An innovative new South West Design Review Panel has been established as a shared initiative between the Cities of Busselton and Bunbury and the Shires of Augusta Margaret River, Collie, Caple and Harvey. The panel comprises professionals in the fields of architecture, urban design, landscape architecture, heritage, sustainability and environmental design, town planning, arts and culture, and will meet monthly to provide design advice on development applications, structure plans, design guidelines and any local government projects occurring in the five local government areas. Each participating local government will determine the types of applications and projects requiring design input.
The panel will operate within an agreed terms of reference forged by the five local governments, and design feedback will be provided in response to ten design principles listed in State Planning Policy 7.0 (Design of the Built Environment).
South West Design Review Panel (SWDRP) meetings are held on the last Friday of each month, dependant on items numbers. Currently the meetings are hosted by the City of Busselton.
For more information on the process, please contact Planning & Development Services on 9781 1731.
Please see Local Planning Policy 4.13 Design Review below for more information about design review for the City of Busselton.
The Panel Chair for the SWDRP is Craig Smith with Deputy Panel Chair Malcolm Mackay. Both have extensive design review panel experience across multiple Local Governments.
The Chairperson and Deputy form the basis of the panel for each item with the Local Government select other members from a pool of experts.
The panel pool is made up of architects, landscape architects, urban designers, heritage experts, sustainability and energy efficiency experts and arts.
Pool Member
Craig Smith - Architect/Panel Chair
Jackson Liew - Architect
Jessica Beaver - Architect
Kent Lyon - Architect
Sam Brown - Architect
Marc Beattie - Heritage
Stephen Carrick - Heritage
Mia Aspland - Art
Gordana Nesic-Simic - Urban Designer
Jeff Thierfelder - Urban Designer
Malcom Mackay - Urban Designer/Deputy Panel Chair
Susie Zuber - Urban Designer
James Cross - Sustainability Consultant
Oliver Grimaldi - Sustainability Consultant
Katy Svalbe - Landscape Architect
Simon Kilbane - Landscape Architect
The current pool term will run from March 2023 to 2025
Each of the Local Government areas determines the types of applications that require design input.
The City of Busselton will present your application to the Design Review Panel for consideration at pre-lodgement or lodgement stage, where it meets the following thresholds as outlined in Local Planning Policy 1.4 Design Review:
(i) All applications that meet the mandatory or optional requirement for Development Assessment Panels applications, where there is a design element that may impact on the character, appearance, or streetscape of an area; or
(ii) Major development proposals where there is a design element that may have a significant impact on the character, appearance, or streetscape of an area at the discretion of the City; or
(iii) Any other planning proposal (e.g. Scheme Amendment, Structure Plan, Precinct Plan, Local Planning Policy, Local Development Plan, Design Guidelines; or City project) relating to the design of development and places may be referred to the Design Review Panel at the discretion of the City
The City encourages proponents to engage with staff early in the process to determine if design review is required.
A preliminary referral shall generally consist of the following:
- Completed application form
- Context/streetscape analysis which considers the site location and character and considers the desired future character of the area
- Concept/development plans
- Artists impressions/colour perspectives of proposed development (if possible)
- Assessment against SPP 7.0 Design Principles
- Any additional information the City or applicant considers relevant
For the meeting, the proponent can prepare a short presentation for the South West Joint Design Review Panel
The City encourages proponents to come in at an early stage of the project where the design advice can be considered while the project is in formulation.
To incentivise this no charge will be incurred by the proponent for up to three design reviews, provided at least one of those occur prior to lodgement of a development application.
The SWDRP, Local Government staff and the proponent (including other consultants and land owner) attend the SWDRP meetings.
Members of the public or Elected Members are not permitted to attend.
The SWDRP will be held online via Teams and will allow up to 60 minutes for each item.
A longer duration can be allowed for more complex applications. The meeting will follow this agenda:
- Pre-meeting discussion (10 mins)
- Pre-review panel discussion and Local Government presentation
- Design review (30 mins)
- Welcome and introductions with proponent
- Proponent presentation
- Panel questions and clarifications
- Panel discussion
- Summary by chair
- Post meeting discussion (5-10 mins)
Documentation and forms are linked below for ease and convenience:
Additionally, links to relevant documentation that contributed to the development of the SWDRP are provided below: