Published on Tuesday, 29 July 2025 at 1:23:38 PM
SHIRE OF KATANNING
LOCAL PLANNING SCHEME NO.5

NOTICE OF PUBLIC ADVERTISEMENT OF PLANNING PROPOSAL
Planning and Development Act 2005
Shire of Katanning
Submissions now open
Local Planning Policy - Outbuildings
The Shire of Katanning has an existing ‘Outbuilding Policy’, which is in-need of a review, to bring-in-line with changes undertaken for the Shire’s Local Planning Scheme No.5, the Planning and Development (Local Planning Schemes) Regulations 2015 and the Residential Design Codes.
As per the above, the Shire of Katanning has developed a new (draft) Outbuilding Policy, to replace the existing Outbuilding Policy.
At the 23 July 2025 Meeting, Council resolved to advertise the new (draft) Outbuilding Policy, which is proposing the following:
- Exempting the need for planning approval for outbuildings where the Residential Design Codes apply (E.g. Residential, Commercial, Urban Development and Enterprise zones), subject to complying with the following criteria:
- A dwelling exists on the property
- Collectively outbuildings do not exceed 100m2in area or 10% in aggregate of the site area, whichever is less
- Wall height does not exceed 3.6m (measured from the natural ground level)
- Ridge height does not exceed 4.6m (measured from the natural ground level)
- The outbuilding is not within the primary or secondary street setback area
- The outbuilding is setback a metre or more from the side and rear boundaries
- The area of the proposed outbuilding, together with the area of all existing buildings on the site (including the house), does not exceed 50%
- Outbuildings in the Commercial zone, complement the scale and articulation of existing buildings
- In the case of a shipping container, engineer certification is provided for anchoring to the ground
- The property is not Heritage Listed
- Introducing standards for shipping containers. A shipping container is considered an outbuilding. Shipping Containers shall be appropriately anchored to the ground (in-accordance with engineer certification).
- For the ‘Rural’, ‘Rural Residential’ and ‘Rural Smallholdings’ zone classifications, include standards for maximum floor area and building height.
- The new proposed outbuilding policy does not support the development of an outbuilding on a vacant lot.
- The current policy does. Under the current policy position, compliance issues may arise with landholders taking-up occupancy of an outbuilding, which is a breach of planning, building and health legislation. The current policy position also goes against the definition of an outbuilding, which is a structure detached from a dwelling.
- Under the new policy, we can consider an outbuilding as part of a development proposal that includes a dwelling, with the outbuilding intended to be constructed first, to store the materials/equipment for the dwelling construction. As there is a risk that the outbuilding may be constructed and used without a dwelling, conditions of development approval may be required to control the timing of construction to ensure that the outbuilding is developed in association with the dwelling.
How to view the new (draft) Outbuilding Policy
The new (draft) Outbuilding Policy is available as a hard copy at the Shire office (52 Austral Terrace, Katanning), or can be viewed electronically at the following link: Here
How to make a submission
Comments on the proposal are now invited and can be emailed to admin@katanning.wa.gov.au or posted to the Shire’s Chief Executive Officer at PO Box 130 KATANNING WA 6317 by no later than Wednesday 20th August 2025.
All submissions must include the following information:
- Your name, address and contact telephone number
- How your interests are affected; whether as a private citizen, on behalf of a company or other organisation, or as an owner or occupier of property
- Address of property affected (if applicable)
- Whether your submission is in support of or objecting to the proposal and provide any arguments supporting your comments.
All submissions received may be made public at a Council meeting and included in a Council Agenda, which will be available on the Shire’s website, unless a submission specifically requests otherwise.
Should you have any questions or wish to discuss this matter further please do not hesitate to contact a member of the Shire’s Development Services Team on 9821 9999.
Peter Klein
Chief Executive Officer
28th July 2025
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