation 

in Perth. Tourism WA has emphasised the importance of retaining 

Scarborough Beach as a tourism ‘precinct’ to the City and 

encouraging City to take a more active role in the placement of 

tourist and short stay accommodation within Scarborough. 

The City of Stirling and Tourism WA are working towards signing 

a Memorandum of Understanding ensuring a continued and 

strong partnership in the future management and preservation of 

Scarborough Beach as a tourism precinct. 

stimulating the growth of hotel development. The report concedes 

that there is little evidence to suggest that current regulatory 

or policy settings are directly impeding hotel accommodation 

shortages with the primary identifiable origins of the recent lack 

of hotel development in Perth being market-related. 

Scarborough beach has a high proportion of hotel and short 

stay accommodation land uses when compared to other areas 

in Perth. Its natural tourism characteristics create the demand 

for visitors and thus the demand for accommodation. The 

high density of such land uses in Scarborough yields positive 

economic benefits so it is important to at the very least preserve 

the status quo of these benefits with a view to increase capacity 

where appropriate. 

As already discussed in this plan however, the City can only 

invest in infrastructure on land and buildings that is either vested 

in the City as Crown land or is owned by the City. The City often 

zones land and / or provide development incentives to encourage 

certain land uses to locate in certain areas, however, the City 



January 2012 

28


cannot force any operator to locate within that zone; this is largely 

up to the market forces and relevant influences at the time. 

The City can however, ensure that land uses which are already 

in place, remain in place. For example, to mitigate the loss of 

land uses from tourist accommodation to residential or other 

commercial uses, thereby reducing the provision of tourism 

accommodation, the City should form the view, that by default, 

rezoning applications or change of use applications which will 

reduce the number of short stay (or tourist) accommodation within 

the Local Area would not be supported without the applicant 

providing sufficient justification that the loss of the facility would 

not detrimentally impact the provision of the overall of such 

accommodation within the Local Area. 

Encourage local businesses to operate within the Local 

Area, particularly in Scarborough and its surrounds 

The Local Area possesses a number of desirable characteristics 

encouraging small and local businesses to locate within it, 

particularly those which rely on being located in high exposure 

sites. The dissection of the Local Area by Scarborough Beach 

Road does create a physical barrier within the Local Area; 

conversely, it also creates opportunities for local businesses 

by way of its accessibility and exposure to the local and intersuburban 

population. 

By focusing commercial development potential within identified 

centres i.e. Scarborough, Doubleview, Brighton Road and Morris 

Place, the City is strengthening the ongoing sustainability of 

these centres as well as limiting the inappropriate location of 

commercial areas outside of a pre-identified centre. Centre 

landowners are offered the incentive of High Density Residential 

R80 potential in all commercial developments as of right under 

Local Planning Scheme No. 3, creating a more integrated and 

mixed use style community focal point for commercial activity as 

well as economic diversity and employment opportunities. This 

approach is very much consistent with the State Governments 

Directions 2031 document. 

Generally, survey respondents were unsure when responding to 

questions about business activity in the Local Area which most 

likely reflects that mostly residents responded to the survey as 

opposed to commercial operators. When asked to consider 

whether there is sufficient support for business development 

in the Local Area, over half of the respondents were unsure, 

although there was a greater proportion of those who claimed 

that support was sufficient. 

Although participants at the workshops wanted the City to 

encourage local businesses to locate within the Local Area, 

there was often a strong relationship with the prior issue, that the 

commercial centres should be re-vitalised as a matter of priority. 

There was strong sentiment that the rejuvenation of the centres 

would attract more local businesses, and a greater variety of 

businesses. This further compound the issue that the two issues 

are inextricable linked to one another, in the communities’ eyes. 

Participants at the workshops also expressed the increasing 

relevance of home based businesses within the Community and 

the more dynamic role the workforce was taking i.e. mixture of 

part time work and the increasing number of people working from 

home. Approximately 29% of the survey respondents indicated 

they felt that Council should make it easier for home businesses 

to operate in the Local Area, about 33% of respondents remained 

unsure in answering this question. 

The City’s home office approval process is generally supportive 

of people locating their businesses within their homes. The Policy 



January 2012 

29


aims to restrict uses which affect the comfort and amenity of their 

neighbouring locality however; it generally encourages home 

based businesses. 



January 2012 

30



1. 

To strengthen the functionality and sustainability of the 

Local Centres of Priority identified within the Local Area 

2. 

To identify the Local Centres with development Priority 

within the Local Area; 

3. 

The identification of a 200m development buffer around 

the identified local centres for future consideration of 

high density residential development; 

4. 

To continue to implement the City’s Local Centres 

Improvement Program; 

5. 

The identification of the Doubleview Commercial Centre 

as a Town Centre and subsequent 200m development 

buffer; 

6. 

