Planning due diligence

Before you exchange contracts, lodge a development application or commit capital to a project, you need to know exactly what you're dealing with. Trace Planning's due diligence investigations provide property developers, investors, landowners and private individuals with a comprehensive, expert assessment of a site's planning position. We identify the opportunities, constraints and risks that will determine what the site can do and how the development pathway will unfold.
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Our due diligence investigations cover the full spectrum of planning, heritage and environmental considerations. On the planning side, we examine the applicable Local Planning Scheme, zoning and land use permissibility, density provisions, structure plan requirements, local planning policies and any WAPC improvement schemes or planning control areas affecting the site. We identify approval pathways, likely assessment processes and the risk of referral to the DAP, EPA or other agencies.
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Where heritage or environmental matters are relevant, including Aboriginal heritage obligations under the Aboriginal Heritage Act 1972, historic heritage listings under the Heritage Act 2018, EPBC Act triggers or EPA requirements, Trace Planning coordinates with our Trace Archaeology and Trace Ecology teams to incorporate those assessments into a single, integrated due diligence report.
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Our findings are compiled into a clear, structured report that gives you everything you need to make a go/no-go decision, structure your financing, manage your risk and plan your approval strategy with confidence.

Finding the right site for a development project requires more than a property search. It requires a rigorous planning assessment of each potential location to determine whether it can accommodate your project, what the approval pathway looks like and what constraints could affect viability. Trace Planning provides structured site identification and evaluation services for property developers, investors and businesses across the Perth metropolitan area and regional WA.
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Our site identification process begins with a clear understanding of your project requirements: the type of development, the scale, the target market and any specific locational criteria. We then apply our knowledge of WA's planning framework to evaluate potential sites against the key planning criteria: zoning and land use permissibility, density and development scale, infrastructure availability, heritage constraints, environmental considerations and proximity to services and transport.
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We use GIS tools and planning databases to search efficiently across a defined geographic area, shortlisting sites that meet your requirements and presenting a structured comparative analysis that gives you a clear picture of each option's planning position, development potential and risk profile. For each site, we identify the approval pathway, the likely timeline and any constraints that would need to be resolved before development can proceed.
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Whether you're a developer searching for your next project, an investor assessing opportunities in a target market or a business evaluating expansion or relocation options, Trace Planning's site identification service provides the planning intelligence you need to make the right choice.

What can this site actually do? It's the most important question in property development, and the answer requires more than a quick look at the zoning map. Trace Planning provides development potential advice for property developers, investors, architects, private landowners and business owners across Perth and regional WA, giving you a precise, policy-grounded assessment of what your site can accommodate and how to maximise its value.
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Our development potential assessments examine every factor that determines what a site can do: the applicable Local Planning Scheme and R-Code density provisions; structure plan and local development plan requirements; land use permissibility and any potential for change of use or rezoning; heritage constraints under the Aboriginal Heritage Act 1972 and Heritage Act 2018; environmental constraints including EPBC Act triggers, EPA requirements and DBCA considerations; infrastructure and servicing capacity; and any WAPC policies or planning control areas affecting the site.

We provide a clear, written assessment of what the planning framework allows on the site, including the likely development yield, the opportunities for additional yield through density bonuses or performance-based assessments, and any constraints that would need to be resolved before development can proceed. Our advice is direct, evidence-based and structured around your specific project objectives, so you can plan with a clear view of the planning risks.

When a development proposal faces opposition, requires a persuasive planning argument before a panel or council, or needs expert representation at a community consultation process, Trace Planning provides professional development advocacy services across Perth and regional WA.
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Our town planners act as your representative and advocate throughout the planning process: attending pre-lodgement meetings with council planners, preparing and presenting planning submissions, representing your interests at JDAP and LDAP hearings, managing objector engagement and presenting arguments at council meetings and public submissions processes. We build evidence-based planning cases that demonstrate how your proposal is consistent with the applicable planning policy framework and serves the interests of the broader community, giving decision-makers the confidence to approve.
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Our advocacy work is grounded in a deep understanding of how WA's planning decision-making processes work: what arguments succeed before the DAP, what council officers respond to, how to engage with the community in a way that reduces objections and how to navigate planning disputes efficiently. We represent property developers, private landowners, businesses and investors with the professionalism and strategic clarity that complex planning advocacy demands.
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Where your proposal also faces heritage or environmental objections, our Trace Archaeology and Trace Ecology teams provide the specialist technical support needed to address those concerns credibly and comprehensively.