Commercial and industrial premises

Overview

Click through the above table of contents for all requirements.

You’ll need a planning permit to develop land for commercial or industrial use. There are many factors to consider in the use or development of commercial or industrial land. Use this guide to ensure your permit application addresses each of the criteria we need to consider.

You’ll need:

• A covering letter and an up-to-date copy of title (less than six months old)
• Site analysis and design response
• Full site and landscape plans
• A development summary and a report detailing required information
• Materials and colours schedule
• Arborists report
• Advertising signs site plan
• Supporting information

Use the navigational structure on the top of this page to learn more about the requirements of each of these elements. Note that this is a guide and more information may be required when you lodge your application.

If you’re unsure about whether you need a planning permit, we can help.

Please note that the materials you submit with your application, including plans, will be made available for public view. Copies may be made to interested parties for consideration and review as part of the planning process under the Planning and Environment Act 1987.

It is important that you discuss your proposal with us before you submit your application to avoid potential delays or disappointments during the planning process.

Covering Letter & Copy of Title

Cover Letter

Outline your proposal with as much detail as possible about the intended use or development. You need to include a covering letter that includes all the details about your intended operation and how you plan to use or develop the land.

Copy of Title

Site analysis & design response

The site analysis identifies the characteristics of the site and surrounds and should include:

• For land with a slope of 1 in 10 or greater, site contours to Australian Height Datum or an arbitrary datum point (based on a feature survey), marked at intervals of 0.2m or 0.5m
• The location of all vegetation on the site and an indication of vegetation type (the plan should plot all plants higher than 2 metres and identify areas of lower vegetation)
• The location and use of all adjoining buildings and land
• Any opportunities and constraints that will affect the design of the proposal, including vegetation and adjoining land use

The design response includes the development plans and a written response, which needs to demonstrate how the proposal:

• Responds to the opportunities and constraints of the site as identified in the site analysis
• Addresses all relevant zone, overlay and policy objectives and provisions,

Plans

You'll need to submit:

• Three copies of site and development plans, at a scale of 1:100 or 1:200 (including one full-colour copy)
• One copy of plans must be A4 or A3 sized (also to scale) for copying
• It would help if you could submit an electronic copy of all plans in PDF format.

You need to submit a full site plan, showing:

• The north point
• The boundaries and dimensions of the site
• The location of existing buildings on site
• The location, layout and use of proposed buildings
• Mature trees and other significant vegetation to be removed or retained
• Proposed streets, access ways, car parking and loading areas within the site
• Site contours to Australian Height Datum or an arbitrary datum point (based on a feature survey), marked at intervals of 0.2m or 0.5m
• Main service connection points and easements
• The location of buildings on adjoining lots
• The location of street pavements in relation to the property boundary
• Levels along the edge of the proposed driveways showing changes in gradient
• The proposed subdivision of lot boundaries where applicable.

The plan needs to detail elevations, showing:

• Elevations of every building
• Building services and appurtenances, including heating and cooling units, exhaust vents, and any other additions or accessories
• The relationship of the elevations to natural ground level, showing any proposed cut or fill
• Where there are nearby neighbouring buildings, show setback, scale, location and height to establish the context and impact of the proposal
• External materials and colours
• Proposed fencing details.

You need to include a landscape plan with your application, showing:

• All existing vegetation identifying the location and species, including any vegetation to be removed
• Details of proposed planting and landscaping works, including type and depth of mulch (redgum mulch is not recommended), type of edge material (use of jarrah is not recommended) and whether an irrigation system will be provided
• The mature spread of selected planting at the appropriate scale
• Site and dwelling boundaries (at ground level)
• Details of all proposed fencing
• Existing or proposed services or easements
• All hard surface areas
• Planting proposed for screening
• Paving materials, drainage treatments and lighting for vehicle areas and footpaths
• Measures to protect trees and root systems during construction.

The landscape plan needs to include a plant schedule detailing:

• botanical name
• common name
• height and spread
• quantity
• size at planting (e.g. container size, advanced tree to nominated height)
• key/legend.

We recommend you use a qualified landscape architect or designer with local experience to assist in the development of the landscape proposal. When considering suitable plant species, we recommend seeking the advice of local nurseries.

Development Summary

You need to submit a development summary to demonstrate an overall picture of your proposed development. Include details such as:

• The site area
• Building site coverage (area and percentage) – a bird’s eye view of the building footprint
• Total hard surface area and percentage
• Any additional requirements under the provisions of the zone or overlay

Use of Land Report

You need to apply to use land within a commercial or industrial zone. Accompanying the application, include:

• The purpose of the land use and the types of activities that are proposed to take place on the land
• Details about how land not required for immediate use is to be maintained
• The likely effects on the neighbourhood, including noise levels, hours of operation, traffic (including hours of delivery and dispatch), solar access and light spill or glare.

If the plan is for a warehouse or other industry, include:

• The type and quantity of goods to be stored, processed or produced
• Whether a Works Approval or Waste Discharge Licence is required from the Environment Protection Authority
• Whether a licence under the Dangerous Goods Act 1985 is required
• The likely effects on adjoining land, including airborne emissions and emissions to land and water

Materials & colours schedule

As part of your application, include:

• A schedule of finishes, detailing materials and colours of main external surfaces, including roofs, walls, windows, fences and garages
• Colour samples or swatches

Arborist’s report

Where buildings, works or hard surfaces are proposed within the canopy or root zone of existing trees (either on the site or on neighbouring properties), an arborists report should be submitted, including:

• Details of species, height, canopy size and health of all trees on the site
• Significance of trees, including basis of significance
• Optimal and critical tree protection zones
• Potential impacts from the proposed building works
• Ameliorative measures that can be undertaken to protect vegetation

Advertising signs

You’ll need to include a separate site plan to show how you plan to advertise within the boundaries of the site. Include:

• The north point
• The boundaries and dimensions of the site
• Roads adjoining the site
• Location of all existing and proposed signs, including setbacks from boundaries

Each sign needs to be detailed, including:

• Elevations
• Dimensions
• Materials
• Content
• Colours
• Relevant building elevations if the sign is mounted
• Details of supporting structures
• The height of the sign above natural ground level
• Details of any illumination or animation.

Supporting Information

For us to be able to quickly inspect the site:

• Provide a photograph of the site from the street
• Mark the site clearly with a sign showing the street number
• Peg out the location of the development and tape any vegetation to be removed
• If the height of the development may be an issue, erect height poles to indicate the height of the proposed development
• Advise whether access to the site needs to be prearranged (for example, if there are locked gates at the site).