To retain and promote short stay accommodation facilities 

and sites and continue to promote Scarborough Beach 

as an important tourist attractor within the Local Area 

7. 

To continue to work with Tourism WA on an acceptable 

MOU agreement for the Scarborough Beach Precinct; 

8. 

To advise the Planning and Sustainability Strategy 

to investigate further strategies in strengthening 

Scarborough Beach as a vibrant tourist hub and securing 

more short stay accommodation sites; 

9. 

To NOT support any rezoning application or change of 

use application this reduces the number of short stay 

accommodation within the Local Area; 

10. 

That the land zoned ‘Mixed Use’ in Scarborough be 

rezoned to ‘District Centre’, pending a full assessment; 

11. 

To have Scarborough identified by the State Government 

as a tourist area to allow extended trading hours. 



January 2012 

31

movement & transport 

The movement and transport network located 

within the Doubleview – Innaloo – Scarborough 

Local Area is diverse and includes several ‘Primary 

Regional Roads’, including West Coast Highway 

and the Mitchell Freeway. Scarborough Beach 

Road is reserved as ‘Other Regional Roads’ 

and traverses the east-west extent of the Local 


The Local Area is bounded by the Mitchell 

Freeway in the east, Karrinyup Road and 

Newborough Street in the north, Pearl Parade 

in the north east, Peasholm Street, Cobb 

Street and Williamstown Road in the south 

and Huntriss Street in the west. 

Public Transport 

The Public Transport Authority is the government agency 

responsible for the provision of public transport. The Local 

Area is well served by a mixture of bus and train services. 

Glendalough Train Station and Stirling Train Station are the two 

main public transport hubs servicing the Local Area. Numerous 

bus services connect from these train stations to Stirling City 

Centre, Scarborough Beach and various other locations in the 

Local Area. 


Movement throughout the Local Area is 

characterised predominantly by the motor 

vehicle, however residents have access to 

metropolitan public transport, including high 

frequency bus routes and heavy rail stations, dual 

use and dedicated bike paths and a comprehensive 

footpath network. The responsibility for the installation and 

maintenance of each mode of transport is divided among several 

government agencies, including the City of Stirling. 

Vehicular Traffic 

Scarborough Beach Road and West Coast Highway are both 

high frequency vehicular routes and the busiest in the Local 

Area. The City’s Engineering Unit advise that in excess of 35,000 

vehicles travel on West Coast Highway daily and between 15,000 

to 35,000 vehicles utilise Scarborough Beach Road. 

Given West Coast Highway is reserved as a Primary Regional 

Road under the Metropolitan Regional Scheme and the City’s 

LPS 3, it is the responsibility of the Main Roads Department 

of the State Government. Scarborough Beach Road, however, 

remains under the jurisdiction of the City of Stirling. 

The intersection of West Coast Highway and Scarborough Beach 

Road over time, and with the increase in road users has presented 

a range of complicated traffic management issues to the City and 

Main Roads WA (MRWA). The City will be undertaking a traffic 

assessment of the intersection and it is anticipated that a report 

will be presented to Council at a later date during 2011. 

Integrated Transport Strategy 

The City has developed an Integrated Transport Strategy which 

encourages more sustainable, efficient, accessible and equitable 

transport system. The Strategy promotes, amongst other things, 

the development of activity centres (centres of a higher intensity 

mix of uses such as commercial, business, educational and 

residential) and linking these with public transport as well as 

strategic pedestrian and cyclist network improvements. 

TravelSmart 

The TravelSmart program was first developed by the Government 

of Western Australia in the mid 1990s. Its success has led to 

jurisdictions across Australia adopting TravelSmart programs, 

and it has earned support from the Australian Government. 

TravelSmart also works with local communities, including local 

governments, schools, universities, hospitals and workplaces, 

to help them self-manage the process of change. In this way, 

TravelSmart helps to build the capacity of organisations and 

institutions to influence the travel behaviour of their staff and 

customers. 



January 2012 

32



1. Improve the connectivity of the pedestrian and cycling 

network with end of use facilities and local community 

amenities. 

2. Encourage alternative transport modes to improve the 

accessibility of transport for all residents and promote 

sustainable transportation. 

3. Improve road safety for all road users. 

By working with individuals and in partnership with organisations 

and institutions, the TravelSmart program aims to lead to 

changes in travel behaviour and the physical environment, which 

contribute to healthier communities that are more accessible, 

active and robust. 

The City of Stirling joined the TravelSmart program in August 2006 

with the appointment of a TravelSmart Officer and the initiation 

of the TravelSmart Household Program. The City received 

seed-funding from the Department for Planning & Infrastructure 

to cover 50% of the costs relating to the employment of the 

TravelSmart Officer for a 29-month period, and delivery of the 

TravelSmart Household Program to 13,000 households at 10% 

of the program’s true cost. 

