Will there be a public workshop?

    The City expects to run a public workshop during Stage 2 Public Consultation, to assist with reading and interpreting the draft Activity Centre Plan and Local Planning Policy once these have been prepared.


    How will I be notified of changes?

    The City will be sending letters to all landowners within the Dunsborough Town Centre to notify them when a draft Activity Centre Plan and Urban Design Local Planning Policy is being advertised for comment. If you are a tenant or business owner, the City encourages you to join the local Chamber of Commerce, speak to your landlord, strata body and neighbours, and keep a look out for public notices.

    More broadly, the City will be promoting the opportunity to provide feedback via the Bay to Bay e-newsletter, media release, newspaper notices in ‘Council for the Community’, and postings on the City’s social media platforms and website. Residents are also encouraged to join local residents associations to be involved in community networks.

    How will these changes affect my business or development?

    Changes proposed through this process will not apply retrospectively – only to new developments and decisions made after the introduction of new planning controls and guidelines.

    If you are planning to start a new business, take out a lease or undertake a new development you are advised to contact the City to discuss how Amendment #29 and the proposed Activity Centre Plan and Urban Design Local Planning Policy might affect your proposal.

    Don’t forget to ask about the City’s FaçadeRefurbishment Subsidy Program, which will be re-opening soon.

    What is the City doing about car parking?

    The City acknowledges that car parking is in short supply in the Dunsborough Town Centre during peak periods but is ample at other times. The preparation of an Activity Centre Plan can identify the City’s strategies for providing and managing car parking, although that is not its main purpose.

    The City has been actively pursuing a range of initiatives to support car parking supply and management:

    • Increasing car parking supply as one outcome of the ongoing streetscape improvement program;
    • Negotiating to purchase land to supply additional car parking in the medium term;
    • Introducing new parking controls to increase the availability of visitor/ shopper parking, while adding to the supply of special purpose parking;
    • Promoting alternative transport via programs and improved infrastructure for walking, cycling and public transport.


    Will the Dunsborough Town Centre expand onto the Playing Fields?

    This may occur in the long term, but very unlikely in the short term.

    The concept of expanding the Dunsborough Town Centre into the Playing Fields was identified in the Draft Leeuwin Naturaliste Sub-Regional Planning Strategy published in September 2017 by the WA Planning Commission. The gradual expansion of the existing Town Centre is preferred over the creation of a new activity centre elsewhere in direct competition.

    In the future it is desirable that the town centre consolidates within its current footprint, making the best use of existing available space and supporting a greater degree of multi-storey development. If the population of Dunsborough continues to grow, there will someday be the demand to increase the overall commercial floorspace and to allow for land to be developed that is capable of supporting large format retail.

    As part of preparing an Activity Centre Plan for the Dunsborough Town Centre, the City is proposing to seek expert projections of likely commercial growth. This will provide a clearer picture of the likely future need for expanding the Dunsborough Town Centre.

    The City acknowledges concerns about the availability of playing fields and recreational space, and is actively progressing plans for the growth of these facilities in Dunsborough. Any future expansion of the town centre that affects recreational space would need to replace like-for-like, over and above facilities required for growth.