Ocean Village Shopping Precinct Planning

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Property developer Blackburne has submitted a Part 17 Significant Development Application to the Western Australian Planning Commission (WAPC) for the proposed redevelopment of the Ocean Village Shopping Precinct.

The application will be assessed by the Department of Planning, Lands, and Heritage (DPLH).

Following the consultation process and the Town’s referral period, the DPLH will make a recommendation to the WAPC, who will be the decision maker.

The DPLH will include the Town’s response and any submissions made to the DPLH during the public consultation period in its report to the WAPC when it considers and determines the application.

Latest Update

September 2024

Copies of the proposed development plans and supporting information were available for viewing for a public consultation period of 32 days from 26 July to 26 August 2024.

The DPLH conducted the consultation process, and submissions on the proposal were accepted until Monday, 26 August 2024.

The matter was considered by Town of Cambridge Council at the Ordinary Council Meeting on 17 September 2024, where it recommended to the DPLH that the application be refused.

History

August 2024

The DPLH has advertised the application for public consultation for a period of 32 days from Friday, 26 July 2024 to Monday, 26 August 2024. Residents are encouraged to lodge a submission on the application to the DPLH here. It is important to note that submissions must be submitted to the DPLH and not the Town, as the Town is not the assessing authority or the decision maker of the proposal.

The DPLH also formally referred the application to the Town for comment on Friday, 26 July 2024. The Town will present a report to Council outlining its position on the proposal to the 17 September 2024 Council meeting and provide its formal response to the DPLH by Friday, 20 September 2024.

Ocean Village Development Application - Public Consultation

Copies of the proposed development plans and supporting information can be viewed:

  • Proposed development plans
  • In person by appointment at the Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage: Level 2 140 William Street, Perth WA 6000.
  • In person at the Town of Cambridge Administration Centre: 1 Bold Park Drive Floreat

The DPLH is conducting the consultation process. All submissions on the proposal must be made online or via email directly to the DPLH by Monday, 26 August 2024.

June 2024

On 25 June 2024, Council considered a potential planning framework for the site and resolved that it:

  1. NOTES the report “Ocean Village Community Engagement Project March/April” and that a copy of the report is provided to the City of Stirling.
  2. ADOPTS the position that its preferred development outcome for the precinct is mixed use development of a height of up to six storeys, consistent with State Planning Policy 7.3 - Residential Design Codes Volume 2 – Apartment R-AC3 coding, the Local Planning Strategy, community expectations, and the low-density context of the surrounding residential area.
  3. REQUESTS that the CEO; (i) writes to the Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage to advise of the Council-adopted position referred to in limb 2, and; (ii) ensures that the Town’s website conveys the Council-adopted position referred to in limb 2.
  4. Notes that draft Local Planning Scheme No. 2 is currently being held in abeyance, until at least October 2024, so as to enable progress on key strategic planning projects.

Background

Property developer Blackburne has acquired the Ocean Village Shopping Centre, and the Town of Cambridge has agreed to sell the surrounding car parks to Blackburne, who intends to combine the land holdings to redevelop the site into a mixed-use centre comprising retail and commercial space and residential apartments. You can find out more about Blackburne’s vision for the site by visiting www.oceanvillage.com.au.

The Ocean Village Shopping Centre site in City Beach has been identified in the Town’s Local Planning Strategy as a redevelopment area to provide 200 to 250 of those new dwellings.

In April 2024, the Town invited residents and stakeholders to share their views on the Ocean Village Shopping Precinct Redevelopment by completing an online survey to inform the Town's response to the application once public consultation commences.

Frequently Asked Questions

In response to recent community interest and to assist with the Town’s visioning engagement activities with the community, the Town has prepared responses to some frequently asked questions (FAQs) on the development application.

These FAQs may be updated as new information comes to hand. 

 

Q. What is the Part 17 ‘significant development’ pathway?

The Part 17 Significant Development Pathway was a temporary initiative introduced by the State Government in 2020 to encourage major developments as part of its COVID-19 pandemic economic recovery program. Applicants with proposals valued at $20 million or more in the metropolitan area and $5 million or more in regional areas were able to apply to be determined by the Western Australian Planning Commission (WAPC). In making its decision, the WAPC is able to apply additional discretion.

The Town understands that Blackburne’s proposal was capable of being submitted to the DPLH as a significant development application because the value of the proposed development is $200 million.

 

Q. Who will be the decision maker of the development application?

The DPLH will assess the development application and make a recommendation to the Western Australian Planning Commission (WAPC), who is the decision maker of significant development applications under Part 17 of the Act.

The Town will have an opportunity to provide comments to the WAPC on Blackburne’s development application.