A number of TravelSmart Innovations were developed between 

2006-2009, including: 

Some of the achievements of the TravelSmart program between 

2006 and 2009 include: 

• 76% of City of Stirling primary schools participated in the 

TravelSmart program; 

• 14 City staff members who previously drove to work took up 

cycling as their main form of commuting, and between them 

rode more than 9000km; 

• 13 staff members who previously drove to work now use 

public transport as their main mode of commuting; 

• 45 staff members now choose to travel into Perth for 

meetings by train instead of driving there; 

• 38 female community members learned to ride a bicycle for 

the first time; 

• 12,824 households in the City of Stirling participated in the 

TravelSmart Household program and reduced their car 

usage on average by 69 trips per household per year as a 

consequence. 

• A technique to map the home locations of students 

attending any given school, allowing schools to better 

identify opportunities to encourage walking and cycling to 

school; 

• Novel signage to educate parents on travel times to their 

local school; this signage has since been adopted by the 

Department of Transport and is used in all school projects 

run by them; 

• The redevelopment of the Cycling 100 program, to a new 

model which has since been adopted by several other 

local authorities; 

• Perth’s first regular adult cycle training classes. These 

are specifically targeted at women, and have been so 

successful that many other local authorities and the 

Department of Transport are now attempting to replicate 

them. 

The program is set to continue over the next several years with 

the 2011-2014 Action Plan for the program being considered by 

Council in 2011. 

Bikeplan 

The City is currently preparing a ‘Bikeplan’ which is a Local 

Government cycling strategy perpetuating the objectives and 

mission statement of Bikewest, an agency within the Department 

of Transport for increasing the usage of bicycles and associated 

facilities as an alternative mode of transport to the motor 

vehicle. 



January 2012 

33


As a tool, the Plan will contribute to the development of safe, 

convenient, efficient and attractive cycling infrastructure, available 

for all, and providing not only a viable alternative transport mode, 

but also recreational, leisure, tourism and health opportunities for 

the community. The Plan aims to double the amount of bicycle 

users within 5 years. 

The Perth Bicycle Network (PBN) was established by Bikewest 

as a framework which identified preferred routes for cyclists on a 

metropolitan scale. Local Governments would use this framework 

as the basis of their strategic plan for cyclists and identify areas 

for improvement or manipulation as well as it being a mechanism 

for obtaining funding from the Government. 

The City’s Bikeplan does not propose any amendments to 

this network as part of the review, rather, identifying areas for 

improvement and providing recommendations to Council for the 

continuing and efficient rollout of the City’s bicycle user network. 

Issues and Opportunities 

Respondents to the community surveys were generally happy 

with the transport networks in the Local Area. In the community 

consultation sessions, several opportunities for improving the 

movement and transport in the Local Area were discussed. The 

Improve Connectivity for the Pedestrian and Cycling 

Network 

One of the priorities identified from the community consultation 

sessions was for improved connectivity between the different 

transport networks and end of use facilities. A well planned and 

connected movement network system is important in providing 

efficient levels of access for local residents to local facilities. 

Survey results indicate that there were generally high levels of 

satisfaction with transport provision for walking while there was 

minimal satisfaction with cycling accessibility which reflects the 

lack of cycling amenities in the area. When survey participants 

were asked what they would like to see improved, cycling was 

one of the top priorities. 

In the community consultation sessions, pedestrian access 

to train stations and connections for cycling to public transport 

services were highlighted as needing improvement. In addition 

to this, upgrading of footpaths such as along the Boardwalk from 

Scarborough Beach to Trigg Beach, improving the provision of 

designated cycleways along Scarborough Beach Road, increasing 

the provision of dual use paths and improving bicycle parking 

facilities were also identified as areas for improvement. From the 

surveys, 90% of respondents agreed that street design should 

provide for an urban village feel to provide better pedestrian and 

cyclist facilities in the area. 

The City can assist in improving the connectivity 

of the transport network through the provision of 

continuous pedestrian paths and cycleways in the 

Local Area. The City is in the process of finalising 

a Footpath Policy and a Bike Plan to oversee the 

management of footpath and cycling infrastructure 

and address gaps in the City’s pedestrian and 

cycling network. 

connectivity of footpaths and cycleways and improving road 

safety were identified as important issues for the community. 

Participants also indicated a desire for a greater variety of 

alternative transport modes to be available in the Local Area. 

Promote Alternative Transport Modes 

Survey respondents indicate generally high levels 

of satisfaction with transport provision for driving 

however traffic and congestion were highlighted 

as problems in the Local Area. The dominance of 

car use is seen in the results of the surveys which 

show that in the Local Area, 80% of shopping trips, 

65% of trips for eating out and 67% of trips to work or education 

are by private vehicle. The participants indicated that they wanted 

more sustainable transportation options such as cycling and bus 

services. Public transport services maintain accessibility for a 

wide range of community members and typically constitute a 



January 2012 

34


Scarborough 

Beach 

Brighton 

Beach 



January 2012 

35


more environmentally friendly way to travel than private vehicle. 

