Bentley Technology Park is an area of land currently owned by DevelopmentWA and other State Government departments spanning portions of both the City of South Perth (Kensington) and the Town of Victoria Park (Bentley).
DevelopmentWA, as one of the landowners in the area, has engaged planning consultants to prepare the draft Bentley Technology Park Precinct Structure Plan (PSP). DevelopmentWA’s draft PSP has been lodged with the City of South Perth and Town of Victoria Park for assessment.
Bentley Technology Park is a diverse technology and innovation hub, home to more than 100 organisations spanning technology-based industries, research and development, academia, and support services. The Park hosts leading local, national and international science and technology organisations, including State Government agencies, Curtin University and CSIRO.
An Activity Centre Plan (ACP) is a document that provides the guiding framework for the planning and development of an activity centre. It does this by setting out the strategic vision for an area and the statutory planning requirements for development. An ACP guides the types of land uses and the overall development (including built form) that is intended to occur within the activity centre. It can detail land uses, environmental assets, residential density, built form, infrastructure and access arrangements.
ACPs are developed in accordance with the Planning and Development (Local Planning Schemes) Regulations 2015 (Regulations). Approval for an ACP is the responsibility of the Western Australian Planning Commission (WAPC).
The Bentley-Curtin Specialised Activity Centre Plan (SACP) was prepared by the Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage on behalf of the Western Australian Planning Commission in response to State planning strategies that encourage employment, infrastructure and services to be located close to where people live. The plan supports the ongoing transformation of the precinct by facilitating renewal and modernisation, while creating opportunities for education, research, technology, innovation and employment.
The Bentley-Curtin SACP was endorsed by the City of South Perth and Town of Victoria Park councils and subsequently approved by the Western Australian Planning Commission on 6 June 2018.
Development under the Bentley-Curtin Specialised Activity Centre Plan (SACP) is anticipated to occur over the long term, with planning projections extending to 2031.
To support implementation of the SACP, it is anticipated that two precinct structure plans will be prepared to provide more detailed guidance on land use, zoning, subdivision and development outcomes within key areas of the activity centre, including the following located within the City of South Perth:
- the North-West Science and Residential Precinct
- the Technology Park West Precinct - subject to the current draft Bentley Technology Park Precinct Structure plan.
These precinct structure plans will help facilitate the staged redevelopment and growth of the precinct over time.
The Bentley-Curtin Specialised Activity Centre Plan (SACP) was approved by the Western Australian Planning Commission on 6 June 2018 and is intended to remain in effect until June 2028.
As the plan approaches its expiry date, the Western Australian Planning Commission and relevant local governments may review its effectiveness and determine whether it should be updated, replaced or extended to reflect changing planning priorities and development opportunities within the precinct.
A precinct structure plan describes the intended zoning and subdivision pattern for a land area. Depending on the scale, a precinct structure plan identifies a pattern for street blocks, roads and open space together with proposed zones or land uses and major transport or utility infrastructure. A precinct structure plan provides development guidance for the built form and public realm.
A structure plan describes the intended zoning and subdivision pattern for a land area. Depending on the scale, a structure plan identifies a pattern for street blocks, roads and open space together with proposed zones or land uses and major transport or utility infrastructure.
A precinct structure plan is a more comprehensive document that addresses all the matters in a (standard) structure plan, and in addition, provides development guidance for the built form and public realm.
The Bentley-Curtin Specialised Activity Centre is a high-level strategic document, the purpose of which is to inform local planning scheme amendments and future detailed planning.
The Activity Centre is characterised as a specialised centre for ‘education, research and technology’, requiring a PSP to be prepared for further guidance on specific elements of the Activity Centre, such as built form and subdivision.
Of the eight (8) precincts that make up the Activity Centre, three (3) precincts are in the City of South Perth:
- North West Science and Residential
- Technology Park West
- Karawara
The draft PSP will guide the development of the Technology Park West precinct, by setting out development outcomes relating to:
- Preferred land uses (for example, research and development uses)
- Subdivision (the requirements to subdivide and create new land parcels)
- Infrastructure (such as proposed new roads and pedestrian access ways)
- Open Space (including the proposed distribution of open spaces)
- Built form (such as building heights, the setback of buildings and landscaping requirements).
For more information on the draft PSP, see the City's Your Say engagement page.
There is no set timeframe for the development of the Bentley Technology Park site, and establishment of any new public open space or road networks will be triggered by development, where relevant. Development is expected to be gradual, driven by landowner intent and market conditions.
DevelopmentWA’s draft PSP will sit underneath the WAPC’s high-level Specialised Activity Centre document.