 

Q. What is the application process?

The DPLH undertakes an assessment of the proposal.

During the DPLH’s assessment, there is a public submission process. The DPLH has publicly advertised the proposal for public consultation from Friday, 26 July 2024 to Monday, 26 August 2024.  The application was also formally referred to the Town for comment on Friday, 26 July 2024 and the Town’s response is due to the DPLH by Friday, 20 September 2024.

Following the public consultation process and the Town’s referral period, the DPLH will collate all submissions received from the public and include the Town’s comments on the proposal in a report to the WAPC.

The WAPC will then schedule a special public meeting to determine the application.

When the WAPC schedules its meeting, information about the meeting will be available on the DPLH website and members of the public who provide comments on the proposal will be informed of the meeting date and details.

Deputations can be requested. Information about applying for a deputation will be available on the DPLH website here.  

People attend the meeting in person or virtually via a Zoom link.

The order of business will be set out in the meeting agenda that will be published by the DPLH on its website a minimum of five business days before the meeting. The outcome of the meeting and reasons for the WAPC’s decision are also published within 10 business days of the meeting.

 

Q. Why is the Ocean Village site being redeveloped?

The State Government has set additional housing growth targets for all local governments within the Perth and Peel region to accommodate an expected population growth from 2.21 million people in 2024 to 3.5 million by 2050.

For the Town, the State Government has set an additional dwelling growth target of 6,830 new dwellings.

The Town’s Local Planning Strategy, which is the Town’s long-term strategic planning document that was developed over many years (commencing in 2008 and adopted in 2021), identifies several development areas within the Town to accommodate development to meet the Town’s additional dwelling growth target.

The Ocean Village Shopping Centre site in City Beach has been identified by the Town as one of the development areas to provide 200 to 250 of those new dwellings.

 

Q. What if I am concerned about changes to the Ocean Village Shopping Precinct?

The DPLH has advertised the development application for public consultation. The consultation period is open until 26 August 2024. The Town strongly encourages the community to raise any questions, comments and concerns in a submission.  

You can make a submission online or via mail:

  • Make a submission
  • By Mail – Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage, State Development Assessment Unit, Locked Bag 2506 Perth WA 6001

 

Q. How can I view the development application documents?

The application is being advertised by the DPLH.  All of the relevant documentation for the application is available:

  • View documentation
  • In person by appointment at the Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage: Level 2, 140 William Street Perth WA 6000
  • In person at the Town of Cambridge Administration Building: 1 Bold Park Drive, Floreat

 If you have questions about the application, you can contact the DPLH on (08) 6551 9450 or SDAUconsultation@dplh.wa.gov.au.

 

Q. What consultation was done with the community about this development?

In March and April 2024, the Town conducted a community engagement survey with the Town’s residents and ratepayers to provide their views and aspirations for the Ocean Village site. The outcomes of this engagement will help inform the Town’s Administration and Council on the community’s views when responding to the DPLH about Blackburne’s development application. You can view the report on this survey here.

As part of the Town’s sale of the two car parks at Ocean Village, the sale was advertised and community members were able to provide their comments in relation to the sale of the land. 165 submissions were received in support of the sale.

Property developer Blackburne may have also undertaken their own community engagement activities as part of their process in planning their development and preparing the development application. 

 

Q. When will a decision be made on the development application? 

 When the WAPC sets the date for its determination meeting, it will be advertised here.

We are unsure when the WAPC will decide on Blackburne’s development application. 

The public consultation period closes on 26 August 2024. 

Following the public consultation process, the DPLH will collate all submissions received from the public and include the Town’s comments on the proposal in a report to the WAPC.

The WAPC will then schedule a special public meeting to determine the application.

When the WAPC schedules its meeting, information about the meeting will be available on the DPLH website and members of the public who provide comments on the proposal will be informed of the meeting date and details.

The order of business is set out in the meeting agenda. Agenda papers are published on the DPLH website a minimum of five business days before the meeting. The outcome of the meeting and reasons for the WAPC’s decision are also published within 10 business days of the meeting.

 

Q. How can I be involved?

You can stay informed and involved on the Ocean Village development application by:

  • Making a submission during the public consultation period.  You can make your submission online or by mail:
  • Make a submission
  • By Mail – Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage, State Development Assessment Unit, Locked Bag 2506 Perth WA 6001
  • Following updates on the Town’s website.
  • Direct Communication: You can send personal feedback or inquiries to the Town via email to mail@cambridge.wa.gov.au or phone (08) 9347 6000.
  • Specific questions about the Ocean Village development application should be directed to the DPLH on (08) 6551 9450 or emailed to SDAUconsultation@dplh.wa.gov.au.