Current public transport options in the Local Area were rated as 

“good” to “fair” by survey respondents. 

increase the number of 50km/h signs throughout the Local Area. 

The participants of the community consultation sessions also 

supported the provision of alternative transport options to 

improve the sustainability of the transport system. The possibility 

of light rail linking Scarborough Beach to Glendalough or Stirling 

train stations and the provision of CAT buses along Scarborough 

Beach Road for effective high frequency public transport were 

some of the suggestions. A shuttle bus service such as for 

transporting local residents between residential areas, train 

stations and Scarborough Beach was another suggestion. The 

City could assist the community in investigating the feasibility of 

a community run bus service perhaps in partnership with other 

government or community run agencies. 

Though public transport services are the responsibility of the 

Public Transport Authority, the City can encourage public 

transport usage by planning for enhanced bus shelter provision 

and influencing land uses around transport stops to increase 

service patronage and the amenity of those waiting for buses. 

Improve Road Safety 

Road safety was an issue that was highlighted during the 

community consultation sessions. Participants expressed their 

wish for improved road safety in the Local Area with less traffic on 

local roads and reduced heavy vehicle access on these roads. 

A safer walking environment to train stations and an increased 

provision of pedestrian crossings were also discussed. 

Scarborough Beach Road was stressed as needing improvement 

in road safety in both the surveys and community consultation 

sessions. The lack of amenity for pedestrians to cross 

Scarborough Beach Road was an important road safety issue 

and the community sentiment was for the provision of median 

pedestrian crossings along the road. Currently the City is in 

the process of undertaking a study on the Scarborough Beach 

Road activity corridor. The study, among other things will look 

at existing transport issues and opportunities to address and 

improve on these issues. 

The community also supported the running of educational 

programs on road safety. A comprehensive local road safety 

strategy or campaign could be prepared by the community and 

the City to address some of the concerns raised by the local 

community in the workshops. Additional measures August be to 



January 2012 

36



1. 

To promote safety and accessibility for the community 

through construction and maintenance of footpaths and 

cycleways. 

2. 

To encourage the use of alternative transport forms 

through education, skills-training and incentive 

programs 

3. 

To support the reduction of speed on local roads through 

the City’s ‘Safe Speed’ campaign 

4. 

To promote a high level of activity around transport 

centres and stops to encourage use of public transport 

5. 

To continue to implement the recommendations of the 

Integrated Transport Strategy 



January 2012 

37

uilt environment 


How a piece of land can be used or developed 

in the City of Stirling is determined by the City’s 

Local Planning Scheme No. 3 (LPS 3). Zones 

applied by this document, such as ‘Residential’, 

‘Local Centre’, ‘Business’ and ‘Industry’, to 

name a few, together with the Scheme Text 

sets out what a piece of land can be used 

for and how it can be developed (i.e. height, 

parking and landscaping requirements). 

LPS 3 was adopted in August 2010 and 

replaced District Planning Scheme No. 2 

which came into effect in 1985. 

Development and land use in the City is 

also influenced by various State and Local 

Government policies, including Directions 

2031 and Beyond, the Residential Design 

Codes and the Metropolitan Region 

Scheme. 

The Doubleview – Innaloo – Scarborough 

Local Area predominantly consists of land zoned 

‘Residential’. The land north of Scarborough Beach 

Road is primarily zoned ‘Residential R40’ with the land south 

of Scarborough Beach Road zoned mostly ‘Residential R30’. 

Further to these residential densities however, there are pockets 

of Residential R50 and Residential R60 in the northern area and 

conversely a limited area of Residential R20 and Residential R25 

in the south eastern area of the Local Area. 

The greatest variation to these residential densities occurs in and 

around the Scarborough Beach area. Previous Amendments 457 

and 458 to District Planning Scheme No. 2 created the planning 

framework (now incorporated as part of LPS 3 as the ‘Special 

Beach Development zone) which allows significantly higher 

residential densities and the identification of landmark sites, 

with increased height provisions in certain circumstances. This 

framework prescribes the relevant development guidelines and 

other requirements such as development contributions for land 

within this zone. For detailed information relating to this zone, 

see LPS 3. 

The Local Area also contains a mix of other land uses and 

residential densities, represented by the various zones 

located within the Area. The ‘Doubleview Commercial Area’ on 

Scarborough Beach Road, Morris Place and Muriel Avenue are 

examples of ‘Local Centres’ which are commercial and retail based 

centres servicing the everyday needs of the local community. It 

is common in most Local Areas that these zones represent the 

traditional ‘corner deli’ which has survived the evolution of the 

suburb, and in some cases, expanded. 

The intersection of Scarborough Beach Road and West Coast 

Drive is a large scale example of the City’s mixed use zones. The 

western portion of Scarborough Beach Road is lined with mixed 

use zone, allowing landowners to operate shops and commercial 

enterprises in conjunction with high density residential uses (up 

to Residential R80). 

Scarborough Beach is considered to be the focal point of the 

coastal region. The current planning framework established for 

that precinct is designed to strengthen and refresh its role within 

the City of Stirling and the Perth Metropolitan Region alike. 

Other features of the Local Area include a community centre on 

Gildercliffe Street in Scarborough as well as a centre at the Morris 

Place shopping area. There is no land zoned ‘Industry’ within this 

Local Area, however, the Osborne Park and Herdsman Lake 

industrial area is located to the east of the Local Area. 

Housing Stock 

In Doubleview, single detached dwellings dominate but there 

are some scattered unit and duplex developments. Much of 

the area contains post-war housing, a significant proportion of 

which was constructed by the government, and many of the 

original dwellings are of timber frame construction, with more 

recent developments using brick and tile. Some parts of the 

southern section of Doubleview contain examples of 1960s and 

international-style housing. 

Innaloo also contains a scattering of duplex homes and recently 

built units, which are gradually replacing older housing stock. The 

majority of these newer dwellings are of brick and tile construction 

and have a modern design. 

Scarborough was once dominated by holiday homes and single 

detached houses built in the post-war era and occupied by 

workers. Though many detached residences remain, in recent 

years a vast transformation has occurred along the coastal strip. 

Numerous units and flat developments have appeared, some of 

which are multi-storey and echo the style of the Observation City 

development. Housing designs range from the timber-framed 

workers’ houses to 1960s flats through to modern home units. 

Lot sizes average 800m² in Scarborough, though lots north of 

Scarborough Beach Road are smaller. 



January 2012 

38



1. To increase the mix of residential housing types within 

the Local Area, particularly around local centres. 

2. For the City to stimulate the ongoing redevelopment of 

the housing stock within the Local Area by providing 

a range of incentives for landowners to do and to 

encouraging a diverse range of Residential zonings. 

3. To improve awareness and enforcement of sustainable 

building design principles to developers within the Local 

Area 


Of the various community workshops that were undertaken within 

the Local Area, three main themes emerged. Overwhelmingly, 

the notion of energy efficiency and ‘green building design’ was 

the most popular issue raised at the workshops with many 

participants raising the profile of this issue, particularly as it 

relates to the coastal suburbs. Another theme which emerged 

from the workshops including the desire to see a greater mix 

of housing types throughout the Local Area catering to a wider 

range of the community. Thirdly, the workshop participants noted 

their objection to large uniform residential zones. Diversity in 

zoning was the key phrase which led discussion, meaning the 

City should consider looking at the future zoning of the Local 

Area on a more localised level. There was some discussion 

supporting the increase of residential density in the Scarborough 

Beach area as well as along Scarborough Beach Road. 

Conversely, there was high satisfaction with the provision for 

different types of housing across the Local Area from survey 

respondents, particularly the total amount of housing, with 74% 

of respondents listing provision as ‘about right’. Approximately 

half of the respondents also indicated that they felt that the 

provision for small dwellings, apartments/flats and housing for 

low income earners was adequate. While most respondents 

listed the amount of housing for large families as about right, 

there was generally more support for an increase in this type of 

housing than most other options, with the exception of retirement 

housing. Respondent support for an increase in the amount of 

retirement villas and villages in the Local Area was significant at 

51%. 

The survey respondents generally indicated that they wanted 

few changes to residential densities across the Local Area. Many 

respondents also indicated that they had ‘no strong opinion’ on 

the matter, suggesting the need to further examine the matter 

through the community forums. 

When asked to consider whether there should be scope for 

greater diversity in housing densities across the area overall, 

approximately 65.8% of respondents indicated that they would 



January 2012 

39


not support this while 20.8% supported this. When asked to 

consider densities in the area that respondents lived themselves, 

most respondents were generally against changes to density. 

Respondents were more supportive of increasing density near 

major bus routes or activity centres; however there were only 

marginal differences between the proportions of respondents 

who were supportive, not supportive and unsure about this. 

Development of identified Local Centres as community 

hubs 

As discussed in Economic Environment the City is supporting 

and encouraging development in and around existing local 

centres. The City has identified ‘priority local centres’ within this 

Local Area and marked a 200m development buffer around each 

of the local centres (referred to as Neighbourhood Centres by 

this document). 

(south of Scarborough Beach Road) is zoned Residential R30 

with the north side being predominantly R40. The City considers 

Scarborough to be an important Regional attractor to residents 

of the City of Stirling, as well as the greater metropolitan area. 

