Strategic decisions about a landholding set what is possible on it, which approvals it needs and how long they will take, well before a subdivision, structure plan or development application is lodged. Trace Planning gives developers, landowners, investors, local governments and private individuals clear, evidence‑based advice on what the land can do and the best way to get there.
Strategic planning works out what a site or area can become: what the zoning and density allow, what the constraints rule out, and the approval pathway in between.
We assess land against the Planning and Development Act 2005, the Metropolitan Region Scheme, local planning schemes, State Planning Policies and WAPC guidelines. You get a clear, evidence‑based view of what the land can do, the approval pathway, the risks and how to manage them.
Long‑term thinking. Practical planning outcomes.
Each assessment ends in a recommendation you can act on: the approval pathway, the order to take it in, and the risks to manage along the way.
Working out what the zoning, density and constraints allow on a landholding, before a design is drawn.
Testing whether a scheme amendment is realistic, and what it would need to show the local government and the WAPC.
Land use studies and evidence for local governments planning the longer‑term direction of an area.
Projects where several agencies, referral bodies and community interests need to be brought along.
Heritage & ecology checked in‑house
Where a heritage listing or an environmental constraint is identified, our Trace Archaeology and Trace Ecology teams provide the specialist assessment, so it can be built into the strategy from the start.
Five specialisations cover our strategic work. Each can stand alone, or feed straight into a subdivision, development application, scheme amendment or structure plan.
A detailed review of what the planning framework allows on a site, with recommendations on the options and the most practical approval pathway.
ForDevelopers, investors, business owners, local governments and landowners across Perth, Peel and regional WA
Before a design is drawn, we test the site against the planning framework on five factors. The result shows what the framework allows, the approvals required, the constraints and how long the approvals are likely to take.
ScopePlanning advice only. It does not cover land value, finance or returns.
Which applications a project needs, in what order and to whom, with pre‑lodgement engagement to test the approach before anything is lodged.
FromExperience across Perth's metropolitan councils, regional local governments and the WAPC
Every factor that limits or enables a site, mapped and weighed, then set out in a written analysis with the recommended pathway.
See the layersEveryone with an interest in the project, mapped by position and influence, with an engagement strategy to match: from one‑on‑one meetings with decision‑makers to community consultation.
ForDevelopers, local governments, infrastructure providers and community organisations, with consultation that meets the Act and WAPC guidelines
Most strategic work follows the same line. Not every project needs every step, and we will tell you which ones yours does.
We confirm the question to be answered, then review the region scheme, local planning scheme, State Planning Policies, WAPC strategies and local planning strategy that apply.
Constraints and opportunities mapped layer by layer and surrounding uses reviewed. Heritage and environmental matters go to Trace Archaeology and Trace Ecology where they arise.
The approval pathway and its sequence, tested in pre‑lodgement discussion with the local government, the WAPC and referral agencies.
A written assessment of what the land can do, the recommended approval pathway, the risks and how to manage them, ready to brief the next stage.
These are statutory periods, not forecasts. A feasibility assessment sets them out in sequence for the approvals your project needs. Scheme amendments and structure plans follow their own processes, explained in our guide to rezoning and scheme amendments.
Strategic advice in WA rests on layers: the Act and its regulations, region and local planning schemes, State Planning Policies, and the separate laws that protect heritage and the environment.
Aboriginal heritage, historic heritage and the clearing of native vegetation are covered by their own laws, and our Trace Archaeology and Trace Ecology teams advise on them. Our guide to structure plans and local development plans explains when one is needed.
Desktop due diligence on a 16.4 hectare rural property, reviewing the local and state planning framework and recommending a homestead lot subdivision.
Variations to the Town of Cambridge's planning framework for a home on a sloping 1,456 m² corner lot, including modelling that showed less than 25% of the neighbouring site would be overshadowed.
From strategy to application
Strategic advice often leads straight into due diligence on a specific site, a structure plan or a development application.
Short answers to the questions we are asked first. If yours is not here, call us on (08) 9446 6185.
Whether you need a land use study, a planning feasibility assessment or strategic planning advice, Trace Planning is ready to help. Talk to our team today, with no obligation.