Strategic
Planning Specialists

A land use study is the foundation of informed property decision-making. Before committing to a purchase, a rezoning or a development strategy, property developers, landowners and investors need a clear, evidence-based picture of what a site can accommodate, what the planning framework permits and what constraints could affect viability. Trace Planning's land use studies provide exactly that — a rigorous, policy-grounded assessment of a site's land use potential and the opportunities and constraints that will shape its development.
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Our land use studies cover the full breadth of strategic assessment: analysis of the applicable Local Planning Scheme, zoning, land use permissibility and density provisions; review of State Planning Policies, WAPC strategies and local planning strategies; identification of constraints including heritage listings, environmental factors, infrastructure limitations and scheme overlays; assessment of surrounding land uses, market context and demand drivers; and clear, actionable recommendations on the highest and best use for the site and the most viable development pathway.
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We deliver land use studies for property developers, investors, business owners, local governments and private landowners across the Perth metropolitan area, Peel region and regional WA — providing the strategic intelligence needed to make confident go/no-go decisions and develop winning planning strategies.

Is this site plannable? Is it profitable? What are the risks? These are the three questions every developer, investor and landowner needs answered before committing capital. Trace Planning's property feasibility studies answer them with the depth and rigour that WA's most competitive property market demands — and with the planning expertise that no generic financial model can replicate.
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Our feasibility studies are structured around five critical commercial factors:
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- Maximum yield and density — we confirm the potential number of lots, units or commercial floor space achievable under the applicable Local Planning Scheme and R-Codes, analysing density provisions, bonus uplift opportunities and any applicable structure plan or local development plan requirements.
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- Regulatory compliance — we identify every planning approval required, including development applications, subdivision approvals, DAP applications, R-Code variations and any necessary scheme amendments — giving you a complete picture of the approval pathway before you commit.
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- Hidden site constraints — we identify high-risk constraints that could affect project viability: Bushfire Prone Area (BPA) classifications, Acid Sulfate Soils (ASS), flooding and inundation risk, heritage listings, environmental buffers, power easements and infrastructure constraints across the Perth metropolitan area and regional WA.
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- Local government risk — we assess the specific local government's planning policies, approval precedents and appetite for your proposed development type, giving you a realistic assessment of approval likelihood and the risk of objection or delay.
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- Time and cost forecasting — we provide a staged approval timeline with estimated regulatory fees and a realistic forecast for time-to-approval — so your financial modelling is based on planning reality, not assumptions.
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Don't risk capital on an uninformed decision. Trace Planning's property feasibility studies deliver the planning certainty that protects your investment and maximises your return.

Navigating WA's statutory planning system requires more than knowing the rules — it requires knowing how regulators think, what arguments succeed, what triggers delays and how to structure an approval strategy that gets your project through the system efficiently. Trace Planning's process and strategy advice draws on deep experience across the full range of WA planning processes — from local government DAs and WAPC subdivision applications through to DAP hearings, scheme amendments and EPA referrals.
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We provide process and strategy advice to property developers, landowners, investors, project managers and architects at every stage of a project. Our advice covers approval pathway strategy and sequencing; pre-lodgement engagement with local government, the WAPC and referral agencies; risk identification and mitigation; submission strategy and planning argument development; and management of multi-agency consultation processes.

Our approach is direct and outcome-focused. We tell you what works, what doesn't and why — based on experience across Perth's metropolitan councils, regional local governments and the WAPC's various consent authorities. Whether you're navigating a straightforward residential DA or managing a complex, multi-stage approval strategy across heritage, environmental and planning requirements, Trace Planning delivers the strategic guidance that keeps your project on track.

Every site has potential. Every site has constraints. Understanding both — and knowing how to maximise the former while managing the latter — is the foundation of successful property development in WA. Trace Planning's opportunity and constraint analysis provides property developers, landowners and investors with a comprehensive, policy-grounded assessment of what a site can do and what stands in the way.
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Our analysis covers the full spectrum of planning and development constraints: zoning and land use permissibility; density provisions and R-Code requirements; heritage listings under the Heritage Act 2018 and local government heritage schedules; environmental constraints including EPBC Act triggers, EPA requirements and DBCA notifications; infrastructure constraints including power easements, drainage requirements and road reservation; Bushfire Prone Area classifications and Acid Sulfate Soils mapping; and any applicable WAPC policies, improvement schemes or planning control areas across the Perth metropolitan area and regional WA.
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Alongside constraint identification, we identify the opportunities — density uplift potential, rezoning prospects, structure plan staging advantages, design principle variation opportunities and pre-lodgement engagement strategies that can improve approval outcomes. We deliver clear, written analysis with a definitive assessment of the site's development potential and the recommended planning pathway — giving you the intelligence you need to invest and develop with confidence.

Effective stakeholder engagement is not a box-ticking exercise. In WA's planning system, it is often the difference between a smooth approval and a contested, delayed process. Trace Planning provides structured, professionally managed stakeholder identification and engagement services for property developers, local governments, infrastructure providers and community organisations — building the consensus that complex planning proposals require to succeed.
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Our stakeholder engagement process begins with a comprehensive mapping exercise — identifying every individual, group, organisation and agency with a material interest in your proposal, assessing their likely position and influence and developing an engagement strategy tailored to the specific dynamics of your project.
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We design and manage engagement programmes appropriate to the scale and complexity of the proposal — from targeted one-on-one meetings with key decision-makers and referral agencies through to structured community consultation events that meet the requirements of the Planning and Development Act 2005 and relevant WAPC guidelines. Our town planners facilitate meetings, prepare submissions, manage correspondence with local government and the WAPC, and ensure that consultation outcomes are properly documented and addressed in planning submissions.
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Genuine stakeholder engagement builds trust, reduces objections and creates the conditions for successful planning approvals — across the Perth metropolitan area, regional WA and beyond.