Significant investment has been made by the City into the 

planning and development of Scarborough ensuring that it fulfils 

its role as a regional hub. It is on this basis that it is considered 

appropriate to identify the land immediately surrounding SEAS 

(both north and south, as identified on the Key Opportunities 

Plan) to Residential R60, which provides a logical and appropriate 

gradient of residential densities from east to west. 

It is proposed that the City’s draft Planning and Sustainability 

Strategy will iclude a schedule of the Neighbourhood Centres 

identified considered a priority for redevelopment and 

consideration of a higher residential zone in and directly abutting 

the centres. 

Non-residential zones identified by Local Planning Scheme No. 

3 are already permitted a mix of commercial and residential 

development of up to High Density Residential R80 as of right. 

The City is taking this one step further and considering high 

density residential development within a 200m radius around the 

identified neighbourhood centre. 

The neighbourhood centres have been identified as centres 

of priority due to a number of relevant factors. Firstly their 

geographical locations have been important. The neighbourhood 

centred in this Local Area fits into a City wide network of centres 

which are well connected and display adequate redevelopment 

potential. An assessment of the current housing stock, lot size and 

orientation of the surrounding residential areas were important 

factors in selecting the centres as well as the size, current uses 

and land ownership of the centres themselves. It is critical that 

the two components of the centre (i.e. inner centre and outer 

centre) are integrated as their use and function is inextricably 

linked. 

This Local Area Plan also identifies the opportunity to increase 

residential desntity surrounding the precinct formally known as 

the Scarborough Environs Area Strategy (SEAS). Just as selected 

local centres have been identified by the Local Area Planning 

process for potential increases in density in surrounding areas, 

so to has the surrounds of the SEAS boundary. The Scarborough 

Special Control Area or ‘Sub Areas’ known as the ‘Residential 

- Outer’ is zoned Residential R80 under the Local Planning 

Scheme No. 3. The land immediately surrounding this sub area 

The redevelopment of the centre itself however, is totally 

dependent upon the landowner. The City has provided the 

incentive to owners of all centres by permitting High Density 

Residential R80 mixed use development, however there is a 

lack of centres talking up this redevelopment opportunity with no 

development application received at the preparation of this Local 

Area Plan for any local centre. 

Sustainable Building Design 

Throughout the consultation with the community of the Local 

Area, the theme of sustainable building design was emphasised 

by many of the participants and as a group, particularly with the 



January 2012 

40


increase of infill development within the Doubleview area. 

Another issue which dovetailed this was the participants concerns 

relating to streetscapes, specifically the selection of street trees 

and the removal of existing trees, degrading the street and 

having impact on the natural environment. This issue is further 

discussed in the Natural Environment section of this plan. 

There are currently various controls in place which regulate 

minimum energy efficiency standards enforced by the Building 

Code of Australia on new buildings, as well as Design for Climate 

Requirements provisions which are required to be satisfied within 

the R Codes. 

Whilst these controls form the foundation for regulating the 

performance of buildings in Western Australia’s changing climate, 

the City currently has no statutory policies, design guidelines or 

other parameters in which instruct landowners to include such 

design features. Whilst there is development occurring throughout 

the Local Area adopting such principles, there is no requirement 

for them to do so. 

Such a policy framework should be led by the State Government, 

as it is a state wide issue and not just specific to the City of 

Stirling through the inclusion of relevant provisions in the R 

Codes. The City will continue to encourage and be a party to any 

discussion led by the State Government in implementing such 

design principles for all residential development. 

Development incentives for redevelopment of existing 

housing stock 

There were some concerns from the community in relation to 

the state of the current housing stock within the Local Area. 

The original construction of the housing within the Local Area, 

particularly Scarborough and Doubleview, occurred mostly 

in the post war era with much of this stock remaining. Larger 

blocks of flats are also common throughout Scarborough, with 

many of these also still remaining. The provision of extensive 

original holiday accommodation within the area also leaves 

significant aging infrastructure throughout the Local Area but 

while the appearance of such ageing stock (both residential 

and commercial) is currently a plight on the Local Area it also 

represents great opportunities for these sites to contribute to the 

ongoing vibrancy and activity occurring within the local area. 

The gazettal of the City’s new Local Planning Scheme No. 3 in 

August 2010 saw a significant shift in the way commercial and 

residential uses interact. Every non-residential zone within the 

City now permits residential development up to R80 when it is 

combined with commercial uses as part of a comprehensive 

development. This incentive provided by the City’s Scheme is 

designed to stimulate the redevelopment of flailing and ageing 

commercial zoned property within the City. Further to this, the City 

is also encouraging high density Residential R80 development 

within a 200m ‘development buffer’ of selected Local Centres. 

