A Plain-English Guide to the Plans, Strategies and Policies Helping Shape Mundaring's Future
If you've ever looked at a Council document and wondered what on earth a strategy, scheme or place plan actually is, you're not alone.
Over the coming years, the Shire will be reviewing and developing a range of plans that help guide the future of our communities. Some focus on housing and growth. Others look at community facilities, transport, recreation, environmental protection or local character.
For most people, these documents can feel complex and disconnected. That's exactly why Future Mundaring was created.
Future Mundaring brings these conversations together under one shared community conversation, making it easier to understand what's happening, why it matters and how your feedback can help shape the result. The framework is designed to connect multiple projects, plans and conversations over time, rather than treating each one as a separate consultation.
It's Not About Documents. It's About Our Future.
Most people don't wake up thinking about planning frameworks, strategies or policies.
They think about the things that shape everyday life: the character of their community, local parks and trails, housing options, traffic, community facilities, the environment, local businesses and the opportunities available for future generations.
That's what these plans are really about.
Each plan, strategy and policy looks at the future from a different angle. Some focus on our communities and the places we use every day. Others consider housing, growth, infrastructure, environmental protection, local character or the services residents may need in the future.
Together, they help build a clearer picture of what matters most to our community and how future decisions can reflect those priorities.
You don't need to understand every planning document to have a say. That's our job.
What matters is sharing your ideas, experiences and aspirations for the future of the Shire.
Future Mundaring is the space where those conversations come together.
How Do All These Plans Fit Together?
Every plan, strategy and policy helps answer a different question about the future of the Shire.
If you're not sure where to start, start with the question that matters most to you.
| Where could new housing and growth occur within the Shire's existing urban areas? | Land Use Planning Strategy, Local Planning Strategy |
| How might the Shire grow and change in the future? | Land Use Planning Strategy, Local Planning Strategy |
| How should development look and function? | Local Planning Scheme No. 5, Local Planning Policies |
Council Plan ▼
What is it?
The Council Plan sets the Shire's long-term direction and identifies the priorities Council will focus on over the next 10 years.
Why does it matter?
- Community priorities
- Major projects and infrastructure
- Services and programs
- Financial planning and investment
- The future direction of the Shire
What does it mean for me?
The Council Plan helps determine where Council invests its time, resources and funding.
It influences the projects delivered in your community, the services available to residents and the priorities that guide Council's decisions over the coming decade.
Place Plans ▼
What are they?
Place Plans help us better understand the unique strengths, needs and aspirations of communities across the Shire's three place areas: Hills, Foothills and Rural.
Why do they matter?
- Community facilities and services
- Trails, recreation and active lifestyles
- Town centres and local activity areas
- Local character and identity
- Public spaces and streetscapes
- Accessibility and connections between places
- Opportunities to support thriving communities
What does it mean for me?
Place Plans focus on the places you use every day.
They help identify what residents value about their community, what could be improved and what priorities should guide future projects, investment and planning in the area.
Whether it's improving public spaces, enhancing trails, supporting local services or protecting community character, Place Plans help ensure local voices shape local outcomes.
Place and Community Strategy ▼
What is it?
The Place and Community Strategy looks at how our communities are changing and what people may need in the future to live healthy, connected and fulfilling lives.
Why does it matter?
- Community facilities
- Libraries and community hubs
- Recreation and leisure opportunities
- Health and wellbeing
- Community connection
- Emerging community needs
What does it mean for me?
This strategy helps shape many of the things that contribute to everyday life in the Shire.
It can influence where community facilities are located, what recreation opportunities are available, what programs and events are offered and how public spaces are improved.
It helps ensure the places people gather, play, learn, volunteer and connect continue to meet the needs of current and future residents.
Land Use Planning Strategy ▼
What is it?
The Land Use Planning Strategy looks at how urban land across the Shire may grow and change over the coming decades.
Why does it matter?
- Housing and population growth around our existing towns and villages
- Employment and business opportunities
- Environmental protection
- Transport and movement networks
- Infrastructure requirements
- Future land use patterns
What does it mean for me?
This strategy helps answer some of the big questions about the future of the Shire's urban areas.
Where might future housing be needed? What features should be protected? How can communities grow while retaining their unique character? What infrastructure and services may be needed in the future?
This guiding strategy will inform other planning documents that can affect the way communities look, feel and function into the future.
Local Planning Strategy ▼
What is it?
The Local Planning Strategy translates long-term community aspirations and planning priorities into a framework that guides future land use and development decisions.
Why does it matter?
- Where growth may be appropriate
- What features and areas should be protected
- Future housing opportunities
- Infrastructure requirements
- Environmental and heritage priorities
What does it mean for me?
The Local Planning Strategy helps shape the future of the Shire over the long term.
It can influence where new housing may be located, how growth is managed, what areas are preserved and how communities evolve as population, lifestyle and economic needs change over time.
Local Planning Scheme No. 5 ▼
What is it?
The Local Planning Scheme is the Shire's primary control for development and sets out how land can be used and developed across the Shire.
Why does it matter?
- Land zoning and density coding
- Permissibility of land uses in each zone
- Built form development requirements, such as setbacks, building heights and site coverage
- Special controls for environmental hazards
- Protection of environmental assets, such as native vegetation and waterways
What does it mean for me?
The Local Planning Scheme helps determine what can happen across the Shire. This includes development on your property, your neighbour's property and elsewhere in your area.
It influences things such as where different types of housing can be built, what land uses and businesses are permitted in different zones, how land can be developed and how growth is managed across the Shire.
Local Planning Policies ▼
What are they?
Local Planning Policies provide more detailed guidance on specific planning and development issues.
Why do they matter?
- Building and design outcomes
- Streetscapes and neighbourhood character
- Heritage protection
- Signage
- Landscaping
- Environmental management
What does it mean for me?
Local Planning Policies help you understand what can and can't be built, how development should be designed and what factors will be considered when a proposal is assessed.
Whether you're building a home, adding an extension, installing a shed, developing land or living next to a proposed development, these policies help guide decisions that influence the character, appearance and function of local communities.
How Does Future Mundaring Fit Into All This?
Future Mundaring isn't replacing these plans. It's helping connect them.
In the past, many of these conversations happened separately. A resident might participate in one consultation without understanding how it related to larger decisions being made elsewhere.
Future Mundaring brings these conversations together under one shared journey, making it easier to understand the bigger picture, stay informed and participate in ways that suit you.
Future Mundaring has been created as an overarching engagement framework that connects projects, plans and community conversations over time, while providing a consistent and easy-to-follow experience for residents.
This Is Your Conversation
The future of Mundaring won't be shaped by a single survey, workshop or document.
It will emerge through hundreds of conversations with people who live, work, volunteer, raise families, run businesses and spend time in our communities.
Whether you're passionate about protecting the environment, supporting local businesses, improving community facilities, preserving local character or planning for future growth, your perspective matters.
Future Mundaring is simply the space where those conversations come together.
