Tourism Planning Taskforce Report - Western Australian Planning ...

Chapter 8Taskforce recommendationsprovides for special control areas to beincluded in a scheme to identify areas orplanning issues that are significant for aparticular reason.The taskforce considers special control areasa potentially useful tool to identify strategictourism locations in a scheme and to introducerelated special provisions. A special controlarea for this purpose can set out theframework by which the location will beplanned and the criteria for the variouscategories of tourism use and strategic sites tobe identified. Special control areas also mayset out guidelines on tourism-related mattersto be taken into account in consideringdevelopment applications within the specialcontrol area. An example is a requirement thatTourism WA is consulted on developmentapplications received for land within astrategic location.The special control area designation providesan option to the zoning of a strategic locationwithin a tourism investigation or similar zoneand will be applicable where the time framefor development is likely to be outside the nextscheme review process, ie longer than fiveyears.Special control areas also are considered anappropriate tool to identify strategic tourismsites in a scheme. In using special controlareas for this purpose, they can be applied toa range of base zonings, such as caravanpark and camping ground and tourist/resort,and set out particular scheme requirementsassociated with that land. This provides amechanism for land within the same zoningcategory to be distinguished on the basis of itsidentification through the local planningstrategy process as a strategic site orotherwise.Recommendation 15:That in the preparation of each localgovernment town planning scheme and localplanning strategy, consideration be given toinclusion of special control areas to introducespecific provisions for strategic tourism sitesand locations. These area designations shallbe designed to reinforce the primacy of thesesites for tourism development and establishthe particular development controls andobjectives that relate to the sites, includingprovisions in respect to interim uses andconsideration of development proposals.PART 28.2 Interim policyrequirementThe recommendations of the taskforce toaddress its findings will require time toimplement and take effect given the focus onlocal planning strategies - tourism planningstrategies and the recognition of the need totake a strategic approach to land use planningfor tourism. Correspondingly, it is necessary toestablish an interim position to guideconsideration by the WAPC and localgovernment on development and zoningproposals for land zoned for tourism purposesthat will require determination in the shortterm. This interim framework will be applicablewhile the recommended SPP, Land UsePlanning for Tourism, the identification ofstrategic sites and review of local planningstrategies is undertaken, and changes to townplanning schemes are brought into effect.This will allow development proposals to beconsidered and progressed where appropriatein a planning context and under the statutoryframework while the strategic tourism planningwork recommended by the taskforce isundertaken. Recommendation 7 identifies therequirements for the preparation ofamendment reports for proposals to rezonesites zoned for tourism purposes to analternative use.Recommendation 16:1. The taskforce recommends that the WAPCadopt an interim policy position in respectto the consideration of proposals forscheme amendments to provide for thepermanent residential use of tourismdevelopments or the non-tourism use ofland zoned for tourism purposes, based onthe following:i) Where a subject site is identified as astrategic tourism site in the amendmentreport and/or the WAPC receives advice82 Tourism Planning Taskforce Report