In addition to the above changes made to the City’s Town 

Planning Scheme, Clause 5.3.3 states ‘…where a site has been 

developed for residential purposes at a greater density than 

that permitted under the relevant R Code…Council may permit 

the site to be redeveloped up to the same density, provided it is 

satisfied that the standard of the development will be significantly 

improved as a result’. 

This Clause is particularly relevant in Scarborough with the 



January 2012 

41


number of now non-conforming flat developments which are 

located within the locality. This provides significant redevelopment 

incentive to the landowner(s) that will help them achieve a higher 

residential density for their sites than if they had owned a property 

without such existing dwellings. As the case with many other 

development incentives, the City has put in place the framework 

and it is now up to the developer to utilise the opportunity. 

Increased provision of different housing types 

The community workshop participants highlighted a desire to 

see a greater variety of housing types throughout the Local Area. 

This notion was not overwhelmingly supported by the survey 

responses received. 

This Local Area is characterised by a range of varied residential 

densities from Low Density R20 in the south-east areas to 

Medium Density R40 in the northern areas to the High Density 

R80 and R160 permitted in some areas of Scarborough. This 

cross section of densities delivers a relatively high variety of lot 

sizes within the Local Area, therefore allowing the opportunity for 

a greater mix of housing types to be developed within the Local 


and higher in the City of Stirling. 

To explain how they work, a 3,000m2 lot for example in an R40 

zone would normally yield approximately 13 lots or grouped 

dwellings. On the same property, yet applying the Multiple Unit 

Codes, a plot ratio of 0.6 is applied meaning 3,000 x 0.6 equals 

the total floor space permitted, being 1,800m2. This disregards 

the residential density code (R Code) and, assuming a 100m2 

single bedroom apartment, approximately 18 units August be 

permitted. Other restrictions apply however with regard to height, 

setbacks etc however, but this is a very basic example. 

The Multiple Unit Codes was a State Government initiative to at 

least in part combat the issue of affordable housing within the 

Perth metropolitan area. It was adopted as part of the R Codes in 

November 2010 so its widespread effectiveness on a metropolitan 

level remains to be seen. The City will encourage and continue 

to assess development proposals against the criteria as they are 

received. 

Interestingly, the issue of affordable housing was not highlighted 

in either the survey responses or the workshops. Whilst this does 

not suggest the issue isn’t relevant to the Local Area it represents 

that the community perception of the issue is less prominent. 

There have been several strategies initiated by the State 

Government to address this as an ongoing issue, not only within 

the City of Stirling, but throughout the metropolitan area. Perhaps 

the most notable is the introduction of the Multiple Unit Codes 

adopted as part of the Residential Design Codes (The R Codes). 

The purpose of the R Codes is to provide a comprehensive basis 

for the control of residential development throughout Western 

Australia administered by Local Government but prepared by 

the State Government. The R Codes prescribe the minimum 

allowable lot sizes of land in residential zoned land (explained 

as a maximum number of lots allowed per hectare) and offer 

standard development control provisions relating to setbacks of 

buildings to lot boundaries etc. 

The Multiple Unit Codes allow the development of buildings 

containing apartments which can be calculated by plot ratio as 

opposed to the prescribed residential density. These codes are 

only applicable to land zoned Medium Density Residential R40 

The City’s own Local Housing Strategy discusses the provision of 

affordable housing City-wide, however elements of the Strategy 

are relevant to the Local Area. The Strategy identifies that the 

provision of public housing is on the decline, compounding the 

effects on low-income residents. Competing with the private rental 

market and being overlooked by community housing agencies 

in favour of poorer members of the community is placing these 

residents in a vulnerable position. 

One strategy for alleviating the strain on the public housing 

system is for the City to work with developers, transferring 

responsibility to the private sector on imposing affordable housing 

requirements on development which exceed specified thresholds 



January 2012 

42


(for example). Other measures include providing a density bonus 

to developers in exchange for affordable owner/occupier or rental 

housing. 

Should these opportunities be available to developers, alliances 

between community housing agencies and developers August 

begin to emerge as the combined experience of the two sectors 

form synergies which provide direct relief to members of the 

community which require the assistance, without straining the 

public system. 

The Local Housing Strategy also identifies the potential to help 

facilitate the development of housing diversity. Whilst this is 

formed on a regional scale (identifying Stirling City Centre and 

Glendalough as primary targets) the principles for the Local Area 

remain the same. 

The City’s Local Area Planning process is actively engaging 

with the community to identify the scope for further planning 

improvements to each area and this endeavour is also helping 

to identify additional locations suitable for urban infill. Further 

opportunities to increase the provision of higher density 

development August include lots fronting Public Open Space 

reserves (recognising that the loss of private amenity can be 

more easily offset by proximity to public parks). Properties that 

are adjacent to Right of Ways could also be considered as 

suitable for medium density development. Design guidelines and 

appropriate development incentives (e.g. split codings) could be 

successfully applied to sites incorporating an amalgamation of 

contiguous lots in areas meeting appropriate locational criteria 

(such as proximity to parks or rights of way). 

Medium and higher density development has proceeded 

apace in various parts of the City. The Local Housing Strategy 

welcomes the provision of a greater diversity of housing and 

opportunities for medium density infill development. However, it 

is recognised that development outcomes for infill development 

in both Stirling and across the wider Perth region has been 

variable, with some proposals failing to adequately address 

design features such as building façades, arrangements for 

car parking provision, and landscaping. A review of the City’s 

planning policies may be required, in order to more consistently 

achieve outcomes characterized by aesthetically pleasing forms 

of infill development. 

With the exception of the public housing sector, providers are 

rarely supplying dwellings built to allow ageing in place; they 

are largely failing to apply Universal Design Principles. These 

requirements can only be imposed by the City in cases where an 

applicant is seeking to obtain a density bonus under the current 

R Codes, and this concession only applies to developments 

incorporating a minimum of five dwellings. Council could respond 

to this limitation by changing its policy environment to extend this 

bonus to smaller developments in suitable locations (accessible 

to commercial centres and public transport). 

Developments on Rights of Ways 

The City of Stirling has nearly 60 kilometres of Rights of Way 

(ROWs) within its jurisdiction, many of which are located within 

this Local Area. 



January 2012 

43


To date Council has agreed to the construction, drainage and 

acquisition of certain ROWs that are considered to be of significant 

benefit to the wider community into public lanes. These comprise 

about 27% of the total length of all ROWs and are now dedicated 

as part of the City public street network. 

A substantial number of ROWs still remain in private ownership. 

Nevertheless they tend to be perceived by the general community 

as public areas and there is mounting expectation for the City to 

resolve issues associated with their use. 

The Rights of Way Management Strategy has been prepared 

in response to a Council directive seeking to determine its role 

and extent of involvement with respect to the private Rights of 

Way within its district, in particular the development of a program 

of works to dedicate and upgrade ROWs that offer strategic 

benefits to the community, including the provision of lighting to all 

dedicated laneways. 

Since the Strategy was adopted, City officers have reviewed 

various elements it and have recommended to Council a slightly 

more refined approach to its implementation. Subsequently, 

Council have now initiated a Scheme Amendment which will 

introduce provisions into the Local Planning Scheme No. 3 which 

will require that landowners who are adjacent to either Category 

1, 2 or 3 ROW’s contribute to the cost of the upgrading of the 

ROW prior to commencing future developments. 

The City is aware this is a complicated issue and ensures that this 

project is subject to its own exhaustive community consultation 

process. Many landowners within this Local Area will be affected 

by the ROW Management Strategy and the Scheme Amendment. 

Any enquiries should be directed to the City. 



January 2012 

44



• 

For the City to stimulate the ongoing redevelopment of 

the housing stock within the Local Area by providing 

a range of incentives for landowners to do and to 

encouraging a diverse range of Residential zonings. 

• To continue to implement the Multiple Unit Codes as part 

of the R Codes. 

• To provide accurate and timely advice to landowners 

wishing to re-develop commercial property making use 

of the residential component as well as landowners with 

a greater residential density than is presently allowed 

under the Scheme wishing to redevelop. 

• To devise strategies in partnership with private 

developers to provide affordable housing options to the 

community, with the majority of responsibility resting 

with the developer. 

• To continue to encourage development fronting ROW’s 

where appropriate in accordance with the Right of Way 

Management Strategy and associated provisions of 

Local Planning Scheme No. 3. 

• To encourage and support green building design within 

the Local Area 

• The City of Stirling will encourage and participate 

in discussions with the Western Australian State 

Government in relation to adopting green building 

design principles within the R Codes for application 

state-wide. 



January 2012 

45

what now? 

This Local Area Plan is intended to be an 

accurate representation of the extensive 

community consultation was undertaken as 

part of the Local Area Planning process. 

The ‘Vision Statement’ and the 

‘Community Priorities’ identified in 

this Plan are direct extracts from 

the community workshops, with the 

resulting discussion and the proposed 

Actions representing the diverse views 

taken from the community through 

both the surveys and the community 

workshops. 

The City has also integrated its own 

strategic objectives and planning 

approach into the fabric of the plan, 

finding the common ground between 

the community aspirations and the City’s 

objectives. 

The next stage is for the City to now begin preparing 

the Implementation Plan. This document ensurs that the 

objectives stated in the and actions of the Local Area Plan are 

fulfilled. The Implementation Plan is a cross organisational 

document which allocates responsibility for each of the proposed 

Actions to a Business Unit for implementation. 



January 2012 

46

key opportunities 



January 2012 

47

Doubleview - Innaloo -Scarborough Local Area Plan - City of Stirling

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